Glass ___E_3^S5^ 
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 oLa (J\j 
 
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 A. 
 
 REFUTATION OF CHARGES 
 
 EXHIBtTKD BY 4" 
 
 SUNDRY OFFICERS 
 
 OF THE LATE 
 
 UNITED STATES' REGIMENT 
 
 OF 
 
 LIGHT DRdGOOJVS, 
 
 AGAIMsT 
 
 BREVET LT. COL. JAMES V. BALL, 
 
 OF THE SAME REGIMENT. 
 
 WITH REMARKS UPON THE MOTIVES OF HIS ACCUSERS, AND 
 
 THL^ NATURE OF THE 
 
 CHARGES AND THE EVIDENCE, 
 
 WITH 
 
 VARIOUS REFERENCES, 
 
 AND THE 
 
 OPINION OF THE COURT 
 
 APPOINTED TO ENQUIRE INTO THE SAID CHARGES. 
 
 WIA'^CHESTER : 
 
 JOHN HElSKZLlf PaiNTESi, 
 
 « 
 
£35"? 
 
REFUTATION OF CHARGES, &6, 
 
 IN laying before tbe public the following statements, so far 
 as respects u.yself, I could bave been content to remain silent ; 
 satisfied in having defeated the machinations of my enemies, and 
 feeling assured that the consequent mortification under defeat, 
 needs not the circumstance of greater publicity to add to its 
 poignancy : but conceiving that the public have a right, and 
 that it is especially theduty of public funelionaries, to become ac- 
 quainted with the manner in which the Officers of the Army 
 have discharged their tra8t;>— that the community has an interest 
 also in the reputation of its servants, which, when assailed by 
 false aspersions and malignant accusations, it is the duty of th(& 
 accused to vindicate before their tribunal, 1 am induced to give 
 the proceedings of the Cgu;' appoiuted to enquire into various 
 charges against me the utmost publicity. On the 15th of De- 
 cember 1814, after the most cordial expressions of esteem to- 
 wards me, Capt. Samuel G. Hoj kins set out for Washington oh 
 fuilough, and was the bearer of the following Memorial. 
 
 V* The honorable the Secretary of War. 
 
 "SIR, 
 
 Having entereJ the corps nf Dragoons from a prefef- 
 CBce to that sptcies of service, frequently wiMiesfcii'g tLe abuses 
 to which it has been subject, and the immense waste of public 
 property incident thereon, we have deemed it a duty both to 
 ourselves and counti-y, fairly (o rf present nur situation to ynur 
 department, with a full confidence that whatever may seem rea- 
 sonable in our complaint, will be attended to, while the pledges 
 of our words of houor, that we are actuated by no such feelings 
 will shield us from the imputation of private hostility, or the 
 charge of insubordination. 
 
 To produce a change in onr present situation and prospects; 
 t« alleviate the miseries of the one and heighten the hue of the 
 
other, W8 deem it essential, not only to our efficiency, but exist- 
 ence fls a cnrps. 
 
 We will attempt to lay these fully before you, and most be 
 permitted to go back as far as the first day of August, when 
 the two troops under the command of Captains Hopkins and 
 Hall, were consolidated into a squadron, and arranged to the 
 command of Brevet Lt. Col. Ball. At tkat period these troops 
 were well supplied with every thing essential to the seryice, 
 and wanted nothing but the knowledge of drill duties to be com- 
 petent to contend with the enemy under any equal circumstan- 
 ces. This our commanding officer assured us should be in our 
 possession imme-Hately, declaring, in future, the rights of the 
 Corps should he respected, and the abuses, hitherto imposed up- 
 on it, corrected. What was our amazement, when upon experi- 
 ment, we ascertained ho was utterly incompetent to command, 
 that lie was wholy deficient, as well in the knowledge of drill, as 
 the most ordinary duties of our Corps, and permitted, from ig- 
 norance or a »»'ant of energy to prevent it, every incroachment 
 upon the rights of an infraction of the laws, in relation t& the 
 corps which have hitherto been practised with such glaring im- 
 punity and injury to the service;— suffering statFofficers to detail 
 at pleasure the men and horses, converting them into their own 
 personal attendants and private uses, thus damping the prido 
 the men would otherwise feel in their profession, and by divest- 
 it of a part of the means famished it by Government for a dif- 
 ferent purpose, destroying the phjxical strength of the corps; 
 these and many other such grievances liave we suffered. This 
 campaign having at length terminated, we expected to have 
 been ordered into the interior, to a depot for the purpose of re- 
 cruiting our men and horses, and preparing by regular drill for 
 that of the next year; in this expectation we have also been dis- 
 appointed. 
 
 After a detention of some weeks at Buffalo and its vicinity, 
 iluring wh".ch time our horses were destitute of a covering, and 
 starving for the want of forage, and oar men almost naked, and 
 not suppliod with a surticiency of tents, we are ordered to pro- 
 ceed to the Genessee River, there in the midst of the '^ools, con- 
 venient to no earthly comfort, to erect Stables and Barracks for 
 the winter. How competent a corps of Dragoons, whose men 
 are worn out with the exposure of a campaign, and horses re- 
 duced t© the last extreme of povprty and requiring all their at- 
 tention, are, to such an llerculian undertaking.you will presume 
 at the slightest glance. 
 
 As it regards us, the duty is more severe, from the very par 
 tial supply of tools, plauk, or the materials «f any kind with 
 
5: 
 
 which we have been furnished, nor e?n we expect to complete 
 (he work until Ihewititershall have almost closed. Had we been 
 ordered to Greetibush or Carlisle, where are both stables and 
 barracks unoccupied, both onr men and horses would now have 
 been comfortable, instead of being destroyed by exposure and 
 useless fatigues. We should have been engaged in drilling and 
 disciplining our corps, have saved the government an immense 
 expence in procuring building materials, (which hereafter must 
 be useless.) procured forage as cheap, end more regularly, than 
 at this j)lace, and have been able to commence the next caui- 
 paiscn under the most auspicious circumstances; nor is it now 
 too late ; — from lliis place to Albany is less than two hundred 
 miies, and (o Carlisle two hundred and thirty miles. 0«r 
 petition is, that you will order us to one of the above places, for 
 the purpose above expressed, from whence a'O shall be in the 
 spring more convenient to any threatened point, except the Nia- 
 gara frontier, (where,from the situation of the country oar corps 
 never can act) by several hundred miies than at this place. 
 
 From w!»at we have said above, you must perceive we have 
 lost all confidence ia lA. Col. Ball: that he has heretofore, by 
 specious plausibility, succeeded in hoodwinking his commanding 
 officer, and thereby obtdiuinga reputation to which his merits 
 never entitled him, are facts which every days experience abun- 
 dantly prove. 
 
 But pledging ourselves to establish, before any competent 
 tribunal, what we have asserted, we could not have said less 
 of him and satisfied our own conscience s ; — that it is with the 
 greatest injury to the service, and the severest mortification to 
 oar individual feelings, we are now compelled to take hih or- 
 ders, we are constrained to acknowledge. 
 
 The sooner we are relieved from a situation fraught with 
 such unpleasant circumstances, equally deliterious to our owa 
 and country's interest, the more grateful would we be for your 
 interposition; which we earnestly request may be extended to us. 
 We have the honor to subscribe ourselves, most respect- 
 fully, your obedient servants, 
 
 S. G. HOPKINS, 
 
 Capt. U. S. Light Dragoons, 
 HENRY HALL, 
 
 Capt. U, S. Light Dragoons. 
 Lieut, GEORGE WATTS, 
 
 U. S, Lis:ht Dragoons, 
 iiewf. CLINTON WRIGHT. 
 
 U. S. Light Dragoons, 
 Lieut, PHILIP ANSPACH, 
 A 2 U, S. Light Dragoons, 
 
Viewing Capt. Hopkins in that friendlj light which his coa- 
 itant professions had induced me to do, I continued to write to 
 liini agreeably to his request at parting, until about the 6th of 
 February follo'ving, when 1 received information from a friend, 
 who had been at Washington, that attempts were making to in- 
 jure me with the government, and that my own Officers, then at 
 the City, were the principal actors in the plot. On the 8th of 
 February I addressed a letter to Col, Monroe, from which the 
 following arc extracts. 
 
 " Dragoon Cantonment, 
 Avon, N. York, 9th February, 1815. 
 
 <«S1R, 
 
 ^5 
 
 I have just received information that some of my of- 
 "fieera have made representations and statements to you, deroga- 
 tory to my military character. The very grounds upon which 
 they complain of me (for no other can they possibly have, than 
 my undeviating efforts to reduce my command to discipline and 
 system, and to establish in it that routine of duties, best calcu- 
 lated to render it respectable in itself, and honourable to its 
 country,) marks iheir character. My orders requiring no 
 more of them than proper attention to their duty, they have 
 distorted into an assumption of power, an improper interfer- 
 ence with their commands, and the imposition of Sergeant's 
 duty on them. This duty is no other, than that of attending re- 
 gularly at stable hours, to see that their horses are fairly dealt 
 by, and that their men are expert, and properly instructed in 
 grooming them ; and this duty I assure you, was required of e- 
 very Dragoon officer of the army in which I formerly served,— 
 It is alsa the case in the French service. " The horses are to be 
 f'^d at fixed hours, in presence of the officers on duty, and the 
 Colonels and Captains must give all their attention to the carre 
 of their horses,'' And after showing that I required oo more 
 of my officers, than the duties periormed by those of the Revo- 
 lution, 1 proceed, " and yet all their grievances are to be trac- 
 ed to this enormous demand, of proper atleutiau to that import- 
 ant part of their commands ; — although 1 impose precisely the 
 same duty upon myself, and never f*iil to p.aforsn it. Cm it, 
 Sir, be rationally believed, that I would augaeut my o\tn la- 
 bours for the purpose of imposing unnecessary duticK on my of- 
 ficers? Or how can my intention to degrni'e Ihenj. bi inferred 
 from the exaction of duties tu which I pitiiicipatf?" Again, 
 ** If 1 am supported, 1 pledge myself ta convert this carps into 
 a subordinate, disciplined, and trained corpij of Dragoon::, with- 
 
•ui loosing siglit of the rights of an iadividual, or the laws of 
 my country." — \_8ee appendix, (A) 
 
 Ou the 16th I received the original memorial, and the fol- 
 lowing statement, which was evidently fabricated to supply the 
 deficiency of weight in the memorial, and induce the Secretary 
 of War to act upon it on his owb responsibility, 
 
 " Washington, June 12, 1815. 
 
 In addition to the facts we have set forth in our memo- 
 rial from Avon, New-York, we beg leave to observe, thai when 
 we left camp on the 15tl» Dec. the hulls and stables were in a 
 situation not to be finished in six weeks to come, Lieut. Col. 
 Ball's quarters excepted, which would be ready for his recep- 
 tion in a few days; having almost exclusively employed our 
 Carpenters for his own personal use; — and when from the Roster, 
 the best men were not designated for his fatigue party, he would 
 arbitrarily violate the order of detail as prescribed by the War 
 Department, and cause his sergeant major to select from the se- 
 veral troops, such men as he chose, without regard to former 
 tours of duly, or the suffering which, the show every moment ad- 
 monished us, the troops were encountering for want of shelter. 
 
 In answer to the frequent (almost daily) complaints, we 
 made against the Quarter-Master's and Contractor's depart- 
 mentSjfor the deficiency and quality of the rations, of both forag® 
 and provisions, there was no remedy or interposition in our be- 
 half. 
 
