The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1845-10-28
NAsf BtfshrNk>r,
wAssiSerss, October IS. isa5.

savai Court OF Inquiry.
NAss DsrssrssSr,
wAssrSarsS, October 25, lsl5. (
Capt. NJ LsagAAn's Dsfsnes
40 soon a. The reading Of Lieut. McLsughln's de-
fence wrs concluded yesterday the cleared
o'clock. ? NJ. when adjourned tai this morning a, 81
o'clock N compliance with ny promise. herewith
send copy q his address which viii no doubt be
looked Tor with considerable interest II was written
understand an SEE noun. and from the shor, time he
va. called upoh 10 prepare Il an. requested 10 say
ny Ltsat Mel that there he ,nsccu acies ia
~ which "a MS snaisty 70 have ready as he dis AT the
appointed tine. 10 rsy have overlooked
M. morning TIE court met, bu, sat with closed doors
me ~ho'e Gay celebrating upon the evidence Their
decision all perhaPs be gwen Monday but will
ne knosn before the meeting Of Congress. In the
meantime, The pablo can DRAW their own conclus
upon the evidence u justice 10 all parties have no
opinion IN the matter the fact tina, prior 10 the
organization o. the baresn OF Medicine and surgery.
~hen THIS affair took place, there accountability
and therefore, u there the public stores
OF eSt's,agance used In purchases public money ap
proprsfed 10 private purposes the fault lays win the
government who should placed the proper checks
and guards upon the public officer, who may have been
thus guilty, u guilty al ell Of these offences
must al uie, very hrisf, TO the sreculstons which
the friends OF both parties 10 this affair have ndulged IN,
with respect to the address of Lieut. Mclaughlin His
friends ssy -and they are very numerous here Is
msst conclusive production ard confident that no.
ming will be brought agan., him, and that there
fore VIII he honorAby acquitted Of the charges pre-
70 rel aainst him in the ale on the contrary
h. friends Of Lieut. Tsnsi ia no likewise equally
umerousl considered that III. sdlress il the most sus.
fopible OF attack that could nave been connected and
airing It's severity upon Of the principals the
affair. are highly pleased that it's worse Lieu; Tan.
sill however is spoken OF admirable officer,
and very amable by all parties and there seems
ne, the part OF some OF Lieut. NcLaughln's friends
feeling OF regret that any thing should have arisen be-
tween the two though there great deal of jealousy
and acrimoDy exhibited towards Lieut. Tansill ON
count OF his having arisen from humble private OF
marines 10 the grade he holdsa Lieutenant in the
Marine corps-from his individual merits. In tho
latter place he is regarded as having no superior and
brave young man.
Ifsuch cases like this OF Lieut.. Tsnsill were more
frequent, it would be better tor country two.
fold respect-in time ofwar there would be fewer resig
past and more men who would take pride in serving
their country at the time there would be less
green horns in the service than there in many
instances. who have been appointed without knowing
the first rudiments in military tactics.
The following is the address OF Lieut. Mclaughlin re.
ferred to in the first part of my letter:
Mr.. President and Gentlemen Of Tie Court:
The nature and character of the evidence before you
render it wholly unnecessary that should 20 into any
tons OF it. however which it may be proper for me to
remark upon, and others which demand from me more
than mere passing notice.
In the first class these may be enuma rated the large
amount OF Injuries purchased for the Hospital of the
Florida Squadron the alleged abuse Of these by mis-
application TO the legitimate OF the sick the failure
on the part OF the respondent ths inquiry stop the
ratons OF the sick in his capacity of Purser and the
tves which influenced him in not sending one Of the
small vessels OF the squadron TO Charleston for these
hospital supplies.
First then you have before you the testimony Of all
necessity Of these purchases One of them Doctor Cor.
don purchased in Havana large portion of the sweet.
meats charged for (see of vouchNo5p lprined bil)
and has testified before you with the bills OF the hospital
in his hand that he knew of purchases
for for the sick having been made So testified Doctor
Woodworth so Doctor Jeries and the evidence of DR..
