Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1833-05-30
I.lH AA1lsrrlAo
MARTINs8URG. MAY 50. 1888
TO THE PUBLIC.

recently announced his dismission from
the service by the President, will now
undertake, for the information Of his Eel
low-citizens generally, aud of his late
associates attached to the Navy, to ex.
pose the circumstances which led to this
catastrophe.
In the Spring Of 1898. John B Timber
lake, purser of the u. 8 frigate Consti-
tuition, died at Port Mahon. from the ef-
fects of arrangement. in fit of which be
had unfortunately MANNED himself, by cut
ting bis throat. Commodore Patterson
then Commander Of the frigate, directed
me, verbally, 10 assume the duties of Act
ing Purser, as the successor Of Mr.. Tim
berlake About to become the recipient of
the money, slops, and other effects belong
ing TO the United States, which were left
by my predecessor, it was not my duty
to count the money, or take an inventory
Of the effects. Common sense might teach
any one that the counting of the money,
and surveying the effects, devolved upon
others before could be made responsible
/ participated in neither.
II has been testified, however, by Cap,
tain Patterson. that he gave verbal orders
to his first Lieutenant to cause the money
to be counted, and an account taken of it,
to be delivered TO me; and also TO designate
three officers of the ship, to make an in
ventory Of all the public effects before
they should be delivered over Captain
Patterson has further deposed. that Lieu.
tenant Valle.te, the gentleman to whom
these verbal orders were given, reported
TO him that all had been done as com
manded. But the persons named by Lieu
tenant Vallette, as those designated to
perform the duties before mentioned, dis
claim their appointment, and positively as
sert, that they bad no agency in making
an inventory, or counting the money, and
never had any knowledge OF the money or
effects left by MIR Undertake, except
from hearsay.
These strange discrepancies in the evi.
dence of gentlemen, made under the obi
cations of their oaths. necessarily called
for the minutest examination by the Court
and my Counsel; when, at length. it was
positively ascertained that there had been
no inventory taken of the. public property;
as Captain Patterson countermanded his
own order to that end, upon the repre-
sentation to him, by Lit Valiette, that the
slops and stores were so situated as to ren
der it very announcement to make an in
ventory thereof. The survey was post
poned by order Of Captain Patterson, I'M
I'll after the arrival of the Constitution at
the Navy Yard, Charlesiown, Massachu-
sets; when all the slops and stores were,
by the order Of Captain Gallagher, sur
veyed and turned into the Navy store, and
receipted for by Mr.. Bates, the Navy store
keeper on that station.
So much for the reported inventories
made at Port Mahon, by orders of Cap
tain Patterson - Here the investigation con
cerning the mysterious inventories, which
from the beginning had existence only in
fiction, might be terminated. but for the
evidence Of Captain Patterson, before the
late Court of Enquiry, who swore. that
when the Constitution came near the Light
House, and before the survey took place
IN the Navy Yard at Charlestown, he in
qnired of me, whether had forwarded TO
the Fourth Auditor duplicates of the in
ventories of these same slops and stores;
and received an affirmative answer - |
The reader has seen, above, that no in
ventory had before been taken, and this
with the knowledge, and in pursuance Of
the order of Captain Patterson himself. II
is scarcely worth while to waste one word
more on this subject How Captain Pat
terson could imagine that had transmit
ted to the Fourth Auditor duplicates of IN
ventories never made--or how | could an
swer in the affirmative, never having heard
or seen any such inventories, leave to
every one 20 conjecture 1t surpasses all
my logic. Such, however, it will be seen
in the Presidents letter OF dismission, "a
Is the testimony on which he has arrived
at the decision, that am unworthy of the
Naval service of this Republic! Itwould
seem TO me, nevertheless, that the Presi
dents decision wei! quadrates with the
testimony of Captain Patterson, one be-
ing as destitute OF justice as the other is
of truth
Had the President been actuated by cor
rect motives. influenced 10y the proceed.
ings and judgment of the Court Of Enqui-
ry, and sought information from the books
and vouchers in the Navy Department. he
must have come TO the conclusions. But
in signing the fiat for my dismissal, he ac-
eomodated himself to the malignlty and
conspiracy of John H. Eaton and Amos
Kendall, worthy associates OF their mali
cious and imbecile master. may, howe
yer, put up with my share OF his denuncl
alton, when in the same scrawl he stigma
tizes the integrity and intelligence OF the
late Court of Enquiry 10 my case. com
posed of officers not surpassed IN charac
ter and respectabllity BY any In the ser
vice of the country. s
With any Stops that might have been or
board when Undertake died, am wholly
unacqualnted. For some time before hi,
death. and until the day of his lnterment
Norman and Morris, Timoerlake's clerks
had charge fall the slops which had beer
open for the crew What they may have
issued, had know means of knowing
having been determined by Captain Pat
Nersnn that the slona a.d .,.,a.l.. s.a.aa I,