 After being more than a month at our present encampment, 
 the men were not able to procure a sutheiency of soap to wash 
 the clothing of a single squad, and were literally weltering in 
 vermin and filth; — of this capt. Hopkins frequently apprised Lt. 
 Col, Ball to no purpose. 
 
 In addition to these hardships, we iiust be permitted to 
 add, that the systematic cruelty which Lieut. Col. Ball is in 
 the habit of practising upon the soldiery; his unfeeling apathy 
 towards their complaints, and utter disregard to military usage 
 in their punishments, tend to destroy every thing like that self 
 respect, pride, and enthusiasm, so necessary to the usefulness 
 and etfieieaey of the soldier. 
 
 To specify more particularly his conduct under this head, 
 permit us to state, that frequent instances have occurred, where 
 uon-conimiisioued ollieers liavebeen tried by Courts Martijil, in 
 eouformity to his orders, anil the proeedings of the Court aa- 
 
I 
 
 3 
 
 compaiiieil by the evidence on whicli their opinion was fonndedj 
 were presented to him, and although \rs r&mained eight and 
 forty hours on that encamping ground, and the men were confi- 
 Bed to a guard tire, \>ithout even a tent to cover them, notwith- 
 standing several applications were made by capt.Hall, to whose 
 troop those non-commissioned officers were attached, for a pro- 
 mulgation of the sentence of tl..^ Court, cUr chief still persisted 
 in continuing their continement, and marched them two day& 
 under guard, and after his arrival at Fort Erie, gave an order 
 that the prisoners in confinement should be released^ without 
 either approving or disapproving the sentence of the court, 
 thereby wresting from the soldiery a right of trial, and usurping 
 to himself the right to furnish at discretion, contrary to the 
 judgment of the court, before whom the case M'as investigated. 
 Again.; he attached to his immediate command at Lake George, 
 a detachment of dismounted Dragoons, commanded by Lieut. 
 Wright, the aggregate of which we believe to have been aboui 
 eighty present, and not one sick; that he in the most unprece- 
 dented and inhuman manner compelled them to march in front 
 of the squadron, (at the regular gate of mounted troops,) keep" 
 ing within a few feet of their rear, thereby compelling them to 
 continue their stages, until the Dragoons stopped to feed and re- 
 fresh their horses; and not permitting them (is conformity to 
 the regulations of a dismounted corps on a march) to stop for 
 the highly necessary purpose of watering and refreshing the 
 men. 
 
 This treatment in a very fesv days, aided by the heat and 
 the copious draughts of water taken when permitted to go to it, 
 occasioned a severe diarrhoeain many of the men, the nature of 
 which disease would be sufficient to convince any person ac- 
 quainted with it, that iren labouring under its pernicious effects 
 would be considered incompetent to perform a march of any 
 kind without reducing them to sucha state of debility as would 
 render them inefficient in the campaign, which was then about 
 to commence. 
 
 Ib addition to which cruelty, he imposed oa them the guard 
 duty of the whole corps, keepiig so extensive a camp guard, 
 as to render it impracticable for the officer commanding, to make 
 three reliefs of them, which Me believe is the regsiiar routine 
 of duty in garrisons, and much loss on common marches, and 
 this too in the interior of our own country, wlien we were not 
 within t\'« liundred miles of any hostile armed farce. 
 
 In addition to the above facts, permit us to subjoin, that, 
 contrary to the known regulations of the army, he has usurped 
 the ri^ht to select the best horses from the troop ol Capt. Hop- 
 
kins for hig own private Dies, vhich in one instance terminated 
 in the loss of the horse to the government ;— and, Sir, we re- 
 gret being conBtraiaed '.o observe, in farther elucidation of his 
 conduct since he assumed the command of the squadron to which 
 we were attached, that he aetually sold to Lieut, Col. Appling, 
 Ist Rifle Regiment, a public horse, which he, contrnry to the 
 established usage of the corps, had selected far his own purpose, 
 without accounting to the government for the same. 
 
 S. G. HOPKINS, 
 
 Capt. U. S. Light Dragoons* 
 CLINTON WRIGHT, 
 
 Lieut. U. S. Light Dragoons. 
 
 Immediately after the receipt of these papers, which 
 were forwarded through the Adjutant and Inspector General's 
 Office, and endorsed " Fovvarded to Lt, Col. Ball, to give him 
 un opportunity to ask for a Court of Inquiry if he wishes itj'^ 
 I addressed a note to Col. Pierce, the then eommandiag officer 
 of the division, to which I was attached, and received through 
 hia acting Adjutant and Inspector General, the following aa- 
 awer. 
 
 "Adjutant Oeneral's OfTice, 
 
 Buffalo, February 19, 1815. 
 «' Dbar Sir. 
 
 *' Colonel Pierce declines acting upon your applica- 
 tion for a Court of Enquiry, f«r two reasons; — first, he doubts 
 his authority to order oue» and secondly there are not a suffici- 
 ent number of officers (of the proper character) to constitute the 
 Court at this place^ 
 
 I am not surprised to hear that your officers have complain- 
 ed of you. From what 1 have seen and heard of some of them, I 
 believe that they are capable of doing any thing which geatie- 
 meut should not do. 
 
 Believe me your friend, 
 
 and obedient servant. 
 
 J. SJSELLING.'^ 
 " Lieut. Col. Bali., 
 
 Light Dragoons'* 
 
 On the 19th, I addressed te the Adjutant and Inspecttr 
 General the following note. 
 
 "a 
 
10 
 
 *' Dragoon Cantonment, 
 
 Avon, N. Y. 19th Feb. 1815. 
 <■' SIR, 
 
 " I received your inclosure, post-marked the 30th ulti- 
 mo, oD the l6th inst* and as cul.Pieree is at preseatin command 
 of the Division in the absence of Gen. Izard, I immediately ap- 
 plied to him for a Court of Enquiry. I beg that any unfavora- 
 ble impressions which may have been excited against me, may 
 he suspended until after the Court. 
 I have the honor to be, 
 
 very respectfully, 
 
 your obedient servant, 
 
 JAMES V. BALL, 
 
 Lt, Colonel.*;^ 
 " Adjutant and Inspector General. 
 D. Parker, Washington City.** 
 
 On the 2Sd I addressed Gen» Izard on the subject, and re- 
 ceived the foUd'iUQg answer. 
 
 " Philadelphia, March 4th, 181d, 
 
 Lieut. Col. Bail^ 
 Dear Sir, 
 
 " I received yesterday yoar letter of the 32d ult,— 
 The one you addressed to me at Washington has not come to 
 band; I wrote by this day's post to have it forwarded to me. 
 
 The charges you mention as adduced against you, ought to 
 give you bo uneasiness. If you have not yet sent a copy of them 
 to me, [ wish yau would do so as soon as possible. The state of 
 the squadron under your command has been represented to the 
 Secretary at War, and will be'iuvestigated by the proper De- 
 paitmeut, as soon as the present press of business shall allow 
 time to attend to it. 
 
 1 am with esteem and regard, Dear Sir, your obedient 
 servant. 
 
 GEO. IZARD." 
 
 On the 27th I wrote again to tke Adjutant and Inspecter 
 General, as follows : 
 
 " Dragoon Cantonment, 
 Avon, N. 1.27th, Feb. 1815. 
 KIR, 
 
 Since I did myself the honor of addressing you, I have 
 r'^ceived an answer from the acting Adjutant and luspeetor 
 
 3 
 
11 
 
 3eneral^ Colonel Snelling, in which he states that Col. Fierce, 
 for two reasons, viz. doubting bis power, and secondly, the want 
 ©f officers, declines ordering the Court of Enquiry, solicited by 
 me. I immediately wrote to maj. gen. Izard, and directed to 
 Philadelphia, (as I had been instructed by him to do,) begging 
 the indulgence of an investigatioaas soon as the impediments 
 to it can be removed. If this application fails, I beg, sir, that 
 through the medium of your interfereoce, I may be indulged 
 with an opportunity before a Court of Enquiry of experienced 
 Ojfficers, to prove that the charges exhibited against me ara 
 false; which I pledge my life, and every thing dear to me is a 
 fact. HaviBg it completely ia my power, »vhen ever this oppor- 
 tunity is afforded me, to shew that there is not even the sem- 
 blance of truth ia either of them, tha motives, with which tha 
 sharges were laid before the Secretary of War, will be evident^. 
 I have the hodor to be, respectfully, 
 
 Your most obedient servant, 
 
 JAMES V. BALL/' 
 Maj. L, D. ^'Lt. Col, U. S. Army** 
 
 To the above I received bo aoswer. On the «3th of March 
 I repeated my application to Gen. Izard, aod reeeived tbs fol- 
 lowing answer : 
 
 " Philadelphia, April, 8th, 1815. 
 
 «.« Lt. CoL J, r. Ball, 
 
 U. <J», Light Dragoons, 
 
 "Dear Sin, 
 
 '•I received last evening yoDr letter of the 25th. ult. acoom* 
 panying a copy of the paper addressed to the Secretary at War, 
 by Capt. Hopkins, and other officers of your squadroB. The 
 present state of the War-office is not favorable to a speedy ar- 
 rangement of difficulties like the one in question, I would; 
 however, ailviao you to visit the seat of government, in order 
 to prevent prejudices being established to your disadvantage.— 
 To enable you to do this, I enclose a leave of absence, of which 
 (if you think proper to make use of it,) you will give notice to 
 the Adjutadt General at Buffalo, and to the Adjutant and la. 
 speetor General at Washington. 
 
 I am with esteem and regard. Dear Sir, 
 Year most ebedioot servant, 
 
 ©EO. IZARD. 
 
IS 
 
 " Philadelphia, April 8th, 1815. 
 
 <i Lt.Cd.J.T. Ball, r a » 
 
 U. S. Light Dragoons, 
 « SIR, 
 
 " You have leave t« be absent from the detaehraenf nnder 
 ^ your command, and proceed to the Ci^y of Washington, where 
 
 i"^ yo" will report your arrival to the Afjiitant ax^d lospeetor Ge- 
 
 neral. Your most obedient stirvant, 
 
 GEO. IZARD, 
 AflJ. Gen. Comd^g. 9tk Military Dist.^^ 
 Not eoutent with merely removing prejudices, wliieh might 
 fcave been cuneeived against me at the War Department, and 
 determined to spare no pains to obtain what I bad a right in 
 justice to demand, I addressed to Gon« Brown the following 
 apte, to which I received uo answer^ 
 
 " Dragoon Cantonment, 
 
 Avon, 23d April, 1815. 
 
 "SIR, 
 
 " Accusations against me were some time ago e^ihibit- 
 ed at the War Office, and forwarded from thence, (as was stat- 
 ed,) to give me an opportunity to apply for a Court of Enquiry, 
 if I wished it. Neither General Izard ar yourself were at the 
 time in the District. I immediately applied to Col. Pierce, and 
 was answered by the Inspector General, that the Colonel de- 
 clined ordering a Court of Enquiry for two reasons, viz. doubt- 
 ing his power and the want of officers, I then wrote to Gen. 
 Izard at Philadelphia, and received the following answer :— — 
 *• The state of the squadron under your command has been re- 
 «« presented to the War Department, and will be investigated 
 <« by the proper department, as soon as the present press of bu- 
 <* siness shall allow time to attend to it." 1 wrote also to the 
 Adjutant and Inspector General Parker; praying that through 
 Lis interference, (if I failed elsewhere,) I might be indulged 
 with an opportunit;^ before a Court of JEnquiry to pmve the fal- 
 lacy of the accusations against me — but he has not even answer- 
 ed me. I am now, Sir, constrained to trouble you upon the 
 subject, and beg the indulgence and justice of an investigation. 
 It will be attended with but little expense, and is a matter of 
 high importance to my feelings and character. 
 
