Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1830-05-21


think it is subject in which the country has deep in
teres on acc cunt of all the circumstances which APP
pertain TO the whole affair.
Yours respectfully.
The recent arrest and trial Of Capt. Ho6iaan
IL would require but cursory AMI brief retrospect of
our Military aud Naval Courts Martial 10 convince the
most unpractsed observer of the deporabe degeneracy
oil those institutions, into mockcry of Justice and
prostitution oil the dignity and honour OF the two pro-
'essions as evinced by the malgnity OF and
specications the untairness of their trials the inus-
tce and oppression of their decisions
lnthe origin, progress, and termination of the recent
triai ot Capt, Hoffman, suitable terms are not 10 be
found in the vocabulary of common parlance by which
properly 10 characterize its diaboca iniquity and OPP
preston.
On the 18th of November 1925 the Secretary Of ,be
Navy dispatched the Vandaa, Capt. Gallagher as re-
iei vessel to the Boston, Capt Hoffman, then on the
Brazilian Station. with unsealed orders 10 Com Cregh
ton, commanding the squadron send the Boston to
the United States, touching the principal West India
Islands"
ruary' 1929, following, when Capt Gallagher presented
the orders to Com. Creighton The erders not bein,
sealed, Capt Gallagher acquainted with their con-
tents, as matter of course.
From this time until The n of June following fur
months, the Hudson the )s,on and hcr r.iet. .bip
Vanialia, renain-d in and a. out he Brazilian coas,
AID the River La Plaza; Com Cr-igh'on no, having ex
ecued te orders Of thu Secretary If he Navy TO des
patch the Boston back to the u States While i'm the
La Plate, wher' the Squadron continually Liable
ana exposed, to the iornados prevail, in that region
was TIE custom OF the commanders OF the ships TO rr,
pare Tor the expected storm by taking in reefs in their
san, ana making other preparations, set forth in the
evidence on the trial. When a certain evening Com
Creighton, Capt Gallagher ard Capt Hoffman had thus
prepared Tor an approaching hurricane az usual Com
creighton made signal to Capt Hoffman 10 turn his
rteis; leaving his own vessel aud Capt Gaaeher' il,
the u'ual attitudes Of safety C,pt Hoffman answered
the ~ir nal but did no: execute it, because h. held him
sell responsible in fact he resDonsiJle nv The
intrinsic principles Of naval tactics in surh n,.ssiu
contingency, for the safety of his vessel and crew
Wh"reupon Com. Creighton sent a verbal MESSAGE IN
'aW Hofmn, enquiring il he uni" RS God the signal
&r. C'p Hoffman returned for answer, that he could
not receive verbal communica,i n from him az he
had already gotten himself in difficulty with Com
creighton, who had denied upon fJrmer orca sion
verbal order which he had evecuei ard by In, denial
had 'hrewn the respons by of the act uuon him win
an me consequences that an Unauthorized act migh,
perrhance bring on him under .uch circums ances
Now, must be perfectly obvious 10 every one that
'y 'h'ary or naval order involving much danger and
responsibility being made verbally ought be consider
Ell irregular as 1t IL liable 10 be muaed and misunder-
stood, well TO be afterwards denied by him who il
sued II, or him who received itand TO open wide old G
contentious grievances ordinations arrests court,
martial ana oppresson dividing the sei column of pro-
iessiona honour and harmony into personal ealouscs
eA'ons orders ana consequent insubordnatons, equal
W out oil the purvew OF the service of the Countrv
IVe me very order in question: TO the reefs of
the Boston, while the other of the squadron were
aue para exceptions to that ORDER upon whom all the
circumstances of the were equally lucrative b,
"een regularly made In writing, would yet have been
ccrotous order and unworthy be obeved Indeed tbis
case strictly illustrative of the truism that man NAV
Pi''c" NucH by the malice his
MES or other perverse fate, that he has alternative
