The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-01-31

COLONEL L. johnson, Forty-fourth Regiment.
lrragned and tried Lieutenant. Colonel Henry c.
Soroln; Fourteenth Regiment, United States
10 5 infantry, on the following charges:
Cnarge l-Cowardice.
Charge 2-Misbehavior before the enemy in
violation or the fty-second article of war.
e T.1arge o-0ohduct unbecoming an officer and
Charge 4-Conduct preiudcial to good order and
Finding of the court: Not guilty.
Inc court does therefore MOST HoNoRARLY
AAc9UIT him, the said Lieutenant Colonel Fl. c.
fantry.
The proceedings and findings of the general
in the foregoing case of Lientenant-
frmed.
Lieutenant Colonel Corbin will accordingly be re-
teaseu from arrest and returned to duty. By
OoIhmaln OF JoRGENERAL STEEDMAN.
s. b. Moe, Major and A. A. G.
MoRGAN's MALICE.
thlnk, Mr.. Editor, that this is sufficient an
brave and honorable officer. What Corbin's
personal character might have been, do not
know. He must have been manly man to in
cur the enmity of Morgan. If he had gone
round the camp deno1ncing vice and twang-
ing texts. with Bible in one pocket and a
stolen chicken in the other, Morgan doubtless
would have considered him one of the elect.
But because, apparently, he was neither a
pharlsee nor hypoerite, Morgan tried to
swear away his life.
/ call your attention, Mr.. Editor, to the I'M
usual words which occur in the verdict-"the
court does most honorably acquit him. Ger
tainly the men who used this expression had
little faith in Morgan's oath. He swore on the
trial as distinctly as he wrote in his letter that
Corbin was coward, and the Judgment of the
tribune was ''most honorable acquittal,"
which "most honorable" acquittal was APP
proved by General Steedman.
This verdict is the more remarkable when
we remember:
l. That Morgan charged that at Decatur,
COrbin, being in action on the skirmish line,
had left it and retreated to g. point in the rear
OF the line of battle.
.. That it was shown that Corbin had gone
out TO the skirmish line under orders from
Morgan himself to observe the enemy's posi-
ton and return and report it.
3. That at Nashville, where gross cowardice
was charged, it was proved by officers of the
highest standing that Corbln was particularly
gallant on the field.
L. That in the official records of the war
under Morgan's report charging Corbin with
cowardice there is an official note declaring
that the charge was proven unfounded.
D. That the court censured Morgan for his
conduct during the trial.
''The court takes this occasion to animadyert
upon the uncharitalle conduct of Colonel T. J,
Morgan, Fourteenth U. S. Colored Infantry
toward the accused, Lieutenant-Colonel II. c.
COrbln, during the trial, and his unotficerlike
conduct while giving his testimony for the
prosecution, by attempting TO take memoranda
OF the evidence so given, until forbidden by
the court"
Evidently Morgan knew that liar should
have good memory and he did not wish to
take any chances.
g. That the court put on record its opinion
of Morgan's two chief witnesses. OF one it
said that he was equity of Misrepresentation
and falsehood,' and of The other that he was
guilty of "falsehood.'
7. That when Morgan precipitately resigned
from the army Corbin stepped into his place as
colonel of the regiment and remained with it
until 1t was mustered out among the very last
OF the volunteer regiments
That he then joined the regular establish
ment and was in the adjatsnt-generaPs corps
in the Division OF the Missouri, and that he
was under all circumstances a brave, faithful
and competent officer.
You will remark Mr.. Editor, that though I
alluded to all these things in the letter which
the Rev. Mr.. Morgan undertook to answer, the
only plea he could make is, "My testimony was
true" He does not deny the facts, though he
accuses me of falsehood. He does not deny
that the court censured him for his unofficer-
like conduct, though he accuses me of SANDER.
The man he accused OF cowardice q court-mar-
he accuses me of coWardice l am willing to
leave the verdict to the public.
THE SECOND CoURT-MARTIAL.
Let US come now TO the second court-martial
Here is the Rev. Mr.. Morgans account OF its
origin:
''As a consequence of my severe digcipline
the two officers whom l had court-martialed
joined with others and formed a conspiracy TO
get even with me and trumped up technical
charge, on which they based their hopes of
driving me from the service. They charged
me with false muster"
have no evidence before me, Mr.. Editor, to
show the motives of the officers who caused
Morgans eOurt-mertial. The Rev General
says it was a conspiracy. l remark, however.
that if you visit prison and converse with the
conYlets you invariably find that they are all
innocent and victims OF q conspiracy.
They will inform you with an earnestness,
real or affected, that the police, the witnesses,
the jury, the very Judge himself were in a CON
spiracy against them. It is possible that this
may be true, but it is not probable. And when
General Morgan, who was convicted on three
charges and thirteen specifications, tells us he
was the vic tim OF a conspiracy, we are re-
minded of the old Romans scoff:
Credat Iud@us Apelles non ego.
The Rev. Mr.. Morgan evidently wishes to let
the public understand that the only charges
against him were those concerning the false
muster In order TO give the nnbic fbe nro,lsT
materials for forming judgment on Morgan's
case, l copy out the official records of the
court-martial:
HEADQUARTERS SECOND DIVISION, DEPART-0
HEST CUMBERLAND,
General Order %.
Before general courtnartial, convened at Chat
tanooga- Tenn, pursuant to special order 80, head
quarters First Separate Division of the Army OF
the Cumberland, March 25, 1865 and OF which
Colonel Thomas +. Wilder is president, was ar
raigned Colonel Thomas J. Morgan Fourteenth
United States Colored Infantry, on the following
charges and specifications:
Charge 1-Vioation of the fifteenth article of
war.
Specification /. In this, that the said T. J. Nor
gan, colonel OF the Fourteenth Regiment, United
States Colored Infantry. did allow the original
muster-in rolls OF Company a, United ates
Colored Infantry to be signed by other officers
the said L. j. Morgan having been at that time
aware That the said muster-in rolls cont aimed the
false muster of at least officer, viz: Captain
9. w. Baker, whose company, A, Four zenith
United States Colored Infantry, was not filled TO
the minimum strength until the 18th or 18th day
OF November, 1868. and who was consequently
not entitled TO muster as captain until the last
mentioned dates, but who was nevertheless mus
tered on the hereinbefore-nentioned rolls TO rank
as captain from the list day of November, 1858.
This at Chattanooga, Tenn, during the month Of
May, 1864
Specification 2. In this, that he, the said Thomas
j. Morgan, colonel OF The Fourteenth United states
Colored Infantry, did order Captain J. 6. Vaet1e,
OF the same regiment to sign the mustern rolls of
Company ID, Fourteenth United States Coored
Infantry, after the said Captain Vallette had pro-
tested both verbally and in writing against doing
so, on account OF the said rolls having contained
false muster and furthermore, that the said
Colonel T. j. Morgan did allow the said Captain
Vallette TO sign the aforementioned rolls know
ing at the same time that they contained a false
muster.
This at Chattanooga, Tenn, on or about the 18th
day of May, 1864.
Specification 2. In this that the said Thomas J.
Morgan, colonel of the Fourteenth United states
Coiored Infantry, did allow the original muster-in
rolls of Company ID, Fourteenth United States
Colored Infantry, to be sigued by other officers he
said Colonel Il. J. Morgan, having been aware at
that time that he said muster-in rolls contained
the false muster of at least officer viz Cap
tain J. @. Vallet;e, whose company, D. was not
filled to the minimum strength until the 9th day
OF November, 1883, and who was not entitled to