Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1836-06-30
GENERAL ORDER.
HAN QUARTERS. OF Tnr ARMY, }
1djutam Generals once, !.
Washington, June IL, 1896.

ldtWdhf GeHerdfs once,
Washington, June IL, 1880 \
I. The proceedings of the Court of lnquir,
held AT 81. Augustine, East Florida the 9th day
of NAV, 1896, and continued until the 9TH, aSi
scmblcd by order of Major General Scott, Il, the
request of Major William Gates, and of which
court Lieutenant Colonel Crane, of the United
States Army, WAS president, have been Laid before
the President ofthc United States
The court at The request OF Major Gates, was
directed TO investigate the conduct of that officer
during and subsequent To the attack on the military
post al Nousia, on the 81. Johns river ~ Flor.
da, embracing the llh, 18Th, 10th and l7th Of
April, Of this year"
The court oinquiry having been directed To civc
its opinion on the whole case, came 10 the Follow
ing conclusion:
OPINION
IL. The court after mature dclibcralion on the
testimony before them, are Of opinion, from the cy
idonce OF Adlutam Patterson, Doctor Graham and
Lieutenant pcues, that the effective force under
the command OF Major Gates was much greater than
the estimated force oflhc Indians who attacked HIM
the morning of the liih April, 1896 and tha,
therefore, he was capable of meeting the enemy
in the field, ii necessary ais . that The bodies OF
two volunteers, killed, improper, left expo
scd, and ought 10 have been brought in on the morn
ing when they were killed; such exposure ncccs-
sarily operating inluriously on the garrison
On which proceedings and opinion, Major
General Scott, commanding the troops in Florida
made the following remarks:
:" II is clear, from the evidence thai the ro,r;
son of Fort Barnwe was al the time il was at
tackled, at least twice as numerous as the ,ssail-
ingparty. A vigorous asorte, with two-thir,lS of
the garrison, should, therefore, have been prompt
ly made The moral effect OF such movement
would have been great on both sides. Many of
the enemy would, probably, have been Killed or
captured, and the garrison thereby inspired with a
Just confidence in the superior prowess of the
white man."
" Ii for no other object, a strong detachment
ought instantly TO have been sent out to brine in the
bodies oi the sergeant and private who were scenic
1ali, near the wood, at the beginning of the attack
Ihls impcrIouS duty was neglected for more than
forty-egIt hours delay that is curiously surrcd
over in the majors official report
1t Is most painful to remark the fatal charm
that seems TO have hung over every commander in
tins war who has been attacked behind breastworks
or pickets. From the leading case, at Camp lard
to the last that has been reported, not sortir-
certainly not one OF vigor-ias been made by any
garrison, however inferior the assaup torcc
several Notifying cases of this sort have duIv
followed, and Major Cooper Alone with his Gcor-
"a
iine OF de'ences to rccc we to repel an attack
The series OF examples alluded TO have insnircJ
the enemy with hardhood, repressed the zeal of
our troops, and may slightly excuse the con,luct ,f
Ma)or "a'es' Certainly gallant effort is vet Ia
pe MADE oy some in'nre commander of a post IN
break the Charm and to check Indian aulac;tv"
III. The President OF the United States. an
~" CONSIDERATION oil the condnc, of Major William
"aes' OF me Isl regiment of artillery, as disclo
sed by the evidence before tne Court orJnn,;r,,
has directed that the name ofha, osccr h.
en- from the rolls. Major William Ga,cs ,,,,'
fore, ceases to be officer of The Army
by order of ALEXANDER M.coMp, Major G.n
eral Commandment - Chief:
X. JONES, Adjutant General.
The Official Editor adds, as from himself. fine
following passing commentary:
Mayor GATES is good man. we doub, nat
" that he deserves all the praises given hin, Inv
" ms subordnates Tor his amiable qualities. bn,
these do not fit him for the duties of a soldier ~
Here We have the admission, in the most I'M
eq''iVoca terms, that a Mai or in the Army. rood
man. has been dismissed from the Army. witbout \
'ia'' upon vague intimalion that, pchaps. If mo
''aa made sortie in particular case. lie m;ob,
perhaps, have brought off two of his men. womb /
cd outside Of his pickcts.
vi MAJOR GATES we know nothing nersop,lI, !
whatever We only know that he was an Office,
" u,e Army and that, any injustice or barsbness
mas oeeh Practised towards him, the whole Army
sIo"eerhed IN II. We, also, and all other c;zons
i ''' ave not OF the Army, but take an ;n,eros,;'
he character OF our Government, are concornoJ
"u, "'e powers OF the Executive sbonid no, -,
efcised unlust|y or arbi,rarilv ~, NV ue On