 I am, sir, very respectfully, your most obedient eervant, 
 
 JAMES V. BALL, 
 LU Col. l\ S, Jlrmy. 
 His Ex. Maj. Gen. Jacob JUROfrv, 
 Sackiti's ^arhor,'* 
 
 H 
 
IS 
 
 On the lyth nf April, 2 wrote to Col. SnelHng, the Assist- 
 ant AdjutaDt aod Inspector General as follows : 
 
 *' I feel inexpressible mortification at the neglect with 
 which my Application for an Enquiry has been treated — the of- 
 ficer who has served ten years with reputation, is certainly en- 
 titled to the notice and attention of his government,— when he 
 requires only fihat he has a right to demand, to shield that re- 
 putation against the foul aspersioas of his unprincipled acca- 
 •erg." 
 
 On the 25th I received the followisg answer from Colonel 
 3uelliug» 
 
 " Buffaloe, April 23d, 1815. 
 " DEAR SIR, 
 
 " I have to acknowledge tlie receipt of your- 
 letter of the l7th inst.by the last mail. The Adjutant and Inspee 
 tor General informed me, your application for a Court of Enqui- 
 ry would be acted upon, on the return of the Acting Secretary 
 of War to Washington ;— ifan opportunity offers, please to iead 
 Rufus Hill to the general Flospithl at Williamsviile. 
 With the highest respect, &c. 
 
 J. SNELLING, 
 
 Ass. Adj. Gen," 
 *' Lt. Col, Ball, Light Dragoons," 
 
 This, however, was ihe last I heard on the suhject from 
 that quarter. On the Tlh of May, 1 wrote as follows to the 
 Acting Adjutant and Inspector General, Col. Sneiling. 
 
 ^^ Dragoon Cantonment;, 
 
 Avon, 7th May, 1815. 
 «' DEAR SIR, 
 
 " The grounds, upon whicli the objeclione, to order 
 the Court of Enquiry solicited by mcj were predicated, have ceas- 
 ed to exist. 
 
 Col. Pierce is at present in eommandofihe District, and 
 there are a sufficient number of field officers with the division, 
 to form a Court. — ^I therefore beg leave, (lirovgh you. to renew 
 iny solicitation in the warmest terms, as a circumstance of the 
 
 B 
 
14 
 
 highest importanee to my feelings and eharaolcr, and to iht 
 service. 
 
 please to favor me with a speetly answer. 
 I am, Dear Sir, &e. 
 
 JAMES V. BALL, 
 Lt. Col, U. S. drmrf.*' 
 
 *♦ Col. Jos J AH S}fZLLlN0y 
 
 Mj, and Insp. Gen. Buffalo.** 
 
 The following is his answer. 
 
 " Adjutant General's Office, 
 
 Buffalo, 10th May, 1815. 
 ** At (he request of Lieut. Col. Ball, of the corps of Dra- 
 gftons, a Court of Enquiry will assemble on Monday the fifteenth 
 inst. at Hosmer's Tavern, in Avon, or at such other place in 
 that vicinity, as the President may direct, to examine into cer- 
 tain charges contained in an informal complaint, addressed tn 
 the honorable Secretary of War, by Capt. Samuel G. Hopkins 
 and other Officers of that corps ; and other reports in circulation 
 to the injury of his reputation ; the Court will report their opi- 
 nion in the ^ase to the commanding ofQcer. 
 
 Col. ROBERT PURDY, ^th Inf. President. 
 Major W. MORGAN, ±2th Inf. and 
 Jbajor H. GRIND AGE, I5th Inf. Members. 
 Lieut. ROBERT RUFFIN, Recorder. 
 By order of Col. C. PEARCE, Commanding Division. 
 J. SNELLING, ^cf. Jdj. General.'* 
 
 On the 15th of April, the Court of Enquiry convened at 
 Hasmer's Hotel, conformably to an oriler of the lOlh,— whene roj 
 accusers, diiren from the dark design of secretly stabbing my re- 
 putation, to which they had been invited by General Arm- 
 strong's practice of striking from the rolls of the army the 
 names of officers, upon the bar* information of such as though! 
 proper to give it, and not willing to risk the result with a Court 
 on oath, upon charges which they thought sufficient lor aSecrc 
 tafy of War, under the influence of two members of Congress, 
 to wit, the fathers of Hopkins and Wright, to act upon, (und in 
 which, owing to a change of Secretary's, they were deceived; 
 their ingenuity was resorted to, and tortured to fabricate otberi 
 of more sirious nature, and at so rt'mote a period and distance 
 frnm the place of trial, as they h.iped would render their con 
 fulalion impracticable — but the infamy of their design was evi' 
 dent J and as the first intimation I received of the eiistenee oi 
 
■a 
 
 5 
 
 such charges, was at the moment of laying them on the Court 
 table i and as they formed no part of the ori-inal complaint up- 
 on vfhich the Court of Enquiry was instituted, although the cir- 
 eumstanees upon which they were predicated, were as fully m 
 possession of my accusers at the tim« of drawing the memorial, 
 and of writing the additional statement sighed by Hopkins and 
 Wright, as they were oa the diy ef trial, the Court decreed, 
 thatit would not enter upon the investigation of such charge* 
 unless the accused was prepared or gave his consent to it.— Con- 
 scious of the rectitude of my conduct, I felt no hesitation in con- 
 senting to an investigation of my whole military life, satisfied 
 that although I should neeessiarily be deprived of many witness- 
 es by whom my inaoceuce could have been proved, it would be im- 
 possible for my accusers, without the aid of perjury, to establish 
 against me even the sembbnce of crime. The <yourt then pro- 
 ceedad' to enquire into the following charges, and the complaints 
 let forth in the above memoriaU 
 
 ** fkar°:elst. — Fraud and emlsezzlement of public property, 
 
 *^ Specification ist For that, on or about the — day of Au- 
 
 gust 18 14, he the said Lieut. Col. Jaraea V. Ball, did receive a 
 •umber oi* public horses, purchased for the use of the squadron 
 of United StAtes L:gh< Oragoons, under his (the said lieut. col. 
 Ball's) command, by M ijor John Bleeker, Deputy Qr. M. Gen. 
 eral, and, instead of converting all the said horses to the use 
 above raenlioned, he did retain one horse in his (the said lieut. 
 col. Ball's) possession, for the purpose of selling him (the said 
 horse) to lieut, col. Appling of the 1st Rifle Regiment ; which 
 horse he the said lieut* coi Ball^did sell to lieut. col. Appliag, re- 
 ceiving and appropriat iug the money received for the said horse 
 to his, the said lieut, col. Ball's own private use ; thereby de- 
 frauding the United States out of the amount which had origi- 
 nally been paid by the said Major Bleeker for the said horse, 
 as well a^s defrauding liiain (the United States) of the services 
 of the horse in the Ciiaipasga then pending ; all these proceed, 
 ings being contrary to Iaw, and in direct opposition to the regu- 
 lations of the War Department in relation to Dragoon horses. 
 
 *^ Specification 2J. — For, (hat he the said lieut. col. Ball, 
 did make out, and certify, upon honor, an unjust and false account 
 at Saekeit's Harbor in the state of New-Vfork, on or about the 
 day of January, 181 i, far services rendered, and emoluments 
 due from the Uaited Statei, for a eonsiderable portion of the 
 year 1S13 ; while he (the said lieut, col. Ball) was attached to 
 the North Western army there, under the command of Major 
 Qcneral Harrison ;— in this, that he (the said liaat, eol. Ball) did 
 
16 
 
 clmr^e the United States for forage for four horses, for the raontfr 
 of Mireh, 4813, and ten day» in the month of April 1813, as 
 also did charge for the said article of forage for three horses, 
 from the 11th of April, 1813, to the 20th of May 1813, as also 
 did charge for the said article ©f forage for four horses, from 
 the 2l8t May, 1813, to the 2lst July t813, and also did charge 
 for the said article of forage for four horses, from the 3ist of Ju* 
 ly, 1813, to the 31st of Deeembdr, 1813, the whole of the days 
 inetusive, and did receive payment at the legal rate of forage 
 per horse, per month, for the whole number of charges above re- 
 cited, from lieut. Rees, of the corps of Artillery, asssistant de- 
 puty pay master general ; when it is a fact equally true as no- 
 torious, that he (the said It. col. Ball) did never at any period 
 during his service in the North Western Army, aforesaid, own, 
 and keep in service, four private horses i on the other hand he, 
 the said It. eol. Bali, did never have, as his own individual pro- 
 pertvj more than two horses, one of which was, during the 
 whole time, above expressed, as charged for, either said to be 
 lame or sick ; he the said lieut. col. Bail generally, almost inva* 
 riably,riding either a borrowed orpublic horse. Thus,in the charge 
 aforesaid, fraudulently claiming and receiving emoluments, ta 
 which he was not entitled, and certifying upon honor to state- 
 meats utterly unfounded and false. 
 " Charge 2d. 
 
 " Specification 1st' — Conduct unbecoming aa ofllieer aod a 
 gentleman ;— for that, oo or about the 30th of July, 18 13, he tha 
 said lieut. coK Ball did make an unjust, and false report, of a 
 skirmish with a saiall party of hostile Indians, on the River San- 
 dusky in the state ef Oliio, a few miles above Fort Stephenson, 
 to Major General Ilarrisou, theu commander in chief of Iha 
 North Western Army ; thereby extolling his own, and virtually 
 censuring tha conduct of the other officers engaged in it ; de- 
 claring that he (the said Heat. col. Ball) did kill the first Indi- 
 an foriy vHrds in f:'ont of the squadron, with his own sword, 
 when all, who were present, know it to be a fact that he, the said 
 lieut. cul. r>all, was not in front during the charge ; and that h© 
 the Siiid lieut. col. Bali did not come further than the spot 
 where the first Indian fell, until after the skirmish had ceased ; 
 and had no agency in conducting the charge ;--lha8 inducing 
 Major General Harrison to make a partial and false represen- 
 tation of the skirmish to the War Deparment, whereby mani- 
 fest injustice A'as done to the officer* and soldiers concerned 
 ia it. 
 
 *' Specification 2nd — For that, on or about the I2th of De- 
 cember 1814, h» (the said Lieut. C(jl. Ball) at Avon in lb© 
 
17 
 
 State of New Vork, did cause his Sergeant Major, after reeei?- 
 iog the number of men required by his order for a fatigue party, 
 for his (the said Lieut. Col. Ball's personal use, agreeable to 
 the Roster of the respective Troops, to dismiss them and ira-^ 
 mediately select the best men and mechanics to work upon his 
 (the said liieut. Col. Balls) own building in the cantonment, at 
 the place aforesaid, thereby wresting from the respective 
 Troops, the known and established usage of making details, a- 
 greeably to their Roster, and placing the same in the hands of 
 the Sergeant Major, contrary to the arder of detail prescribed 
 by the War Department, without regard to former tours of 
 duty, or the sufferings of the almost naked soldiery, whom the 
 continual snow every moment admonished hin: required imme- 
 diate and comfortable shelters. 
 
 " Specification Srd — For that, from the commencement of the 
 building of the cantonment at Avon New York, in thfc month of 
 November 1814, to its completion, in the last of January 1815, 
 he (the said Lieut. Col, Ball) did utterly neglect or cause an 
 Hospital, or other place, to be erected, for the accommodation of 
 the sick, and the Hospital which was ullimately erected was 
 not finished until some time after the completion of the Stables? 
 and Huts, and long after the (said Lieut. Col. Ball) had been 
 comfortably situated in his most spacious and numerous apart- 
 ments ; thereby subjecting the sick to the wat^t of shelter through 
 two of the most inclement months in the winter, to the immin- 
 ent hazard of their lives, and contrary to the positive orders of 
 the Secretary ot War, injoining upon all commanding Offieeis 
 to make the care of the sick the first and most important duty. 
 
