National Republican., 1876-06-01
Lieutenant Commander Coghlan.


IoFFIcIAL.l
NAVY DRPARrNENT,1
General Order No. 209.
At naval general court-martial recently con-
vened at the navy yard, W Washington, d. O., Lieut.
Commander Joseph B. Coghlan was tried on the
following charges and specifications, viz:
Charges and specifications Of charges preferred
by the Secretary Of the Navy against Joseph b.
Coghlan, lieutenant commander in the United
States navy:
Charge l. Conduct unbecOming an officer and
gentleman.
Speciication-In this, that Joseph B. CoghIan,
then and now q lieutenant commander in the navy
of the United States did, at Port Royal, S. O.. on
or about the 14th day of April current, having
written and subscribed a prOfane, scurrilous and
ungentlemanIy letter to William p. Moran, a
clerk in the Navy Department, forward said letter
by mail to said Moran, addressed to him as "Wil-
liam p. Moran, Clerk, Bureau of Navigation,
Washington, ID. C., in violation Of his duty as a
gentleman, and of the laws of decency decorum
and morality, which are incumbent upon every
officer in the naval service.
Charge 2 ScandalOus conduct, tending to the
destruction of good morals.
Specification. In this that Joseph B. COghIan,
then and now lieutenant commander in the navy
of the United States, did at Port Royal, South
Carolina on or about April L. A. ID. 1876, write,
subscribe, address and forward by mail TO VIM.
p. Moran, a clerk in the Navy Department at
Washington, in the District of Columbia, pro-
fane indecent snandalous and tn thfcatening letter,
in the words and figures following: (then follows
copy Of letter, which is unnecessary to giye)
and did thereby violate good morals, and set an
evil example to others in like manner to offend.
GEORGE NJ. RoBEsoN,
Secretary of the Navy.
NAVY DEPARTMENT, April = 1870.
The court found the specifications proven and
the accused guilty Of the charges and passed SEN
tence, as follows:
And the court do therefore sentence the said
Lieut.. Commander Joseph b. Coghlan, United
States navy, be suspended from duty for the
period Of one year; to retain his present number
on the list Of lieutenant commanders for the said
time, and to be reprimanded in general orders by
the Hon. Secretary of the Navy"
The finding Of the court is approved and the
sentence, though not approved in the fullest sense
of the word. is confirmed.
In carrying into execution that part OF the sem
tence which requires that Lieut.. Commander
Coghlan "be reprimanded in general orders, the
Department is constrained in order that the effect
Of its Teprimand may not be perverted, or the
younger officers Of the navy be misled by the
lenient action Of the court, to state its opinion
that the punishment awarded Is certainly not too
severe for the otfenses found proved.
Neither the evidence taken by the court nor the
defense offered by the accused shows any cause or
excuse for the violent and vindictve tone and dis
graceful language Of the letter set forth in the
specifications; and the only assignable cause ap-
pears to be impression on the part Of the writer
That orders distasteful to him had been issued at
the instigation or through the contrivance Of the
clerk to whom the letter is addressed, and were
the result Of personal considerations and naIevO-
lent feelings, instead Of being as they were proper
and necessary for the interests of the service
The accused pleaded no proyocation; the court
upon inquiry could find none, and the only con-
ceiyable motive for the letter is one which not
only deprived Lieutenant Commander Coghlan Of