The Second Court Martial of Commodore Charles Wilkes 3/3/1864 General Order

Description: "Charles Wilkes (April 3, 1798 – February 8, 1877) was an American naval officer, ship's captain, and explorer. He led the United States Exploring Expedition, 1838–1842. His behavior led to two convictions by court-martial, one stemming from the massacre of almost 80 Fijians on Malolo in 1840. During the American Civil War (1861–1865) he commanded USS San Jacinto during the Trent Affair, where he stopped a Royal Mail Ship and removed two Confederate diplomats, which almost led to war between the US and the UK. Wilkes acquired a reputation for sometimes acting arrogantly and capriciously, perhaps partly because of his open conflict with Gideon Welles, who was the Secretary of the Navy. Welles recommended that Wilkes had been too old to receive the rank of commodore under the act then governing promotions. Wilkes wrote a scathing letter to Welles in response. The controversy ended in his court-martial in 1864. He was found guilty of disobedience of orders, insubordination, and other specifications. He was sentenced to public reprimand and suspension for three years. However, Lincoln reduced the suspension to one year, and the balance of charges were dropped. On July 25, 1866, he was promoted to the rank of rear admiral on the retired list." GENERAL ORDER,NAVY DEPARTMENT, No. 33. 3MAY 3, 1864 At a Naval General Court Martial, recently convened in the city of Washington, Commodore CHARLES WILKES, of the Navy, was tried upon the following charges, preferred against him by the Department: CHARGE 1.-"Disobedience of the lawful orders of his superior officer while in the execution of his office."CHARGE II.-"Insubordinate conduct and negligence or carelessness in obeying orders."Charge III.-"Disrespect and disrespectful language to his superior officer whilst in the execution of his office."CHARGE IV.-" Refusal of obedience to a lawful General Order or Regulation issued by the Secretary of the Navy."CHARGE V.-"Conduct unbecoming an officer, and constituting an offense made punishable by Article VIII of the Articles adopted and put in force for the government of the Nary of the United States." of each of these charges the accused was found by the Court Guilty," and was sentenced in the following terms:* And the Court does hereby sentence the accused, Commodore Charles Wilkes, to be publicly reprimanded by the Secretary of the Navy, and to be suspended from duty for the term of three years."The finding of the Court in this case is approved, and the sentence confirmed.In carrying into execution that part of the sentence which requires that Commodore Wilkes be publicly reprimanded, I hardly need say more, to an officer of his age and experience in the service, than that the promulgation of such charges, and of the decision upon them by a Court composed of officers of the highest rank in the Navy, constitutes in itself a reprimand sufficiently poignant and severe to any one who may have desired to preserve an untarnished record in the service.The Department would gladly have been spared the unpleasant duty which has devolved upon it in this case; but the appeal made to the public by the accused, in a paper which the Court has pronounced to be " of an insubordinate and disrespectful character, containing remarks and statements not warranted by the facts," rendered it necessary for the Department either to tolerate the disrespect and submit to the unfounded aspersions, or refer the case to the investigation and decision of a Court Martial.GIDEON WELLES.Secretary of the Navy. Measures 8 1/2 by 5 1/2 without the plastic Box J 07282021Weight 0 ounces

Price: 295 USD

Location: Alexandria, Kentucky

End Time: 2025-01-10T05:54:11.000Z

Shipping Cost: N/A USD