 " Speci-fication 4th — In treating the Officers of the Squadron 
 under his (the said Lt. Col. Ball's) command between the 8th 
 of November, 1814, and the SOth of April 181« in a contemp- 
 tuous and uHoffieerlike manner, thereby tending to lower 
 their estimation and authority in the opinion of the Soldiery, 
 "whereby insubordination must necessarily result. 
 
 Specification 5th— On the 6th of January 1815, in treating 
 three commissioned Officers, and a sword Master, belonging to 
 a Squadron under his (the said It. col. Ball's) cotnniand, in an 
 ungentlemanly manner, when the said Officers were unfortunate- 
 ly engaged in a dispute with some citizens of Seneca, Ontario 
 County and State of New York; in publicly declaring to the ci- 
 tizens, that he cared nothing about the Officers j that if they 
 got into difficulty they might get out the best way they could. 
 Thereby evincing a contemptuous proceeding towards the said 
 Officers (then in the custody of the civil authority) to whose 
 faces he (he the said lieut. col. Ball) professed every degree of 
 B 2 
 
18 
 
 friendship ; which character is unbecoming an officer or a gee^ 
 tleman. 
 
 Specification Gth — That between the 6th of January and th© jij 
 2l8t of February 1815, the said officers (lieut. Anspach except- 1! 
 ed) procured bail frotu confinement, on their own responsibility, 
 and returned to duty ; when they arrived at the Dragoon Caa- 
 tonement at Avon, lieut. col. Ball confined them to the camp, 
 and thereby precluded them of the privilege of obtaining the 
 necessary witnesses, for their approaching trial, putting them 
 to, serious inconveniences and subjecting them to heavy penal- 
 tics, which proceeding evidenced a disposition to harrass the offi- 
 cers, evidently for the purpose of gaining, at their expence, 
 self popularity amongst the citizens; such conduct, and parti- 
 cularly in a commanding officer, being unbecoming an officer or 
 a gentleman. 
 
 Specification Vth — For that »n or about the — day of Oc- 
 tober 1814?, he (the said lieut. col. Ball) did act in a most unof- 
 ficer.like, if not cowardly, manner, while the squadron nnder his 
 oommand were crossing the Niagara river ; in this, that {he the 
 said lieut, col. Ball) upon ascertaining that a party of the enemy 
 had come within view of the squadron aforesaid, and had reeon 
 noitered tha position of the same, did precipitately abandon his 
 command, and put himself into a boat and betook himself to the 
 opposite (to wit the American) side of the said river, leaving 
 two thirds of the men and horses, and all the waggons of the 
 said squadron exposed to an attack without giving instructions 
 or orders of any kind to the senior officer left with the said 
 squadron, who did not succeed in crossing the said river until 
 12 o'clock at night, and in consequence of the violence of the 
 rain and storm, and the extreme darkness of the night, was np- 
 on his own responsibility compelled to prevent the farther at- 
 tempts to cross the said river and send the remainder of ths 
 said horses and men back to Fort Erie for protection. 
 
 " Specification 8th — In not supporting the officers of the 
 squadron under his, the said Lieut. Col Balls, command in the 
 execution of their duty, by encouraging the soldiers to report 
 their officers to him (the said Lieut. Col. Bail) on every frivo- 
 lous pretext, and on the 39th March, at the cantonment Avon 
 New York, when Cornet John Caldwell arrested Sergeant 
 Whitaker of Ci plain Halls Troop, on a charge of disobedienco 
 of orders, and indolent, and disrespectful behaviour to the said 
 eornet C;ilihvp|l, he the said lieut. col. Ball, released the said 
 gerjeant VVhiuiC^ r, notwithstanding a Court Martial was at 
 that very tiiao as^ uaibled before whom the case could have been 
 i:i?Mligateil; sush conduct beiag unmilitary, and directly tend- 
 
1» 
 
 iug ta promote a spirit of disobedience and contempt of author^ 
 itj, and to destroy subordination and discipline. 
 
 " SpeciUcation 9th — In tbis> — tbat, on or about the 24tli of Ja- 
 nuary ±815f he the said lieut. col. Ball, did compel the black- 
 smith of capt. Hall's troop, together with a private, as his as- 
 sistant, to perform daily fatigue at a shop in the neighborhood 
 of the Cantonment, over and above the duties required by the 
 said troop, for a considerable length of time, and when remon- 
 strated to by capt. Hall, against the injustice of an order which 
 virtually compelled these men to do the work of the ether troops, 
 to wit those of capt. Hopkins and Harris, (both of which were 
 supplied with blacksmiths who, were ready and competent to 
 do their work,} not taking any notice of the said remonstrance, 
 but arbitrarily persisting in continuing the said blacksmiths at 
 hard labour to the injury of the services and the manifest injus- 
 tice of the individuals thus ordered. 
 
 " Specification, iOth In this that he (the said lieut. coL 
 
 Ball) utterly disregarding the known military principle of 
 causing details for service, to come through the channels of the 
 officers commanding troops, has, between the tSth of December 
 and 30th of April 1815, repeatedly ordered men himself, or 
 caused his orderly sergeant or sergeant major to order the pri- 
 vates of troops upon duty, without ever deigning to inform th© 
 officers commanding said troops that such men had been so or- 
 dered. 
 
 ** Charge Sd. — I nhumanity and cruelty to the soldiery. 
 
 " Specification, tst. — For that on or about the — day of Octo- 
 ber 1813, causing the troop under the command of capt. Hop- 
 kins to march from Buffaloe N, Y. en foot to Fort George in the 
 province of Upper Canada, a distance of upwards of thirty miles, 
 notwithstanding it was made known to him the said lieut. col. 
 Ball, that a number of the men were without shoes, and the 
 whole were thinly clad, having been compelled to leave their 
 baggage four weeks before, on an island in Lake Erie, from 
 whence they never received it, there being at the same time a 
 sufficiency of boats to transport the troops aforesaid, and iha 
 whether being bath cold and inclement, in consequence of 
 which severe treatment and exposure, several of the said men 
 died after their arrival at Fort George, and a great number 
 were made sick and afterwards became prisoners at the surren- 
 der of Fort Niagara. 
 
 " Specification 2d For that on or about the first week in 
 
 September 1814- he the said lieut. col. Ball, being on the march 
 from Chazy in the state of New-York to Buftaloe, and having 
 attached tu his comiu^md a detachment of dismounted dragoons, 
 
*>*■. 
 
 'X 
 
 2@ 
 
 tommawied by lieuts. Wright and Elbert, the aggre-^ate of 
 which detaehment amounted, when they commenced their^march 
 
 1(1 about eighty in number, ail piresent, and not one siekj that he* 
 
 the said lieut. col. Ball, did in the most unprecedented manner 
 •ompel the said dismounted detachment to march in front of the 
 mounted squadron, at the ordinary gate of horsemen, starting on or 
 about the same time, and the front of the said mounted squadron 
 keeping within a few feet of the rear of the said dismounted de- 
 tachment, permitting the said dismounted men to have no inter- 
 mission or rest, until the regular feeding hours of the horsemea 
 arrived, without ever suffering them to stop to procure water or 
 
 other refreshments or gratify the ordinary calis of nature. The 
 
 large draughts of water, taken in consequence of long privation 
 and excessive fatigue, when it could be obtained, — added to the 
 intense heat of the season, oeeasioned a severe diarrhoea in th* 
 men which caused many of them to be so debilitated as to be 
 utterly unfit for the service of the campaign, if not for ever 
 ruined in their constitutions. To which inhumanity towards 
 the said dismounted detaehment, he superadd «d the duty of the 
 wh^le camp guard of the squadron, keeping up such a number 
 of sentinels as to render it impracticable for the officer com- 
 manding to foim three reliefs, Isss than the regular rotine in gar- 
 risons ; — and this too in the interior of their own country. 
 *' Specification 3i — For that «n or about the day of October 
 1814, at Batavia in the state of New-York, he, the said lieut. 
 eol. Ball did order sergeant Lueadoa, coporal Wade, and two 
 privates into confinement who were immediately, by his the said 
 lieut. col. Balls order, tried by a court martial on charges pre- 
 fered against them, and the decision of the court together with 
 the record of the testimony on which it was formed, were regu- 
 larly laid before him, the said lieut. eol. Ball, for his sanction 
 which, instead of granting, notwithstanding the whole of th© ac- 
 cused were honorably acquitted, he the said lieut. col. ^J»H, per- 
 sisted in keeping the said sergeant Lucadoe, Corporal Wade and 
 the two privates confined to a guard-fire, without a tent to cover 
 them, although the weather was exceedingly inclement, and the 
 squadron remained two days thereafter upon that encamping 
 ground, and several applications were made by Gapt. Hall to 
 whose troop the non-commissioned officer* and men belonged, 
 for a promulgation of the sentence of the court martial, he the 
 said lieut. col. Ball, still persisted in continuing their confine- 
 ment, and caused there to march two days undbr guard and not 
 until after the arrival of the squadron at Fort-Erie in Upper 
 Canada, did he cause them to be enlarged, and then without ei- 
 ther approving the sentence of the court or making known the 
 same either to the prisoners or the squadron, thereby wresting 
 
n 
 
 from the soldiery the ri^ht of trial, g'Jarfantefd by the lawfp 
 usurping to hi nself the priviledge of puriishirtg, at discretion* 
 non-commissioned officers and jnen under his fho said lieut. col. 
 Ballf coraraand, and this too contrary to the judgmeni of a court 
 Hiartial before vvh im the case had been mifurely investigated. 
 
 « Specification ^tk — For that, on or about the day of Janu- 
 ary 1815, in the eaiitonwaent at Avon, in the state of INevv York, 
 he (the said lieut. col. Ball) did confine sergeant Ebenezer 
 Janes of capt. H'>pkiD8'' troop of light dragoons, to the black 
 hole, for eight days and nights, without having filed a eharge a- 
 gainst him, the said sergeant Jodps, with orders to the non com- 
 missioned oSicers commanding the guard, not to permit the said 
 sergeant Jones to receive any comfort whatever, his rations ex- 
 cepted, or to have the priviledge of even speaking to or con- 
 verbing with any person, and then did finally discharge the said 
 sergeant Jones from the said confinement, without bringing him 
 before a Court Martial, or even deigning to state upon what 
 grounds he the said sergeant Jones had thus been so severely 
 and cruelly punished. 
 
 <' Specification 5th — In not permitting the men under his, the 
 said lieuf. col. Ball's command, to have a single day of rest, or 
 to wash their clothes and make thenigelves clean, from the 15lh 
 of November 1814, until the 25th January, 1813, with the ex- 
 ception of one day at Christmas, keeping them (the men com. 
 posing his command) the whole of that period upon hard labour, 
 every individiial, the sick only excepted, being upon duty, not- 
 withstanding i* was made known to him that their clothes were 
 rotten with filth, and their bodies covered with vermin. 
 
 '* Charge ith — Neglect of duty, 
 
 *' Specification tst — That from the 8th of November 1814, 
 until the 30th of April 1815, he, lieut. col. Ball, never made his 
 appearance on the parade, thereby exhibiting to (he officers and 
 men under bis, the said lieut. col. Ball'?, command, an example 
 ©f idleness and inatt«ntion, prejudicial to the public servicCj and 
 contrary to the rules and articles of war. 
 
