Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-02-19
THE BLAIR COURT MARTIAL.
The Man Who Dupsd General Gordon
Changers Widow.

Among the letters produced by
Judge Advocate Swain at the Blair
court martial, Governors Island, N.
Y, was one signed by Captain Blair
and directed to General Hancock. In
it the writer acknowledged the receipt
of a copy of the charges Of bigamy
preferred against him, and requested
an absence Of forty days to visit Scot
land to obtain proof of his innocence.
The writer admitted that he had lived
with Ann Baillie in Scotland as her
husband, but claimed that the alleged
marriage was illegal, brought about by
misrepresentation and fraud and void
able for cause. IF l can obtain a
leave of absence" the writer added.
Il will see that the first specification
in the charge falls to the ground and
also see hat the sting is taken out of
the second. The skein is very tangled
and it will take some time to unravel
it." Another letter was this, un-
signed:
SPECIAL ORDER NO. 176.
WASHINGTON, September 1, 1878.
The resignation of Captain Thomas
Blair, Fifteenth Infantry, is hereby
accepted, to date from September 30,
1873. Captain Blair accordingly
ceases to be an officer of the United
States army from that date.
THE above explains itself. | hope
you are satisfied with what you have
accomplished. What the future will
bring forth no one can tell. ANY
search for me will be useless, as |
shall not give you my address, but will
from time to time, as God prospers
me, send you something to q Arthur
steet. Dunbarton road, Glasgow, Scot
land"
The special order inclosed in this
missive is fictitious. Major Swain
further offered in evidence a letter ad-
dressed "Adjutant-G General United
States Army and dated at Southport,
England, July 81, 1877. 1t was signed
Thomas Blair, and states that the
writer was on leave of absence, and
that his address for the next thirty
days would be at No. % Arthur street.
Dunbarton Road, Glasgow, Scotland.
Two other letters dated at Mobile.
Ala. June 8, 1873, and the other at
Fort Stanton, Mex, January 7, 1873.
were read by the Judge Advocate as
having been written by the accused.
The first was headed dear Ann"
and is supposed to have been written
to Ann Baltic. 1t announced the
writer's promotion to be first lieuten-
ant and regimental quartermaster, and
ended with this admonition: Give
my love to Racheal and Bob, who, |
suppose, are now very large" This
letter was signed 'Thos. B. Nicholl, +"
and is signed "Atfcctionately, your
father" Enclosed was a photograph
of the accused.
0. l., Sheppard, Brcvet Brigadier-
General on the retired list, testified
yesterday that on January 18th, 1868,
he was in command of the Fifteenth
regiment of infantry, with headquar-
terS at mobile, Ala, captain Blair
was first lieutenant in that regiment
and regimental quartermaster. He
had just been promoted to the rank
Of a lieutenant, Captain Blair
reputation as an officer at that time
the witness said, you may judge was
very fine from the fact that l made
him a quartermaster. His character
as a gentleman was also A l." The
witness identified the fictitious dis.
charge printed above as Captain Blair
handwriting. There was no officer
named Thomas Nicholl in the regi.
ment at that time.
Here was produced a certified copy
Of a marriage certificate signed by G.
Miller Buchanan, registrar for one Of
the parishes of Glasgow, Scotland,
showing that Ann Baillie and Thomas
Nicholl were married according to the
ritual of the Presbyterian Church Of
Scotland, on February I'D, 1861. The
certificate is authenticated by the seal
Of the United States consul.