Du Barry that all the articles purchased night well DO
used for the sick eorroborates fully only their
testimony, but their professional opinion of the necessity
for these purchases Each of these gentlemen and al
most every officer examined before YOU has deposed
that ne knew OF no waste or misappcaton of the stores
he arosn
them must have been cognzan of it, That one or two
officers may have dned at the hospital mess can ead
" conceive The medical officer, his place, pre-
sided over this and suppose that from this
circumstance, he should have felt necessary to de.
h.mse o, In me pleasure OF having friend too at
OF his guests have his positive
denial in his affidavit before Congress- which your
record BY very extraordinary coincidence the only
witnesses who positive the abuse of the hosp
tai stores, Lieut. Tansill and ExLieut Mcguire Of
Marines yet they both depose that Lieut. Mclaughlin
did not know OF the existence OF the abuse and that
would not have permitted its continuance if he had
Anownit Why then, ii their purpose to correct
honestly desired to Correct, why did they not rs
port it to Lieutenant Mclaughlin, when, they say,
they knew he would have forbidden 1t Doctor Has.
tipgs' affidavit will furnish the Court with the
why he rations of the sick were not passed to
the credit fthe Hospital The sick drew parts of their
raton and therefore could not receive a credit for the
whole and as the Court aware could not be credited
IN money for the parts which remained undrawn. The
testimony of r Hail. the clerk in charge of the prov
sion Indian Key has informed the Court that the ra
tons OF the sick stopped when they into the
hospital that they not credited either to the 90
vernnent or Lieut. Mclaughlin, but that they remained
nnexended IN the government storehouse subject
sue and further, that all the provisions issued to the
hospital were accounted for the issues to
hospital 1t clear then that from this transacto the
government has sustained no loss and that no possible
benefit could have accrued from it to Lieut. Mclaughlin
The hospital suffered though, fom having been deprived
Of credit for the undrawn portions of the sick raons
which was its due from the This may be
rected when the regulations shall be as to pc
H. Much mas about number of
the Florida squadron and disregardng all facts in the
case has represented at as many various numbers
IS there have been persons TO speculate upon it, The
number given by Asst Surgeon Hastings his deposit
ton before Congress- the true number Subject only to
he error one is liable to make in counting many
names) taken from his Hospital Journal and prescrip
ton books Great this number is it shows CRAFTY.
ing dminuton in the relative number of cases treated
aim, and OF those treated by Assistant Surgeon Hopkin
Whilst Assistant Surgeon Hopknson was in charge
u the Hospital from July to October Al the force was
AZ rest, Withdrawn from tho Everglades and swamps
npon healthy island 20 miles removed from the main
land The strength Of the command during this period
1872, officers, seamen and marines distributed
through the Wave rhenix O,sego and Kew as appears
upon the rolls In this command of 1872 men Doctor
Barton from critical examination of Assistant Surgeon
iopainsons reports, has deposed before ou that there
were 81 cases Of disease treated monthly according to
his accepsation of the term Whilst Doctor Hast.
ss vas the Hospital Surgeon from October al to July
" the force was incessantly employed ia the Ever
glades ana Swamps During the 1874 days following the
5h October Is1l it was in the Everglades 1872 days
We may readily infer then that greater amount of
disease existed during this period than whilst Doctor
opkinson was IN charge Of the Hospital The strength
oil the command at this time 600 men, and the
daily number OF cases treated deposed to by Doctor
Hastings was but an average Of rs. According to the
average in Doctor Hopknsons time the number of cases
thus treated by Doctor Hastings would have been 20
and 4-lo cases per day The guesses surmses cacula
tons and speculations then that the number of cases
sworn to have been treated by Doctor Hastings was too
great have not even probability to support them TAX.
ing the number Of treated as from Drs
Hopkinson and Hastings and the whole amount expend
ed for the Medical Department of the Florida Squadron
as the gross expenditure for the sick then, upon
the testimony OF the Chief of the Bureau of Nedi.
cine and Surgery, and Doctor Woodwork, which
is before you, the cost Of the sick of the Florida
squadron per man per day. is on average six cents
less than the cost OF the sick in the Pensacola Hospital for
the first two quarters OF the present year the nett
expenses OF the sick in Florida considered only il is
little more than half much the cost at the Hospital
in Pensacola Notwithstanding this however it may be
said that this cost might have been still reduced by
sending OF the vessels of the squadron
for these medical supplies. 1t is suppose this
To have sent vessel to Charleston for these supplies
would have withdrawn portion OF my force at least
MONTH that the vessel would have been absent the