 " Specification 2nd —In neglecting to drill his, the said lieiit, 
 col. Balls, squadron from the 8th November 18 I4f until the 
 30th April 1S1L5, thereby evincing eilh?r a want of capacity, or 
 a want of zeal for the public service, highly injurious to the 
 credit of the squadron— >uader his, the said lieut col. Balls, com- 
 naand and to the service. 
 
 " Specification Brd — In allowing the squadron under his (the 
 said lieut. col. Ball's) command, between the 8th of November 
 ,1814 and the SOth April 1815, to suffer extreme hardships and 
 incouvenience by not permitting a requisition to be forwarded 
 for the aeeeesary artielei of slothiag, eamp equipage an4 Caval- 
 
2$ 
 
 ry equipments, absolutely necessary, nbtwithstandiQg being re- 
 peatedly requested so to do, by the Regiwianial Quarter Master. 
 ^* SpeciA,cition 4i/i— F)r that, betwreen the 15th of November 
 1814) and the Ist of February 1815. fdiliiig, notwithjtandiq^ that 
 he, the said lieiit. col. Bill, had been repeatedly required, as 
 eoinmanding oflicer, to interfere to cause the contractor to fur* 
 nish (he complete rations to the United Sutes troops at Avou 
 New-York, leaving them without the important article of soap 
 for months at a time, and after it had been explicitly stated to 
 him, the said lieur. cnl. Ball, that the men were experiencing 
 the most disagreeable sensations, and suffering extreme incon- 
 venience from the filth and vermin with v>hich they were cover' 
 
 •d. 
 
 " Charge 6th — Incapacity to command a squadron of Dra- 
 gon ns. 
 
 " Specification ist— On or about the 15th of August 1814, at 
 the parade ground of Gen. Mdcomb's brigade, near Chizy in 
 the state of New York, he the said lieut. col. Ball, did under- 
 take to raatoeuvre the squadron of Dragoons under his com- 
 mand, and attempt manoBuvres, and give words of command, in- 
 applicable to ihe Dragoon service, contrary to the precepts of 
 ail militiiry authors who have written on the subject, and ua« 
 ioteiligible to both ofticers and men. 
 
 " Specification 2nd, — In exposing himself and the corps, t9 
 the rhlieule and contempt of Major Gen. Brown, at Fort Erie, 
 in Upper Canada, on or about the — day of October, ISl*, by 
 declaring to the General aforementioned, that his, lieut. col. 
 Ball's Dragoons, were competent to charge in line, and act ef- 
 ficiently against the enemy, any where through the swamps and 
 woods of Upper Canada. 
 
 *' Specification 3d — In ordering the whole of the commissi- 
 oned olHcers to attend all stable parades, and remain at the sta- 
 bles during the performance of stable dafies — thereby not only 
 subjecting them to execute the duty of non-commissioned offi, 
 cers, but exposing them to the contempt and ridicule of the sol- 
 diers. 
 
 *^ Specification "ifh — That between the 8th of November, 
 1814, and 30lh of April 1815, he the said lieut. col. Ball, has 
 frequently animadverted upon the conduct and to the injury ofi 
 the characters of the officers of the squadron of which he is the 
 commanding officer, thereby setting an example of calumny 
 M'hen it was his, the said lieut. col. Balls duty, to hold forth aa 
 example of unaminity and candor by the suppression of under 
 haod representations, or listening to, or countenancing reports, 
 made through any but an official channel, thereby tendering the 
 service disagreeable and vexatieus to the officers, and produc 
 ing injury to the service. 
 
23 
 
 " Bpeclf-cation 5th — In taking sergeant Wliitaker, of eaptaia 
 Hail's troop, ostensibly as an orderly, and causirfg him, the 
 said sergeant Whitaker, to \,eri'orm the menial duties of a ser- 
 vant, notwithstanding he, the said sergeant Whitaker, is rega- 
 larlj mustered and paid as a sergeant — thereby shewing an ig» 
 noranee of the importance of reputation to a non-commissioded 
 officer, hut deifrading his character and esBeatialiy injury Jh» 
 fervice. 
 
 HENRY HALL, 
 
 Capt. U. S. Lis^ht Dragoons* 
 
 H. STERLING, LieuU^Dragoons. 
 
 PHILIP ANSPA^H, Lt. Dragoons. 
 
 JOHN CALDWELL, Cornet Diagoons. 
 
 Before I present the result of this enquiry, I beg the indul- 
 gence of the reader, upon the motives of my accuseri, and the 
 nature of the charges and the evidence. — On the first of June 
 1814 I took command of, and issued an order comprising.irules 
 and regulations for, tlie United States Cavalry then at Flatts. 
 burg New- York. — [^See appendix Jl,'] This order was reiterated 
 on the l7th of August, after Captai^is Hopkins and Hall had 
 joined mycomcnaad,& in several instances violated iL—-\_See.Jip- 
 pendix A] The frequent violations oi" it by Capt. Hall, induced 
 me to arrest him, and fr«m that arrest he was liberated upoa 
 his assurance, through sundry gentlemen, that in fuiure he would 
 respect and obey ray orders. — His resentment, however, did not 
 subside, nor did be regard the pledge he had given, or keep 
 Lis promise inviolate. He immediately set his ingenuity tt 
 work, to form a party against me, and it is not wonderful that 
 he should have succeeded, from the peculiar characters and 
 circumstances ot those with whom he was associated. — Capt* 
 Hopkins knew me to be in possession of the fact, that two 
 horses which he kept and claimed as his private property, wera 
 public Dragoon horses, purchased and used as st^eh, in my 
 equadron i» 1812, and one of which had been so used and con- 
 sidered, untilhe arrived at tb6 Dragoon encampment in Avon 
 New-York, in Novemher 1814< [See appendix C] — lie knew 
 that I had pried into the circunistanee of his having convert- 
 ed leather, dra'vn avowedly for the use of his Troop, to his owa 
 Hse, and he felt high resentment at being constrained by my 
 order above alluded to, to attend three times a day to the 
 stable duties of his Troop. This was a principal source, and 
 one of the original causes, of the reutinous and disorderly eon' 
 dust and feelings of i.; y officers. Tha leading characters among; 
 ihera were perhaps less patieiit under this o.'-der, from the cir- 
 cumstance of tteir inQucnliul coansclions io congress, wko it 
 C 
 
%4> 
 
 was nataral t© suppose were readj to palliate their faulti^, if an; 
 were alledged against them. For, upon this iufluence, it appears 
 they cliose rather to rely for redress of the imagined grievance, 
 than upon the only correct course (a military enquiry.) Lieut* 
 Wright's motives are to be feund in the discountenaoee 1 gave 
 his frequent riots and misconduct, towards the citizens of the 
 •ountry through which we marched, from Lake George to 
 Buffalo, New-York — in my order to reduce the issues of forage 
 to him to his legal allowance, when it wai reported to me that 
 he was feeding five horses at public expense, at Avon New 
 York :— and the total ignorance of his profession, which kept him 
 in the dark with respect to the rights and auihoriiy of a com- 
 manding oSieer. — It was thus that he was subjected to arrest at 
 Lake George, on the charge of mutiny, unoMcerlike, and ud- 
 gentlemanly conduct j the proceedings on which were quashed, 
 only on account of the informality of being drawn up without 
 specifying the lime and place; and which produced the follow- 
 ing general order. 
 
 " Head- Quarters Right-uing N. Army 
 
 Sacketts Harbour 7 
 
 I7th September 1814. 
 OEJS^ERAL OJIDEBS. 
 
 Lieut. Wright, light Dragoons, was arraigned on charges of mu- \ 
 tiny, unoQicerlike, and ungentlemaul} conduct, before the general 
 court martial of which col. Peiree is President, but in conse- 
 quence of the informality with which the oJiarges were framed, 
 the court decided they should be quashed. The commanding 
 General approves the decision of the general court-martial, 
 whereof col. Pierce is President, though he cannot withhold the 
 expression of censure upon the carelessness with which the char- 
 ges were submitted, in a case of so serious a nature, involving 
 in its eoosequerices the character, and even life of an ofiieer.— 
 An order is in preparation, for the government of the Judge. 
 Advocates, or those acting in that capacity, which will reader 
 them respiinsible for the correctness of the proceedings of courts 
 martial. — Lt. Wright of light Dragoons is released from arrest, 
 and will return to duty.— The General Court Martial of which 
 enl. Peiree is President is dissolved." — This orde<- was signed 
 by Gen. Izard. — Or perhaps Mr. Wright might have found a 
 stronger motive for his attempts to get me removed from ser- 
 vice, from the opinion expressed by me, against the right of offi- 
 cers to exchange inferior private horses for public ones of more 
 rnlui^, and elaim ihera as private property. 
 
 1 ean only look for the motives ef Lt. Wdtls in that unblusk- 
 
2^ 
 
 jog iKpiidenee which supplies the pla«e «f (leparted hooor) 
 and those feeliugs that induce a certain description of men ts 
 side with what they think the strongest party. — He never 
 served with me until mj arrival at Fort Erie, on the 9th of 
 October 1814, nor did he remain with uie longer than a few 
 days after I recrossed the Niagara river, on the j29th of the «ame 
 month ; having reported siek and obtained leave to take up his 
 residence in a tavern. — Yet he has signed the memorial, pledg- 
 ing himself for the support of facts stated in it, to have existed as 
 far back as the first of August 18 14, of which he did not, nor 
 could know any thing. — Nor is it probable from his habitual 
 drunkenness, that he knew any thing moro of the memorial 
 than that he had signed it. — The motives of Sterling, Anspach 
 and Caldwell, are further to b» traced to their want of in- 
 telligence, and of those principles which characterise the gen- 
 tleman. — No better evidence of this is necessary, than their 
 wanton outrage in Lima N. York, for which they were imprison- 
 ed and fined. — And because I did not justify th'-ir disgrariefnl 
 conduct on that occasion (which for the honor of the service I 
 most sincerely lamented.) I am charged .with evincing a con- 
 temptuous proceeding towards the said officers. — These men 
 were recently raised from the ranks of the army, and whatever 
 Gen, Armstrong, or others, may say or thiiik to the cootrsry, 
 the experience of the late war, lias sufficiently, established, that 
 mere promotion cannot remedy deficiency of intellect, or want 
 ef principle.— -Anspach and Caldwell, a? destitute of indepcn. 
 dence, as of mind, dared not oppose the will of their captair.H ; 
 and the promise of less duty in the gvetit of success, was in- 
 ducement sufficiently strong, to draw them into any pledge ihut 
 might be dictated. 
 
 Lt. Stirling did not j<jin the combination, until after I ha^i 
 threatened to arrest him for drunkenness and miiseonfiuct, asxi 
 which he knew I only delayed from the extreme searetly of 
 officers. 
 
