The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1863-07-17
ROW AMONG BURNSIDE'S
STAFF OFFICERS.

CINCINNATI, July D.
The court martial of Capt. Cults, Judge
Advocate, who prosecuted Vallandigham
has been progressing since Wednesday.
Gems. G. @. Smith and j. Ammen, Col.
Munday, Lieut. Coils. McElroy and Hofard,
and Maj Wright, compose the court, with
Maj Burnett as Judge Advocate The
charge and specifications against Captain
Cults are, that he melted personal diff
Guilty at Gen. Burnside's headquarters,
with Capt. Hutton, A. D. O., to whom he
used very offensive and violent language,
and, when requested to apologize and re-
tract, he utterly refused to do so; also, for
making false statements about another
worthy officer, with the design and inten-
ton of bringing him into disrepute and
disgrace him. The third specification
reads as follows:
In this, that the said Capt. James VI. Cults.
18th Infantry, U. S. A., did, on Or about the
11th day OF April. 1868, while occupying
room No. 10, Burnet House, Cincinnati, Ohio,
in the afternoon of said day, attempt to look
through the key-hoie of room No so of said
house, occupied by a gentleman and his wife,
and did, in the evening of said day. at about
half past II o'clock, after said lady had retired
to her room, and while her husband was in
the corridor below, said lady being at the time
partially undressed previous to retiring take
valise Or portmanteau from his room and
place in one OF the open halls of the house,
against the jam or door Of said room occupied
by said lady, placing himself thereon did look
Trough the ventilation blind or transom
light, in Or over the door, into said room as
said lady was undressing. This to the great
outrage OF the feelings of the lady and her
husband, and to the great scandal and injury
of The service.
(Signeo) 4. E. BURNSIDE Mai. Gen.
Captain Cults plead guilty to the last
specification, and not guilty to the other
two. The evidence is positive against
him. When Captain Cults declined to
apologize to Captain Hutton, the latter,
feeling aggrieved, wrote out challenge,
and intrusting the same to Major Cutting
as his friend, it was conveyed to Captain
Cults, requesting the latter gentleman TO
name time, place and weapons, when
and where the difficulty could be settled
according to the cot3e iuedo. Mai. Out
ting conveyed the note to Captain Cults,
who Immediately enclosed the same to
MAJ. Gen. Burnside, and called his special
attention to it as being in violation of the
rules and articles of war. Gen. Burnside
Immediately reported all acts of his, and
previous violations of conduct, both civil
and military to the Secretary of War at
Washington, who caused to be issued spe.
clal order No. 279, converting q court
martial. The trial of Captain Cuts was
ordered first upon the charge and specifi-
cations already given Then will follow
the trial of Captain Hutton for sending a
challenge to Il brother officer to fight q
duel; and then that of Major Cutting for
carrying such challenge. The penalty for
such offence, if found guilty, is a dismis-
sal from the service of the army and navy
OF the United States.
On the third specification a witness tes-
tilted that in the afternoon, about three
O'Clock, he had occasion to 60 to his room,
and that, at the top OF the stairs aud while
in the act of turning to the left into the
passage into which his room was located,
he saw person STOPPING down and peep
ing through the key-hOle of his room.
He quickened bis pace, and the person he
saw turned sharply round, and went into
a nearly opposite room, which he saw, on
passing, to be No. 70. The witness went
into his room, and found no one there.
Recollecting that, when he took possess
ion of the room, there was an officers card
on the table, he did not attach any i'm
portance to what he saw, supposing that a
person peeping through the key.hole was
looking to see if a brother officer was in
the room. Especially did he come to this
conclusion because his wife was not in at
the time. This person he saw there peep
ing had on military trousers, but was not
dressed in full uniform. No. 70 was not
locked when he went in. The person
standing on a hand portmantcau was gaz-
ing into the room quickened my pace
to endeavor to catch him. He heard me,
jumped off the portmanteau, and went
across the passage into room No. TO-
The witness went up to tie door, and
found it slightly ajar. He pressed against