Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1858-11-26
.caur, nar,ia,, In Lessburg.

Saturday last marked new era In the an
nails of Lee. burg. The Court Of Eiquiry for
the 81: Regiment Virginia Militia held its
frat session 10 this town 1t that time, end
benceiorth the 20tb day of November, In tho
wear OF our Lord one thousand eight HUNDRED
aod f'ty-aighr, will be celebrated. 3,
Learning that case was to be tIied
before this Court involving no less crime
than that Of mutiny, wejoined 10 the eager
throng and wended our way to the hall OF
10 tice, where We found thu august body
formed in hollow SO lare, having captured,
according to the most approved tactics laid
down by Scott, mammoth template stove,
around which, by the aid OF q well-thumbed
book with a gre,n ''kiver" il was dlsposing
Of dcIinquents. Owing to the press of bust
ness, however, the case alluded to above was
o 1t reached until near suDdown. The Often
der was fHaIly called up, when the Colonel,
who was President of the Court, proceeded TO
state the charges At this point the accused
Objected, first, 10 the Colonel's presiding and
secondly to bis making statement without
swearing to it. Amid the confusion the
Court adj Durned till seven o'clock. Upon re-
asse IN bling at that hour, new feature was
added to the programme. The accused re-
mem bering no doubt the eplrhet applet In
the maxim TO those who plead their own
cause, appearing with COUNSEL. The first
thing done by COUNSEL was to deny the power
of that tribunal to try the case. The Court
decided otherwise, when our friend, the COL
onel, who evidently knows spike from .
/ handsaS," sdmonished his associates OF the
responsibility resting upon them, aud warn
ed them against the Ingenuity OF counsel"
This brought the counsel to mis- feet, who
+ in no mincing manner levelled some severe
ihrusts at the Colonel winding up by saying
that if any man in the community was To-
debted 20 the "ingenuisy Of coun,el." that
men was was the President Of the Coart--
! TO shis last reuark the Colonel quietly re-
piled that if it was so, it didn't argue much
for the 'i1geauity" Of the gentleman, because
, be was usually employed on the opposite side.
\ numbCr OF witnesses were examined,
/ from whose testimony it appeared that there
nad been q misunderstanding between the
, Co!Oael and the accused on late parade
which gave rise to sharp words between the
two, and led to the present difficulty.
! During the progress of the trial tho room
was turned into perfect bedlam. Shouting,
! yelling, stamping, throwing over chairs, explo
sion OF topedoes--A goodly number OF which
were placed in close proximity Of the chair Of
the President, but fortunately didn't "go
off lights eAtinguisbed, until it Was re-
duced to the dim glow of a single tallow
candle, by tue gloomy re tsetion OF which the
Court announced the accused guilty Of dis
obedience If orders, and fined him five dollars.
Whereupon the counsel notified the Court
tho! he should carry the case to another tri,
bunal. The charge Of mutiny was passed by.
To Us the whole fair appeared very much
like a farce; and whilo we are not sufficiently
vefs'd in military law to say that the whole
procc eiings from the language used on the
parade to the doings in Court. were without
authority, we do think that its exercise Hss
of doubtful Propriety. A few more e1hibi.
items OF the same sort" will crush out the
militia system in this section, and az Dow, jr.,
would say; $50 mote it bew--LOudOun MIR