 The combination having increased to the number of six;, com- 
 menced its attack on thfr 4th of December 1814, in the above 
 secret memorial, (designed only for the eye of the Secretary of 
 War, and such as they hoped to draw into their plot,) fraug'it 
 with falsehood, and sanctioned by a solemn pledge to establish 
 for truth, those falsehoods thus preferred. In what manner the 
 pledge has been redeemed, the public will, I confidently trust, 
 judge as the Court has done. It will be seen that my accusers 
 have been the witnesses against me—being by the late period 
 at which the charges were preferred against me, deprived of the 
 opportunity of testimony, which might haye been more satisfac- 
 tory if necessary — thus labouring for their own purposes, to ef- 
 
2(5 
 
 feet by (heir own oaths a redemption of that pledge, and grati- 
 ficati(n ofthfir m.'iice. It n.igh( be soffieient for me to refer 
 ta the charges and acquiftal of the court, but I hope hovverer 
 I shnll b« purdoned t,r here noiieing the absurdity and want of 
 candor, exhibited by ti.e authors tf the memorial. In it I am 
 charged with rhe deteHtioa of my squadron at Buftalo, with its 
 removilto fjennessee river, and ihe erection of stables and 
 barracks.— Will the most ignorant and mutinous among u.y ac- 
 cusers, preteod to say, it was criminal in me, thus to obey the 
 orders <;f my ioimediate commanding general ? [Izard] Or can 
 the evidence of the fact fail to appear to a reader, that the ob- 
 ject of this mutinous band, in its impertinent dictation to the 
 Secretary of War, was to obtain a situation more favorable to 
 its views of dissipation and pleasure f-aud not for the impor- 
 tant purpose of "drilling and preparing for the next campaign," 
 as stated-— particularly, as at neither of the places designated 
 in their metnoriai, were there vacakt barracks or stables for the 
 accommf.dation of the squadron. Deprived of the testimony of 
 lieut. eol. Appliug, which would have been conclusive on th» 
 subject of the horse, I offered to the Court, the foilcwing offici- 
 al letters of Majors Rees and Bleeker — ihey were rejected I 
 
 give them however t« the public, in addition to that testimony, 
 upon which the court were satisfied of the purity and fairness 
 of the transaction. 
 
 '^Troy, Febiuiary 24th, 1313. 
 " DEAR SIR, 
 
 " Your letter of the irth inst, came to my 
 hands this morning,— and 1 loose no time in reply, to state to 
 you, that 1 well recollect, that at the time you pa'id me for the 
 cast horse purchased by you at public sale, you expressed your 
 regret that from the circumstance of your not having received 
 in some time, it was out of your power to pay for the horse re- 
 ceived irora major Bleeker, on which I replied that it then was 
 of no consequence, as the Major had probably charged your ob- 
 ligation in his account, to be rendered to the accountant of the 
 War Departmeut, which, in that case, would allow you more 
 time, understaHding that General Izard directed these obliga- 
 tions to bfi made payable to major Bleeker, or the accountant of 
 the War Department. 
 
 At your request I was to have purchased two horses for 
 you, when I made the purchase of the forty horses ordered for 
 your squadron ; but as the public service required my attention 
 to other objects, major Bleeker undertook and wade (he pur- 
 chase of these Horses, of whom you made the same request to 
 purchase two for you. I have no knowledge of any transiae- 
 
27 
 
 tion with major Appling, nor do I recollect the amount jv 
 was to pay major Bleeker for the Horse in question. He has 
 gone South of this, but will probably return soon, when I will 
 communicate your wish, to have his understanding of this 
 traoaaction. 
 
 I am dear sir, &c. 
 (Signed) JAMES REES, 
 
 JBepHy. ((u'r . Master General" 
 
 P. S. The court martial is yet engaged with general Wil- 
 klusoni but it is the prevailing opinion he will be honorably ac- 
 quitted. 
 
 The abeve is a trae copy of a letter directed to iieut. col. 
 
 Ball. 
 
 R. M'CALL, 
 
 Acting Surgeont Lt. Dragoons. 
 
 *' Plattsburgh, April 6th, 1815. 
 "DEAR SIR, 
 
 " T did not receive yours of the iTth Februa- 
 ry, till three or four days since, as I have just returned from the 
 Southward, after an absence of two months. 
 
 I regret the circumstance exceedingly, frora a fear that 
 my silen«e may have been attributed to a different cause from 
 
 fttCt. 
 
 Every particular, relative to the affair of the Horses, is 
 perfectly fresh in my recollection, and it affords m« great plea- 
 sure to have it in my povf er, to give such information, as may 
 rebut ev«ry foul aspersion, that may have been made on the 
 transaction. 
 
 About the latter eid of July last, or the beginning of Au. 
 gust, I was directed to purchase a number of Horses for the 
 United States service, particularly for the Dragoons. Previ- 
 ous to my departure on this service, you requested of me to 
 purchase for you on prtcaie account two good Horses, indepen- 
 dent of those' intended for the United States, and meutiuued at 
 ths sams time col. Appling's wish for one. 
 
 On my return I was ordered to let certain offieers chose» 
 
 each, a horse, frem (he number I had purchased, at first cost,— • 
 
 f- they received them accordingly, and some paid me the cash, and 
 
 others gave their receipts fo> them on private account. — I 
 
 , delivered to you sixteen Horses,-^ Fourteen for public use, on 
 
 your requisition, and two on your private account for wlich you 
 
 [gave me your receipt. Afterwards I purchased one for you 
 
 far one hundred and ten dollars, and for which you were to 
 
 ti;rn io oBCttf the two former. — I lilso left ene that had been 
 
 f 3 
 
^8 
 
 «ick, with the wag^ou master, which you afterward* took oa 
 public accouut, — ot course there are atiii two to be covered by a 
 requisition. 
 
 I applied to major Wood's brother for the amount of the 
 account you ioclosed me, and was informed no person had as 
 yet administered en his estate. 
 
 I inclosp you copies of the requisition and receipts. — The 
 prices of the Horses were left out on account of my not know- 
 ing ivhich two you had taken for yourself. Pray have the good- 
 ness to send me duplicate requisitions for sixteen Horses (that 
 is, including the other two) and the one I now hare shall be 
 destroyed.— Also describe to me the other private horse. 
 I am dear sir, &c. 
 (Signned) JOHN BLEEKER, 
 
 Dep'y Qii'r Master General." 
 *' Lt. GqU James V. Ball, 
 
 Dragoons, Mon, State 0/ JV. Foi7c." 
 
 Cornet Caldwell says, that I told him the horse sold to Maj. 
 Appling was a Dragoon horse, but when he is interrogated, 
 Bidrk the manner in which he has inferred what he has posi- 
 tively sworn I said—" I think it was at Chazy in the month 
 •f August at the time gome of the Stafif officers were about to 
 get horses, he, lidut. col. Ball, observed they had no right to 
 them, as all the horses purchased were for the Dragoons."— 
 Not\f it is a faot perfect in recollection of those gentlemen of the 
 staffj, who were accommodated by Major Bleeker with horses at 
 the time alluded to, that their selections were made previously 
 to the selection for the Dragoon service — x\nd Capt. Halls 
 statement on oath, that he saw him the preceding day in a lot 
 with the public horses, to the contrary notwithstanding, the 
 horse furnished lieut. coL Appling was purchased by Major 
 Bleeker out of a stable the day suceeediug that of the said se- 
 Ication. 
 
 Capt. Hopkins left camp on furlough about the fifteenth of 
 March 1813, and did not join the squadron until the 3«th of 
 May, after its return from the seige of Camp Meigs.— -On the 
 27ih of June, I marched from Piekawa Plains, where Captain 
 Hopkins acknowledges, that being obliged to leare, from india- 
 position, one of my two horses f/ten in camp, I did obtain and 
 ride a third private horse, and did continue to ride him until af- 
 ter the charge at Sandusky.— In a few days afierihe 13th of 
 August 1813 my squadron was dismounted under the following 
 order, and continued so, having invaded Canada on foot, the 
 residue of the time embraced in the epeeificution. 
 
29 
 
 Extraet fnm General Orders issued at camp, Loiver Seneca 
 
 Mgust iSth 1813. 
 
 *' As it is probable that the Squadron of Dragoons may be 
 ©bligetl fo act on foot for a few days in the course of the Cam- 
 vaign, they uill be immediately furnished with muskets and 
 Cartridge Boxes. — Lieut. Col. Ball will cause them to be daily 
 practised in the Light Infantry manouvres. — It is net the inten- 
 tion of the General to divest the squadron of \i» character, or 
 emolument? as Dragoons ; — he only wishes to provide for asy 
 contingency that may happen, ^nd secure the services of this 
 corps in all situations. 
 
 (Signed) A. H. HOLMES, Jlct. Mjt. General, 
 
 Thus then did Capt. Hopkins remain with my squadron frorcj 
 his return from furlough, until it was dismounted by order, — on- 
 ly.eighty days o/lhe whole time included in the speciiiation, that 
 I could have had horses with me, except a few days between the 
 Sd of March, and his departure on forloagh, when, it is pro- 
 ven by Abraham Bishop I had three of my horses with me, al- 
 though not '* in service'' agreeably to the captains meaning of 
 the term, as he does not recollect to have seen all three in camp 
 at the same time, — \thich he accounts for, by saying they were 
 usually kept in a sta\>le in town. It was a subterfuge indeed 
 of which the captain alone is worthy, when he found himself 
 contradicted upon the oath of a disinterested witness, to dra'v 
 from him by interrogatory, an acknowledgment of the fact that 
 my horses were usually kept in a stable in the town, at which 
 I was quartered/ as if some law of ihe government or regulation 
 of the War Department existed, which rendered the keeping of 
 officers Horses always in camp necessary, to their drawing of 
 forage or money in lieu thereof. He knew that no such la^v 
 or regulation did exist, but he saw no other way of getting 
 over his false swearing, than by giving a false meaning to the 
 term '* in service" — [see Appendix c cj In the 3nd charge are 
 eoncained ten specifications, exhibiting a composition of malice, 
 meanness and falsehood. Under this charge, my acausers have 
 only substantiated their own baseness, — convicted themselves of 
 insolence and disrespectful behaviour to their commanding offi- 
 cer, and proved the justice of those orders, of which they com- 
 plain in the second and niuth speciileations.— [see Appendix d k 
 f] The vanity of capt. Hopkins has hewever been in some 
 measure gratified. He has succeeded in getting before the pub. 
 lie evidence of the probable fact that he did kill an Isdian, in 
 the charge alluded to j bavvling a circumstaaco into notice^ 
 
30 
 
 •which hilhertft, amongst trifles, had been dei..«~d too iasignifi-" 
 eftnt to becoina the subject of an official report. 
 
 Oa this subject, iu addition to that testimony upon which 
 the court found, v^hat is stated to have been, ray verbal report to 
 general Harrison '* fcubstaulially true" I beg leave to ofl'er 
 the following letter, written to major John B, Alexander, by a 
 gentleman of strict honor and veracity, who was my adjutant 
 at the time, and who seems to have as perfect a recollection of 
 the transaction, as a circumstance so trifling, and the remote 
 period would probably leave upon any mind, of the situation and 
 conduct of othera, [_See also the affidavit in the appendix mark- 
 
 " Westmoreland County, Pa.") 
 
 8th May, 1815. C 
 
 «« DEAR SIR, 
 
 " In answer to the enquiries proposed in your 
 Utter of yesterday, relative to the sfFair neur Lower Sandusky, 
 it is my duty to state, that (he charge was ordered and repeated 
 by lieut. eol. Ball, immediately on hearing the report of the In- 
 dian guns, in the direction of our advanced party, at which 
 time he was at the head of the eolumn, either ia front or a> 
 breast of captain Hopkins, but to the best of my recollection a 
 few horse lengths before the captain ; at the same time captain 
 Hopkins turned his face towards his troop, and reiterated the 
 word " charge." 
 
 On lieut. col. Ball's giviig the order to charge, he drew 
 his sword and pursued the Indians at full speed, overtook and 
 attacked the hindmost Indian, at which time he was perhaps 
 twenty or thirty yards in advance of captain Hopkins, who 
 was 1 believe the next person to overtake and attack one ef 
 the enemy. 
 
