New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-02-07
TIE SAN FRANCISCO CALAMITY

TEE SAN FRANCISCO CALAMITY
PROCEEDINGS OF the cornr OF IyouIRY. NOW IN
SESSION AT rHE HEADQUARTERS on TIE C.
FIRST DAY.. .NEw YORK. Feb 6is4
The Court of Inquiry ordered b. the War Depxs,s,
20 Examine ard report upon the loss OF troops and stores
board tho steamship San Francisco convened yesra.,
at the ofce of Meior General Scorr, in Eleventh IA.
Court is composed of the Commander in Chief Gen Sc
Gen Henry Stanton, Assistant Quartermaser Geac,a C
Edwin v Sumner Firs; Dragons and Major John La
Judge Advocate.
Col William Gates of the Third Artillery the Officer VIA
commanded the troops on board the San Francsco wv
then informed that the Cour: session and desreh
progence Tie Colonel in the undress uniform
OF his grade, and upon entering the took apSa
the right Of the Judge Advocate.
reference - the order conyening this tribunal vii
show het investigation OF The conduct of tins oe;b
OF tho principal objects contemplated in the institution
lie topr th,h rose and took the oath prescribed IN
such by The regulations tie Judge Advocate simn
i:terng T.
President oi the Court Upon the conclusion OF this
ouy tie following order COW enng the Court was resi
EsHTsST GsHrR,Ls or'Ics. w,suSsros, Jan p, 1854
TRe Seswls oTSsr om ne War Department. pablhsas
VIC H'iNS'- " - w pge,sruEsr gid,v Jan n 1854.
p, ar,c,lp Of the ieet Of Ne I'D ss> co s cs
Guy will the City Of Eew.lors on Monday the ga
Into al the ccun,isnces sndins he cears in psnsa
@ Of the troop. u1ssT ~, ., ss ss,inad % S
ua the OF the frre OF The ,Sgeoa aud o. The dior
which may the conduct o. the Commander aud the sa
Ire CeuTt IN to composed Maior0enerI Winfield ss
eorusntrs the army STevei BTsad. teneia S,antos i
irsS, DIs.osa, BeTe M3I !Oaq = L.s !1i;; ia,s
siS 81 "a, iy g Csc With h,ir aTor P'
o. '- '''1 sr ID yESsERsoS DAVIS Secretary War
~ oid,r CoorER AdjwtIi-Genrrsl
Col Thomas L. swords, Deputy Quar;etmiser General,
Low On duty QuatcTnaster General in this City being
duly swo,n, testified as Eolloos:
O. BY Judge Advocate-Arsy you Qaar,ermasier Of The
Amy on this station
o by Judge Adyocate-As such did you charter tn.
steamship San FanccO to transport the bird redmsniof
artillery to The Pacific
O. BY Judge Advocate nder what orders and insruc.
tons was this charter made
A. Under roqnsition of Col. Gates, the commanding
officer % Iii troop 10 he embarked, anu me INSTRUCTIONS
If the QuGrtCrmaster General. ~
O. By the Judge AdvocAtoWil you exhibit to the
Court such instructions as You may have received Ia wn
A. lam not sure that have all the instructions but
have all IN, papers which pertinent TO the subject
here il Col Gates r.qusion. The witness here pro
duced paper which "as read. "a.
BS1s 9rds orse for IAN Fs. .Gss G
lave GCsiIe transportation for th.n se,ber Nth supply
Horn cannot give accuostetenen fhe sho number
under orders bsesg'e there @ be some dis :as
to .rrse but my present ~iIbs IS oesn ana
provisions to BE- slen with .h: troop. e.sno, say.
Hso H. ns When the troop: Ss e.ds
PO% ysS bat ss try % G. 81 ,s S,ay sy n:
can os nc, yOa Of The po.ES' At s .. ,. s,.:
bus before / can say anything further.
II,aOs; you viii sG.sin epEsrg before any ca. 70, ii:
modal on Of the troops a. eJ vi" speed
than the Faek nov in nee
m' ',a WI GAffs, col d AIti.,Iy, Commanding
hon And brr Ia tha
"tioDs to mo from the Quarter Master General"
The following document was here presented and read
aloud to the Court by the Judge Advocate
WssHisGros CRY, Sept. %, 1883. !
Of AnsTy T.eniy Il. Pscac 1s.iy
consult .h scott csr dcs..
70 ss on e :e % % DE-
spes, TpoMAs fog gE SIs EOS Genera.
To Col TGos. SWORDS Qaar,srNasier. N.w.YorE.
Col Swords here observed On the receipt Of this requ
sition and these instructions called a, Gen SCOTS sce
to take bis orders in the premises He en Scott stated
that mmaterial what kind Of ship they went in
whether clipper ship or full ehip-so that they bad
plenty OF room and went comfortably The time OF
barkation changed by tho General from the l5th
specified in Col Gatess requi.ition to the 2Oth Some
Of the troops moi here, and the General Of the
opinion that it would take to that time to get them ready
Then notice by public that the trans
Ioria,en required. Hero is copy of tho notice prs
sen,ing newspaper clip as follows:
"po,o.; i = hi. oce, Friday tho III Inst
A. r. eicct noon for Tho hence 10 San F,ncics
Cape Horn of about 81 officers and AZ sa snd 'undre'e BY
Ibe provided with behs water and means Of
of e,tr. The snieent0 be far
rht,s With e,tn fare and :cG G;
The weasel o. vessels TO SAL q - about tue eth INST
from .,S Be Stc, :s,ys for the
"rHoaAs SWORDS, ouu.sruutsrr
The witness resumed-Gen. Woolhaving been detached
from tho headquarters Of the army TO superinend the EN-
bark eon vessel selected under that advertise
ment until had conferred with him Here Is q copy
which wa furnished me Of the instructions 10 Gen Wool.
read az follows;
Copy for tho information Of Breyet Lieut. Col 7.
SWORDS, Cd.
Hr.OOu,srrRs o. THE AMY, NrwYoax Oct 8 iin
sRi ineesc copy OF leyVr from the
raj dated sspt.meIa 10 Iafrene, the sasportaon f
E Il. a ais % f.aas.. tssi
Yin pIe.e n;pe, "a, nd aPsraiead
.i1scrs from ibis otcs 70 Col Gaze. Of Sept 90 1853
have &c sssS' b. very ''isaa 'a 1 ~:
H'osasq,,,.. q a. A'~s, str- York Oct 3 lsSa
Quartsrmaster Generai-read as follows:
CuAfrEsSssTERG s>gsALs 0rTIcE,
sy Woo % BEEN detailed Il: !: ls
es the nd aud tina, win be NEEDED
.S I,s tsB. 70, + s n one 2. =:
BY the General sno yourself they determined
ps''lTP tn yE sifs,f aaS s,;a General.
Be Lieut. Col Thos svord Army QaAtensser New Yah
qa.rs Of the army he saS Of I'll
WtnessAter seeing proposals for vessels, Col Gates
and myself examined all OF these offered THAI we nad
reason TO suppose at all suitable The soove v
between the steamship San Frsncisco viii n was not then
ready for and the clipper ship ghoo-as inc seen
ship could lot be got ready by the date designated IN tns
orders the goth October Gen WOOL VINO was men 10 tue
City, and to whom the ma,ter was referred would not
mako his decieion but referred again 10 Gen Scou