Daily national Republican., 1864-03-17
WILKES NAVAL oouRT-MARr1AL.


QueStiOR. During this cruise did you make dill
gent search for the pirate Alabama
BY the Court. do not see the object Of this evi.
tRSi the SousSs Or desRcs ha, AZ no spa a
bring in matters OF which we know nothing about
CotInJel for Defence. II the court will Indulge me
10 this matter, and show fhtt II is material part
Of the first speeihcation In the frat charge, In
which 1t Is stated that the accused Wilfuliy pre-
yented Acting Lieutenant Baldwin sbeying the
lawful order Of the Secretary of the Navy, break
ing up the arrangements and plans OF the Navy
Department and In disobeying the orders Of the
by he Court. II he (Iieut baldwin, went
under the Instructions Of Admiral Wilkes he had
COunsd for he Detenec. That is just what We
want to get at, and we want TO show that, so far
from obstructing the accomplishment OF his Lieut..
BAldwin'B) purpose, that his vessel, the Wander
bilt, during the time II was under the control Of
Admiral Wilkes, the accused was carrying out the
BS6s Court I Admiral wilkes was carrying out
HIS view OF them, but was not allowing Lieut..
Baldwln's carrying out the orders Of the Navy De-
Council for Defence We believe that under the
law II was Admiral wilkes duty to do as he did
That ts the defence We are making, and we intend
to capture the Alabama and Florida. The accused
had information that armed vessels without any
recognized national iag were cruising in the West
Indies the wants Of CONNIE ee rendered II neces-
sary. When the Vanderbilt arrived at st. Thomas
on the 25th OF February, the current belief was
comm etce, and all the resources at the disposal Of
the accused were In operations one Of them, tho
flagship Wachusett, was disabled, and II became
necessary to secure others. Lieut. BAldwin's OF
ders from the Navy Department under which he
| sailed frsm Hampton Roads, were "to proceed to
sea at oreo, having In view the object herein spe-
| cifedi" his cruising ground was frat to the West
Indies and the coast Of Brazil though he was not
| to be restricted TO these limlta-"mu must be
| left to your judgment and diseretion.n Now, II
understand the orders given, Lieut.. Baldwin was
directed to go 10 Havana to obtain information Of
the rebel pirates. Havana was the headquarters
Of the West India squadron. Ho was TO obtain
Information there 10 govern his future move
ments. He found at Havana Rear Admiral wilkes
In command Of this squadron cruising for the same
purpose on which the Vanderbilt was ordered TO
cruise. Can II be said that an acting lieutenant
can be on the cruising ground OF an Admiral with
out being subject 10 his (AdmigaPs) ordersl l
think mott
BY ne Court. Al this discussion and debate l.,
contrary to the rules laid down In court few days
Counsel for Defence. am under taking to prove
| bv Commander Baldwin, that during his cruise In
the West Indies, he was carrying out he purpose
OF his orders. Icross-exAmine him with that view;
think that we have right to put in our defence
when we can.
Judge AdpOeaic. We have not denied that while
| the Vanderbilt was cruising under Admiral wilkes
| In the West lndles, nor have we indicated in the
charges and specifications that he did not desire
capture the Alabama, whenever he got a chance;
| on that point have no question at ALL When
we come to LsguAyEH that another matter. My
we do deny thAt his previous and only object WAS
the capture OF the Alabama; he went from point 10
point In the West Indies with various objects In
| view. shall give the defence every inch when ii
establishes that during thete voy6ges, Admiral
Wilkes had several objects in view, besides the
capture OF the Alabama, The accused is mot on
trial for not catching the Alabama.
Counsel for Defence. We expect to show by the
regulations OF our own navy, and by the rules OF
supposed to know better than the Secretary OF the
| Navy what the wants OF the service are, and that
| the Admiral knew the necessities Of the case
| We expect to show that In taking tho Vanderbilt
| we were executing the orders issued to US. We
were ordered to catch the AlAbAmAi our shin being
disabled, we took the Vanderbilt under command
| TO make her cruise more effective; that we fol-
| lowed orders and according 10 law and equity we
| have . Justification.
| BV Hs Court IL seems to me that nine-tenthI oil
what the witness Is testifying to this cross-ex
| amin alton is already on record. The only new
| faot eiueidated iB, that while Admiral wilkes WI
on board the Vanderbilt, he was diligently search
1otInssl Tor DsJsnee. We want to show that tn,
| AiAbamH was Ia the West Indies all this time.
QusIiioH, Did you make diliEent search for tn,
1TS,Se1. We made Inquiry at all points.
| QusSffOH. On what day did you discover that tn
| Confederate cruisers had left the West lndiesl
| ARJUST, To the best OF my Ieoolleotioh, when "
arrived at st. Thomas, either Just before or Jus
after the IEt OF May that we got news that one
two ofthem being to the northwArd and eastward
having burned vessel there. ~
| otssion. They were stu then In tho west IL
dieS-Outaide Of the West Indiesl
| AnlipeT. They were TO the nofthwArd and cast
ward, IN the track Of ships bound for Cape horl
QusSiiOR What was the latest date that yOl
had tnformation 81 the Confederate ships or eithe
OF them, being within the cruising ground OF tn
West India SquAdronl