 The advanced party consisted of sergeant Eagleton, and 
 four soldiers of captain Hopkins's troop. Captain Hopkins troop 
 being the leading one of the squadron, were, I believe the only 
 enes that came up with the enemy, before they were dispatch- 
 ed, except two of Markles, and one of M'Clellands, acting 
 as yidettes on the right, and were closed in, to the head of the 
 squadron, by the road approaching near to the River, 
 J am dear sir, &c. 
 
 HUMPHREY FtFLLERTON.'» 
 
 ** JoHtf B, Alexander, Esj^.^' 
 
 " N, B, It is worthy of remark that, if this charge had not 
 been ordered the instant it was, the enemy might have gained 
 a thick piece of woods, and of eourse secured their retreat. 
 
91 
 
 *' This affair was considered by tSe most of us, as the har- 
 bIo,e;er of an action more bioedy and of greater importunee. 
 Lt. Col. Bali therefore, without the least delay, after the fevp 
 Indians were cut down, eailed in his men, bad them immedi- 
 ately formed iu liae at right angles with the road, and swept 
 the woods for near Iialf a mile from the River, as far down to- 
 fcards Fort Stephenson as was necessary to detect an ambuscade^ 
 •r as the nature of the ground would admit of." 
 
 [See also the a^davit in the appendix marked h^ 
 
 How far this statement of an honorable, anprejudiced} 
 and disinterested man, eorraborates, or disproves the statement 
 of my warped, biassed, and unprincipled accuser, the reader will 
 determine. 
 
 In the third charge there are various specified cases of cruel- 
 ty — They are in no instance proven, and too contemptible to me- 
 rit notice. — It was a singular effort of malice and weakness, to 
 aharge me irhh having obeyed the orders of my superiors, for 
 so I am charged in the first and second specifications. Captain 
 Hopkins admits oa bis oath, that my command formed a part of 
 Gen. M'Arthurs brigade, and marehed with it from Black Rock 
 to Fort George — ^[See appendix o h i j k l] — As to the third 
 specification, it is apparent that several of the culprits charged 
 before the Court !Klartial at Batavia, of ;?bich capiain Hopkins 
 was president, so far from being acquitted (as captain Hopkin'a 
 testifies) had never been tried at ail, upon the charges preferred 
 against them, but had been screeaed from trial, by an opinion 
 ofiheeeurt against its «v,q jurisdiction. An opiaion not less 
 repugnant to law and military usage, than dangerous in praa- 
 tice. It i* confessed that I received the opinion of ihs^t court, 
 with mortified feelings of shame and indignity^ and cancelled 
 that record of my accusers folly and wickedness, — continuing 
 the accused in coufinement, to await that trial they had not re- 
 ceived, or at least, to restrain them from further depredations on 
 private property, and to account for sleeping on his post, upoa 
 which plea, and the establishmeut of which fact, sergeant 
 Luekado was acquitted before the court martial, of which eapt. 
 Hopkins was president. Will it be pretended that the power <• 
 arrest, does not necessarily imply the power to continue that ar- 
 rest, until tiial and punishment ? If, according to the doetrins 
 «f this wise tribunal, 1 did not possess authority to order a regi- 
 mental Court Martial, will they also deny me the power to ar- 
 rest?— The eoDsummate baseness of exhibiting this charge is only 
 to be equalled by the folly of the court referred to in it. — And 
 here the reader will pause with astonishment, at the audacity of 
 captain Hopkiii!i» who, bliaded ^j the revengeful passioas whieSi 
 
32 
 
 labored in his bosom, permitted himself to be hurried on, to be- 
 come the trumpeter of his own shame, the pander of his own 
 disgrace. — //e, as president of that courts has solemnly sworni 
 that he would not divulge the sentence until it should be pub' 
 lished by the proper authority. What might I not fear froia 
 sueh a witness in such a eause ? What value can hereafter be 
 affixed to his pledge of honor, who thus sports with oaths, and 
 •e shamefally unmasks to the 5Corn of the WK)rld ? — The re- 
 maining charges were shewn to be as false as they are trifiling«- 
 
 My order of the l7th of Aegust, regulating stable duties, 
 obliged all the ofScers of my command^ oft' duty, to be present 
 at their performaaee. — The seasibility of the spruce gentlemen,- 
 was excited by it ; — it became the subject of much eomplalDt,. 
 aad was often evaded j but was found to contribute greatly to 
 improve the condition of the horses — at length the very eorreat 
 Capt. Hopkins, availing himself of my temporary absence to 
 Buffaloe, during which time the command^devolved upon him, 
 issued the order of March 5lh 1815, l" See appendix Jn^ abro- 
 gating my order on that subject^ and literally leaving the 
 officers at their discretion, to perform, or not perfarm^ a duty 
 which the same order deems "all important to give effieacy and 
 character to the corps."- — But a simple al»rogation wa» not 
 su^ffic lent for the purpose of the gentleman, and therefore he 
 proceeds, in a 6ne flourish of stjie and sentiment, to stain the 
 pages of my orderly book, with the record of bis insolent coa- 
 tempt of, and oppositian tn, my authorityo 
 
 Whether, in any ease, it is correct, during a temporary com' 
 mand, to abrogate a standing order of a superior officer, others 
 will judge, perhaps as accurately as Capt. Hopkins, and de- 
 termine how far such conduct evinces a due sense of subordioa.. 
 tion, capacity to command, or competency to judge of the ca- 
 pacity of others. — Capt. Hall is not without his merit in this 
 story. — Hs cannot, with Cajtt. Hopkins, lay claim to the merit 
 of having killed an Indian ; but that his name might be pre- 
 eerved from oblivion, and be gloriously inscribed on the reeordii' 
 of fame, the important matter ef recrossiog the Niagara River 
 is brought into cotlee, as au affair of consequence. I cannot- 
 think highly of the fortitude of any person, who could, for a, 
 moment, entertain an apprehension of danger, at the time al- 
 luded to : there bein^ nothing to fear, except a stormy night and 
 burning stumps, which terrific objects might easily have beea 
 avoided, had Capts. Hopkius and Hill, used equal diligence 
 with the troop of Capt. llarris, which commenced crossing af- 
 ter them, and vvas over several^hours before night.— But the gen- 
 tlemen were not quite as lardy as they represent, for more than 
 fliree fourths of the squadron were across before night. — Capt*. 
 
S3 
 
 Halls testimony is oftea confronted by improbabilities, as well 
 as by the positive evidence of otlier witnesses. — The charge 
 ef engrossiog, almost exclusively, the use of the mechanics about 
 my quarters, is singHlarly supported. — Capf. Hall, in answer- 
 ing the qoestlon put to him by Capt. Hopkins, is driven to the 
 necessity of admitting the falsehood and raalignity'ofthe charge, 
 or of sonfessing himself guilty of very gross misconduct. — In 
 imitation of his prototype, he determined to damn himself for 
 the purpose of sacrificing me. Therefore he elects the latter 
 Alternative, admits that in a return called for by my order, ha 
 had falsely reported seven carpenters, when in fact many re- 
 ported were not carpenters. — However, he says one of his best 
 •arpenters, Haryey, was kept employed about my quarters un- 
 til they were completed. — Ts this true f How does it accord 
 with the testimony of Sergt. Maj. Grimes, who says " there 
 were also two carpenters detailed, one for the field and staff, 
 the other for the Hospital.— Shed, of Capt. Harris's troop, to 
 work for the field and staff, and Harvey, ef Capt. Halls troop, 
 to work on the Hospital" ? (The neglect of which is so much 
 complained of.)— And with tUis fact, had Capt. Hall have 
 done his duty to his troop, he ™ust have been acquainted.— 
 The truth is, that these gentlemen have ever been more intent 
 on their own personal ease, than the accommodation of their 
 troops. 
 
 The whole complaint of inconvenience for want of an 
 Hospital,— huts for their men , their filthiness, and destitutioB 
 of clothing and equipments, (as far as there was trath in it,) 
 was solely to be attributed to their negligence and inattention 
 to duty.— For the truth of this I appeal to my order of the 23d 
 Nov. 1S14. — To the certificate of the Contractor, and the list 
 of stoppages made by the Paymaster for|arti«le8 overdrawn by 
 the men who were discharged from the corps. — ISee appendix 
 ^ ® ?•] Cp "°^ present.^ — Another of my accusers is Lieut. 
 
 Stirling, an Irishman, promoted from the ranks — His long ex- 
 perience in the lowest grades of his profession, in Europe and 
 America, is alledged as authority against me. In the true style 
 of a Paddy, he shews the rule in Europe to have been, that 
 efl&cers were never obliged to attend stable parades, except 
 when they pleased. — I believe the discipline is changed sifiee 
 the Lieut, left the European service, and that now the practice 
 is, to oblige subordinate oflRcers to do their duty when the 
 commajiding officer pleases — It was not ingenuous in Lieut. 
 Stirliag, v»hen testifying (when as Regimental Quarter Master 
 he suggested the utility of sending an oSicer to Utiea or Alba- 
 ny with a requisition) to evade the truth, by sayiug, «' that 
 althtt' I did not refuse, yet aegleated to send.— Candor would 
 
34 
 
 have required of hirn to give in this place the true reason why 
 it was not done, (viz.) the total want of cash to d*rf»ay the ex- 
 penses. — This to be sure, appears afterwards, when extorted by 
 an interrogatory. — lathe important p«int of his testimony, asi 
 to Sergeant Whitiker's menial e!»»ployment, in wailing on th«! 
 table, he is directly contradicted by Doctor McCall ; who alsoi 
 testifies that the requisition above alluded to, was forwarded 
 by mail. 
 
 Lieut. Anspaeh, when called on, in support of the 10th spe- 
 eifieation, of the> 2d Charge, stated in his testimony, that 1 ha4 
 discharged a man (Jesse Williairss) from the troop he conjmand- 
 ed, without his knowing any thing about it. — However, it turn- 
 ed out in proof, that at the time of the discharge of Jesse AVil- 
 liams, the witnesp was confined by a wound he received in a 
 riotous resistance to the civil authority ; and at that time, the 
 eommand of the troop had been given to Cornet Caldwell, who, 
 as sueh commanding oflieer, did sign his certificate, and the 
 papers regularly executed were produced and shewn to th» 
 Court. By some unavoidable means this testimony is net takes 
 down, except one interrogatory, as to the name of the man dis- 
 charged, which is answered in sueh a manner, as to shew its 
 connection with something more which does not appear, and 
 which, if made to appear, would be as above stated. — He also 
 states that during his command in eapt. Hopkins' troop, one oi 
 the privates had been detailed to attend to my horses without 
 Lis knowledge, — If capt. Hopkins had possessed the candor of 
 a gentleman, he wonld have informed him it was at his parti- 
 cular lequest that this private (Floor) was so employed, ta 
 screen him io the Captain's absence, from the cruelty of the 
 witness. — [see appendix Q] — This was the only attempt made 
 hy my prosecutors to support this specification — and very just- 
 ly have tbey suffered the sting of mortification in its failure, for 
 trusting so important a point to the ingenuity of such a witness^ 
 Cornet Caldwell says, that he was acting adjutant on the 
 march from LakeGtjorge to Champion, that the guards detail- 
 ed from the mounted Dragoons, were a non-commissioned offi- 
 cer and six men, from each troop only. — Yet he is obliged ta 
 admit that a standing order, which never had been counter- 
 manded, required two non-commissioned officers and twelve men 
 from each troop. At one time he says that Lieut. Wright had ! 
 the comiiiaud of the dismounted fVragoons ; at another, that ho ' 
 had n(»t. — He knows of no measures taken by me to correct the. 
 evil of small details, but when my official letter on that subject 
 is produced, (knowing it in my power to establish the fact,) he 
 acknowledges the copy to be iu his own hund writing, and in 
 aassver to an interrogatory put by the prosecutor^ says, that he 
 
35 
 
 eanaot say, whether he did or did not earrj the original to Ges. 
 Izaid, to whom it was addressed. — [see appendix U] — In short, 
 all hia answers are either confessions of ignorance, or, at best, 
 guesses. When ever he attempts to be positive, he is shewn t© 
 be in error. 
 