oil action, TO avoid censurc and condemnation Tho |
command to Capt Hoffman to out his reefs must bc
ooeyed or he ncurs charge of INSTRUMENTATION. If IL
were obeycd the ship and crew had inevitably becp
dangercd and possibly lost; and this issue would have
eeh imputed 10 want OF skill and oscer-like conduct
on me part OF Capt. Hoffman. Nav emergencies have
oieh occurred wherein inferior officers mpelled bv an
ardent sense OF patriotsm and deep conviction of
'gh nave assumed the responsibility of acting prompt
w. without awaiting the sanction of their superiors nc
wen as IN opposition TO their express commands and tho
results nave been the full contamination of the ends and
views ot the public service Nor does Cant UoT;nan,
dsobedence OF the vexatious order TO turn ont his reefs
nor lbs returning to the United States without orders a
he afterwards did aforlany exceptions TO tbose Instances
o io''l .her JuSuhcation by superadded beneficial
results FOR example-Capt. Decatur assumed the re-
spohSlDliy OF destroying the PHILADELPHIA under tho
batteries OF lripoli, torlorn hope, of which his com
n"IneI Won" never have ordered the attempt to be
maze YET nus glorious achievement NAV us y he form
ed the marix by which our SUBSEQUENT naval d,r;n,
has been modelled the dniisive stimulus OF cmnIaG
That has inspired our officers and crews with sunerb
man energies ana steadiness Of execution Capt De-
ca'ur sailed In squadron under Com. Rogers from Bos
ION IN ISL, and separated from him i'm the cruise ron
trary to ORDERS and his capture of the Macedonian a
"o consequence: nor was any exception taken TO this
insubordnate conduct Capt Bddle in 1925 committed
me same offence as Capt. Hoffman, by leaving the sane
brazilian station and returning home without orders from
OF insubordnaton!i " ' "0'
:, , oom. Crriahon thought prorcr 10 arrest CAPT
non nam Tor falling into the which he had co ,r
I'm
taln day Com Creighton despatched ysrbol order 10
LaPt' Holman. which he executed; and ahsrwards |
Com' Creighton denied the order 10 IN ow UoH,,nin
10 cosion with him, advant ageo,Is 10 himself "a co.
PT''or oihcer, ami pr"judical to Hoffman A., sohsc
q",t 'ime, he ordered Capt. Hoffman bv signal and
re'O" message 10 endsnger his ship and crew bv LET
""g ou' ms reelS, when threatened with a pnuDoro
which he knew Capt Hoffman could not com"Iv i
con'i tenty with the safety OF hi. shin And 8naiI"
he withheld from Capt Hoffman the orders of a.. S
Seary OF The Navy, TO send the Bo.ton IN the United
o'a'e', which had been forwarded by the ya,J,Iio -,
releVe The Boz on-k knowing that az Cant, G,Iaobsr
was apprised Of The nature OF those orders he ,yo H.
tEmerconrse WIN Can't. Hoffman, on the station in
URN MN OF their existence, and in all prob,bilitv
Cap'' Hohinan would execute them without the firm
" 'oelr heing communicated 10 him by Com c, eigb
'on' ana mus consummate prelext for arrest
- Accordingly, Capt. Gallagher did communicate >,
C'P,' HOFFMAN The purpori of those orders and at
some months, in The midd Of his Ne rple kites sh g.
Creighton, observed, that "wPre he placed in he ;,
uon oi Capt H., he would return to the United .ates
nnder The responsibility Of those united circumstance
' ne terfn OF service OF the crew of Cant U,nn.n,.
SUP, had also expired, and they were cIstnorou, n, 70
TURN nome by so doing, he has saved TO the C,vcr,
nent many thousand dollars in extra nav that ,vont
nave been incurred 10 the crew: or the
snu DANGER Iive' that must have been haz,rded nv
charging them ia so distant pur; together with The
The Bo-t0n. ~ gov w =
For This manly stand against official iniurv and m
preston totally foreign from the acquisitions of the NJ
val service, has Com. Creighton had Can't Hoffman g.
rested and tried before tribunal of profsssion, ~
VINO are always, IN the essential ,ture of tbnos rI
h'sh IN MIR feelings, and depIorably infected win no
rsson"i jealouses and pirtiales. The sccusatons !
fu we ri"I Isr are IN the very nature Of persona,