New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1858-05-10
atb 0rltans 9aiIp 6rtsrent.
,neiu.lon OF the T.vlsgs Court Martial.


Conclusion Of tie T.ylEgs Court Martial.
Pursuant 70 adjournment the Twiggs Court Martial
re-asembled in Newport on the Both ult
After the reading of the minutes, the Judge Adyo-
cate moved that the evidence TO which be had OBJ
jected on the previous day be excluded and that
more TO the same effect be received by the Court.
He stated at length that the only proper evil
dence before the Court was documentary-the pro-
ceedings Of the Bradfute Court OF Inquiry and Gen.
Twiggs orders in connection Herewith that IL was
not competent TO receive the testimony Of witnesses
az 70 the nature Of those documents and the inteu
tons OF accused in ordering the Court Of Inquiry
they 0he documents) stood for themselves, and il
was the duty Of the Court to decide from them by
collsting. comparing and constituting them.
Gen. Twiggs replied that there we're but two modes
by which an intention can be discovered first, BY
the declarations and actions Of the party charged
and second, by facts and circumstances connected
with the offense charged, going to show whether
good or evil or any intent at all, existed The test
mony of the members Of the Court of Inquiry EN-
brsced nothing more than this that they bad been in
structed to restrict their investigations to the case Of
Capt. Bradfute, and not to consider circumstances
connected with the previous trial of Lieut.. Wood.
After a short elaboration the Court decided that
the testimony of the witnesses should not be rejected
At the request Of Gen. Twgss the following letter
from him to the Secretary OF War; written prior to
the issue Of orders No. from the War Department,
and pertaining to the Bradfute Court Of Inquiry was
read, viz:
GEN. TwIGGs TO Mr. SECRETARY FLOYD.
! sac AsrosIo. Tex Feb. G. 1858.
Sir: Ny apology Tor addressing you thus direct
must be found in the extraordinary position In which
you have placed me by your letter to Col Samuel
Cooper, Adjutant General OF the Army, dated at
Washington on the 10th January.
This letter written the appeal OF Surgeon
Wood, an officer on duty in Washington City, who
neither was, nor is officially connected with this De-
psrtment, with the Court OF Inquiry convened at
Fort Mason Texas the 18th July last by order OF
the President and at the request OF Lieut. Robert c.
Wood, jr., or that which met in San Antonio, Texas
on the 10th November last, by my order, and de.
mand OF Capt. Bradfute. In i you have reprmanded
me In severely harsh terms, for fair and impartial
discharge Of an official act OF ordinary routine in
granting to accused officer of my command on
his demand, Court OF Inquiry, which he had
right 70 ask for under the authority given him in the
92d article OF the Articles of War, and which did
feel at liberty, consistent with my duty to refuse
l considered Lieut. Woods case as closed and
finished, and that had nothing to do With II.
As you have entertained the appeal OF Surgeon
Wood also must respectfully appeal your Justice
to give me fair hearing. to carefully and impartiay
reconsider the case for so confident | Of having
discharged my duty, uprighty, and with fairness
and mpartiaty that earnestly court the fullest in
vestigaon, and feel certain that the severest sen
tence that can be pronounced against me, will be-
error Of judgment in point Of iato, and not in
4 my duty a soldier.
In conclusion, most solemnly aver that in this
whole transaction, bad not the slightest intention
DESIRE TO oppose the authority Of to evnce tn,
aintest shadow of disrespect to either the President
of the United States or yourself. have the honol
to be,
Very respectfully. your obsdisnt servant,
d. Z. TwI6GS
Hon. John p. Floyd, Secretary Of War " -
Washington City, ID. O.
The following is the letter alluded to above:
ORDERS NO. 4
Wan DnPARrraxr
Sir The orders No. 80, December IA, 1857 OF the
Department OF Texas are before me- on the appeal o.
Surgeon Wood, and the following is the decision
thereon:
+ Gen. Twiggs committed gross breach of disci
pne in appointing court OF inquiry in matter il
| which the President had appointed court and il
publishing to his command his opinion and decision
l. to contradict the opinion which the President had
pronounced and published in orders.
He had no authority to relieve officer from th,
censnre the President had pronounced him, or t.
}, cast mputations on another officer from which tn,
o President had pronounced hs entire acquitta
= Besides the onense sganst discipline, it is an OF
4 Tense against justice TO retry, in the absence Of
lie party" what has been fully heard and tried in tn
lie presence of both.
Gen. Twiggs is expected hereafter to understan,
that he has authority to revise and the de
2 cision Of the President, and that he will not be per
orders OF the President. -
, You are instructed to communicate this latter I,
Cen Twiges and to direct him 10 pubish il in orden
to the Department of Texas
R JOHN B FLOYD. seq Of War,
! - ,.,,,-.,. .-....-.,-.e,
T-iegs stated in evidence, that Lieut. Neod
6 % 10 ~ esas Sss an 9a sn oo1 Of ,aan
Il present had he not dae'iasd
!, The evidence beng closed, by permission OF tn
Court the attorney Tor the accused, ii. +. Brewster
consisting mainly Of q concise an lucid statement
'e all the facts connected with the case
A. | vJhan ~ prouve,ar g ;shoa ...,,,o a.. r,-
""'u NJ ''e N"''"su ie.u'"s' "e"' A"iss
'r rose and sad
= by permission OF the Court. will conclude m
defense by reading the letter of the Serretarv of W.
-hiah oc,aor,na5 r,o ), III 49,, o., ~
\ ""'0" '0"ue0u my Gnu iN"u oiueis w. "
y above ana commented upon II IS follows;
ask the Court" said he earnestly, did il eve
se ue,ole , see susa al oluei W an 1osl msn pu'
SANNA .