New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-08-24
The Court Martial Of eurgeen General
Hammond.

The Court Martial Of Surgeon General
Hammond.
WASHINGTON August 20
Brigadier General William A. Hammond.
Surgeon General of the United States, tried by
court martial, convened by order Of the President,
gton on the 18th OF January. 1854 consisting Of
Major General K J. Ogesby United States Volunteers,
president
Brigadier General W. s. Harvey. United States
army.
Brigadicr General W. S. Ketchum. United States
Volunteers.
Brigadier General G. s. Green United States Volun
teers.
Brisader General, ". W. Morris. Colonel ID United
States Artillery.
Brgader General A. p Howe. United States vOlun.
tors.
Brcadcr General J. p Seven, United States Volun.
teers.
Brgadier General IL Z. Payne. United States volun-
teeEs.
Brigodier General j. C. Starkweather United States
Volunteers.
Major john A. bingham. Judge Advocate.
| The charges are. IL substance:
Ist That Surgeon General Hammond wrongfnlly and
shamely aud with intent 10 favor priyate persons In
Philadelphia, prohibited Medical Puryeyor Cox from
purchasing drugs FOR the army in the city of Baaofe
I'd That he unlawiu.'y. aud with intent u AID one
Wa. &. Stevens to Geflegd the government OF the
United States, instructed Geo. Il. Cooper, Medical
Puryeyor Philadelphia, 10 bay from stevens for the
use of the government eight hundred blankets Of infe
iOr quality which unfit for hospital use. the Sur
well knowing the blankets were Of inferior
quality and that the Medical Puryeyor had refused 70
purchase them. -
"a. That he corruptly and with intent - cid slid
Stevens defIaud tae Government gave az ogder 70
Stevens ~ turn over to Medical Pu1eyor Cooper AZ
Philadelphia eight thousand pairs OF blankets wcreDy
h. a. hftsr
and at exorbitant price, ooU paIs % D.ankets
which ne had before refused 10 buy. and for which Ste
yens received about sa33lf.
& Brothers, of Philadelphia had furnished medical sup
plies to the purveyer OF Philadelphia that were Inferior
In quality old corruPtiy uniaSJrly and run insento
aid Wveth Brothers 90 furnish dddfi0dct supplies 10 ut
Government dndMeroty jrdgGuirv recs' large game,
gave the medical puryeycr ut Philadelphia an order IN
writing TO have constantly on hand hospital supplies OF
oil kinds for hundred thousand ac Tor six months,
and directed the medical pCrYeyor 20 purchase large
amount thereof. $4,000 worth from W!esl * Broth
ers.
5th That he unlawfully directed Wyeth Brothers
serd forty thousand O their extract Of beef to
various places, end 70 send The account 10 TIE sur
seon Generals Office for payment
9th. Conduct uDbeconllng N officer and gentleman,
in falsely representing that Medical Purveyor Cooper
had been relieved FROM duty st the request OF Major
General Haleck.
nth That Surgeon. C. eneral Hammond uulawfully
dered the medical store eeper and acting purveyor at
Wasir ston TO purchase three thousand pairs Ok D'an
plea OF guilty entered in each Of the char
ees and the specification end after full hearing OF the
testimony for the Government and toe Defense and
examination Of aTgeem0unt Of documentary evidence
together with the consideration Of the elaborate argl
meBt on both sides tie court rendered finding OF
GUILTY Oh all the charges and sentenced the accused
"t0bs dismissed he serUee and 10 be torer dtsGdrset
from holding ony Office Of hgHor profit or 'T@s under ne
GorerHmeHt Of tls Urtec S-Gtes."
Pursuant 70 tie act Of Congress the record and pro-
ceedings were reviewed by Brigadier General Holt
Judge Advocate Geaera, who delivered an elaborate
opinion. concluding as follows;
That the natural AMI necessary result Of tie acts OF
the accused established by the record. involved
criminal spohcon OF the Government treasury which
would alone have called for his dismissal from the SER
vice cannot be denied: bgt when II is remembered as
shown by the proof that this spoton WIS IL part ac
omplshed by tie purchase Of inferior medical supplies
end stores thus compromising the health aud COMFORT
and jeopardzng the lives o. sick and wounded soldiers
suffering IN hospitals aud tie batfleleds OF the
country soldiers sneinnly committed tie shelter and
s,np1hes Of the Office held by the accused by the very
law ard purpose OF It's creation ii must be sdmtted that
this fear;y augmented tie measure Of his criDinality.
Tie Trial which lasted nearly four months, was one
VI the mo-. patient and thorough that has occurred
in military history, and the accused had through
out the assistance Of eminent and able counsel in
duc;ug his defense.
Tho Court which was composed o. nine general on
cc at the close Of this inyesu ntCn declared
him guilty Of the charges preferred and awarded the
punishment which, in their judgment In accord.
with the Boture and degree of the ofenscs commit
ted and careful examination of the record leaves no
Tor Doubt to the validity of the proceedings
the Justice OF the findings and sentence
The following is the Presidents order confirming the
sentence in this case:
The record proceedings finding, and sentence OF the
court IN the foregoing approved and it is Or
dcred that BriyAdicr General W. 4. Hammond. Sur.
geon General OF the United States Army, be dismissed
the service ard be forever disqualified from hoIdngan
office Of honor profit, trust under the Goyernmentot
the United States. ABRAHAM LINCOLN.