The Van Buren press., 1867-11-01
lin Qss. arm MILITARY DIsrRcr,
{ Mississippi and Arkansas,
ckshurg. Mis- Oct ith. lN67

Nlckshurg, Miss, OCT lth, 1871 ,
General Court Martial Orders No TO-
| Before general court martial, which
convened. at Camden, Arkansas, persuant
TO special orders No l20, dated Head
quarters ith Military District, Vicksburg,
Miss, August 3lst, 1867. and of which
Brcvet Major General Adelbert Ames,
lieutenant colonel lIth u. ). infantry, is
president, was arraigned and tried.
Brevet Major George ). Peirce, captain
2Sth |. >. infantry.
CHARGE lsr.--Niolation OF the aily.
fourth article ofwar,
ISpecifcd,iOn--In this thai captain Geo
S. Pcircc, 2Sth Il. $. infantry, breyet
major L. S army, did on or about the
eighth day Of August, one thousand eight
hundred aud sixty seven, at the town OF
Camden, state OF Arkansas, msliciously
destroy and assist to destroy and caused
to be destroyed, the type, eases and other
printing material of the public newspaper
styled the Constitutional Eagle, said type,
cases and printing material being of the
value of two thousand dollars (S2,000)
or thereabouts, and being tue property
of Ansou w lIobson and Rufus Linscott,
inhabitants of the United STAGES
CHARGE 2p.-Conduct to the prejudice
of good order and military discipline.
Specification In this that captain Geo.
S, Piegse, 2Sth United States infantry
breyct major U. 5. army did, on or about
the eighth day Of August one thousand
eight hundred and sixty-seven, at the
town Of Camden, state of Arkansas, pro
ceei with squad OF number OF soldiers,
to-wit: thirty (3O) or thereabouts, to the
Office Of the public newspaper styled the
Constitutional Eagle, and did then and
there uplawfully incite direct and assist
said soldiers to remove and destroy a
large quantity of the type, cases and
other printing material Of said newspaper
Office
TO which charge and specification the
accused pleaded not guilty"
After mature deliberation on the evi
dence adduced, the court finds the accused
as follows.
On the specification to the lst charge,
except the words 1.-TWO thousand" and
substituting for those words the words
" one thousand and the spification SO
amended, Guilty"
OF the lst charge, Guilty"
OF the specification I'd
charge, Guilty"
OF the "a charge, Guilty"
SENTENCE
And the court does, therefore, sentence
the said Brevet Major George s. Pierce,
captain 2Sth t. S. infantry, to forfeit his
monthly pay for one gear, and to be de
graded in rank, so that he shall have his
name placed on the list of captains Of in
fantry, and shall take rank next after the
fifty captains now next below him in
rank, and to be reprimanded in general
orders
II. The proceedings, findings, and SEN
tence in the foregoing case Of Brevet
Major George S. Peirce, captain 2sth
u. 5. infantry, are approved and confirm
ed, A copy of the sentence with the
action thereon, will be forwarded to the
adjutant general and payriaster general
of the army, and to the chief paymaster
Of this district for their information.
The article in the newspaper, which
provoked the accused to commit a peni
tentiary offence, denounced exhibitions
of drunken men in uniform on the streets
of Camden. Major Peirce seems not TO
have been aware that untruthful criticism
does not provoke man of sense, but
that newspaper comments usually are re-
sented only in proportion to their fidelity
to fact.
The general commanding hopes that
view Of the subject will impress itself
upon him, and that hereafter he will have
no occasion to feel resentment at any
publication upon the subject Of drunken
ness.
BY command of Brevet Maj. Gen. Ord
Signed o. ID. GREENE,
A. A. G.