 Sword Master Sandford " says, that at the time stated in. 
 the 7th specification, about sun set, three persons whom we 
 supposed to be British'DragoonSjjwere seen; — lieut.col Ball or- 
 dered one witness to reconnoitre; that as he and his party mount, 
 ed their horses the supposed Dragoon's disappeared, and were 
 seen uo more ; — that Vvhen he returned, reported to the lieut. 
 col. he had been two and an half miles, and seen nothing but & 
 fire which he supposed to be the enemies fire ; — that he ap- 
 proached it to a distance between a quarter and an half mile- 
 still he saw nothing but the fire." 1 think this report ought to 
 have quieted the fears of my would be thought courageous Cap- 
 tains — and it certainly wouid have produced that effect, could 
 ihey have reflected, that this alarming; fire was exactly in the 
 direction of, and just the distance at which the American pick- 
 ett had been posted from us, during the day, for the security of 
 the troops engaged in crossing, and which 'vas at that time 
 (having been but a few minutes before drawn in,) posted in our 
 rear, as a covering parly, at least an hundred strong. Yet it is 
 ansidieusly attempted to shew, by this specification, that it was 
 in consequence of that very report, that 1 was induced to leave 
 the Canada shore at the late hour stated by the witness, and 
 which it will appear evident to the reader, from the distaace at 
 which he reeonnoilered, and the nature of that service, must 
 have been even later than slated by him (** between sun set and 
 dark.") With equal management and industry, where ther« 
 are a sufficient number of boats, the same time will be found 
 Becessary to eross a troop of fifty, that is required to cross 0119 
 of an hundred, the means being proportioned to the labour. — • 
 Capt. Harris's troop, it is shown by sergeant Parker, was over 
 three hours before sun-set — what portion of the squadron could 
 possibly have remained there at the time that I crossed.^ The 
 latest hour that capt. Hopkins gives himself credit {or crossing 
 at is 13, and qr. master serg't Rowland in his evidence says, 
 that there only remaiHcd to cross, the next morning, 18 or 20 
 men and horses. But all this is merely to shew the absurdity of 
 my accusers, for having ordered (as has been shewn to the court) 
 that, the Squadron should cross by troops, (and which order 
 gives a f!at contradiction to the statement of captain Hn;>kins 
 on that subject) it was not incumbent on me to w ait ; and us it 
 is stated by Sandford on cross examination, that there was no 
 alarm iu cimp, it could bo( !iav* been peisuu;*! safity that i«- 
 
S6 
 
 Juced aie to go. [See appendix « s t. and the folIowiDg 
 address and opinion of the Court.] 
 
 GlNTLEMEN OF THE CoWRT, 
 
 Conscious of roj innoeence and the 
 rectitude of my public life, and reposing with the fullest con- 
 fidence on your justice and discernment, and knowing that 
 your patience must be in a manner exhausted by the tedious 
 length of an investigation into numerous unfounded, and gene- 
 rally frivolous charges, I cannot justify myself in detaining the 
 court for one moment, in preparing a defence whieh the iudnl- 
 gence of the court would have granted ; I shall therefore waive 
 any summing up on the evidence b«fore you, and conslude by 
 stating for the information of the court, and that every suspi- 
 cion may be removed, if any should exist, whieh is not appre- 
 hended, that it is completely in my power to |>rove, by majors 
 Sleeker and Rees D. Q. Masters Gen. that the horse alluded to, 
 in the first specification of ihe first charge, was purchased by 
 major Bleeker for private use, and intended for lieut. col. 
 Appling, and was a perfectly fair, open and arowed transac- 
 tion J— having at this time in my possession the official letters 
 of those gentlemen, which have been laid before the court and 
 deemed not evidence in support of this fact ; — and which fact 
 those gentUmen can and will, if occasion requires, attest to, and 
 support by their oaths. 
 
 I cannot however conclude without expressing to the court, 
 the deep sense which I feel and entertain, of the propriety and 
 fairness of the investigation, and patience with which it has 
 honored me with a hearing, 
 
 (Signed) JAMES V. BALL, 
 
 Lt, Col. U. States dm}f. 
 
 « Aftet mature deliberation on the evidence adduced^ the Court 
 gave the following opinions in the case. 
 
 " Charge 1st. 
 
 «' Specification 1st.— Tha Court is of opinion from the evi- 
 deace adduced, that the transaction between lieut. col. Bal 
 and lieut. col. Appling, was open fair and honorable on the par 
 fif lieut. col. Bali ;-~lieut. col. Ball making no sec^ret thereoi 
 before or after it ; and that if public money was inibapphed 
 the Deputy Qnarter Master General is alone responsible. 
 
 '♦ Specification 2d-^The Court is of opinion that oflicen 
 entitled to horses, are not obliged to keep their horses aixcay. 
 with them, to authorise the oflicer to forage or iorage money toi 
 them, as in the case of lieut. col. Ball, who, with his detachmenl 
 cf Dragoons, came by water from Detroit to Buffalo, and frtra 
 
37 
 
 Fort George to Sackett's Harbor j and that there is ao'evidene* 
 before the Court to establish this specification. Nor could it 
 be possible from the late hour this specification was preferred, 
 and the remote situation of lieut, col. Ball's witnesses, (Ohio), 
 that he could produce testimony on this speciieatiou. 
 
 The Court is of opinion the first charge is unsupported by the 
 testimony adduced. 
 
 '* Charge 3d — 
 
 ^ Specification 1st— The Court is of opinion that this 9pe« 
 cification is not established, but on the contrary, the testimony 
 of sergeant major Grimes proves the verbal report, which the 
 specification alledged tvas made, by lieut, eol. Ball to Gen. Har- 
 rison was substantially true. 
 
 " Specification 2d — The Court is of opinion that the selec- 
 tions made for the field and staflT, g«ard house and hospital, were 
 reasonable and correct, and that this specifisation is unsupport- 
 ed. 
 
 <' Specification 3d — The Court is of opinion that tiiis specifi- 
 cation is not substantiated, 
 
 " Spe»ifieatiou 4th--The Court is of opinion that this speci- 
 fication is without foundation. 
 
 •' Specification 5th— The Court is of opiaion that this speciu- 
 eation is not supported by testimauy. 
 
 "Specification 6th — The Court is of opinion that this speei- 
 Ecation is not established ; and if it were, the letter from maj, 
 gen. Izard herewith annexed authorised the confinement, and 
 frees lieut. col. Ball from imputation of irapropar motive. 
 
 " Specincalion 7(h— The Couft is of opinion that tiiis sperv'- 
 fieation is unsupported, inasmuah as there does n'>t appear to 
 have been cause for apprehension, at the lira* alluded to in the 
 specification, or any time during the evening or nigh!. It ais'j 
 appears that capt. Darman wa3 eut with a detachment of i:j. 
 fautry, to cover the embarkation of the squadron. It also ap- 
 pears to the Court, that the order given in relation to passiai* 
 over the squadron was, that each troop should pass indepen- 
 dently, under the saperinteadance of its own ofiicers, and that 
 each troop slwuld detail a parly, and get as many boats a§ pos- 
 sible for that purpose ; and that at Furt Erie, about one mile 
 distant, was Gen. Bissel's brigade, viz. the 5th, llth, li5th and 
 16th Kegiments of Infantry, a battalion of dismounted Dra- 
 goons, a battallion of Artillery, and the consolidated Rifle Re. 
 giment. 
 
 " Specification 8th — The Court is of opinian that the testimo- 
 ny does not establish this specification. 
 
 " Specification 9th — The Court is sf opinion that this speci. 
 fi«atioa is animportant in itself, and unsupported. 
 
 -t: 
 
38 
 
 " Specifieation 10th— The Ceurt is of opinion tfrat this spe- 
 oifiaiiun i« unt^uppo' '.ed by evidence. 
 
 The Court is wf opinioa that tliis charge is unsupported by 
 evidence, and that the cauduct of lieut. col. Ball has been mla 
 litary, correct a. id honorable. 
 
 *' </HARGE 3d. 
 
 " SpiieiiieAtif)n Is' — Vho Court is of opinion that this speci- 
 fication is unsu]ppQrted, and if any blame on censure ought to h» 
 attached, it would be to the Geperal commanding, and not t«^ 
 lieut. c '1. Ball, who wa« a suburdinats officer of Gen. M'Ar-' 
 thur's brigade, and marched with it. 
 
 i " Specification 3d — The Court is of opinion that this specifi- 
 cation isnot supportcid by tht; eyideuce adduced, iaasmuch, as 
 it does not appear to the Court, that the dismounted Dragooas* 
 were more fatigued, harassed, or suffered more, or marched fur- 
 ther during a day, thaa the light Artillerjj acting as Infantryj 
 or the Infantry of the Divis^ion ; and it is in evidence before th» 
 Court, that they hj.d the advantage of transportation for their 
 knapsacks, and it is also in evidence, that the disnjouoted Dra- 
 goons did not suffer more frojo sickness than the mounted menj. 
 nor does it appear to the Court, that the dismounted detach- 
 ment were ever ordered to quicken their pace, whilo marching 
 in front of the mounted Dragoons. 
 
 " Specification dd. — Lieut, eol. Ball having stated, that h®- 
 dvsapprtived of the proceedings of the Court Martial referred to 
 in the Specitieatloi, and the prisoners being charged with a se- 
 rious e^me, the Court is of opinion, that it was perfectly right 
 and prappr to k-^ep them fjndsr guard. 
 
 '' Specification ith- — The Court is of opinion, that sergeant 
 .Tones'rt e<jntemptti;»u8 disobedience of orders, justified Lis con. 
 finenie-it ; and thai the want of commissioned officers to com- 
 pose a Court Martial, was the reason why the court was not 
 immediiitely ordered for his trial. 
 
 *' Specification 5ih — The Court is of opinioa that if this Spe- 
 cification is proved, it attaches no censure or blame to lieut. eo! 
 Ball, inasnuirh, as with ordinary industry, the men might have 
 kept their Clothes free from filth, and their bodies from 
 vermin. 
 
 " Charge 'ith. 
 
 *' Specification 1st. — It appearing to the Court, that there be- 
 ing few iif any) uniform parades within the period mentioned 
 in tlie specifialion. 
 
 The Court is of opinion that the specification is too unimpor- 
 tant to claim the serious con!»ideration of the court. 
 
 " Specification 2d It appears to the court from the testima- 
 
 ■y, that regular drilU were ordered, immediately after the coot- 
 
3§ 
 
 pletian of the hats and slables, (30th of January 1815) and the 
 court is of opinion between that time and the order for the sal* 
 lyf the horses, was not more than sufficient for drills, preparatory 
 lo the exercise of the Squadron ; and therefore no neglect on the 
 part of lieut. col. Ball. 
 
 " Specification Bd. — It appears lieut. col. Ball made due ex- 
 ertions to procure the articles referred to in the specification. 
 
 " Specification ith. — The court is of opinion that this speci- 
 ^cation is unsubstantiated. 
 
 The court is of opinion the charge of neglect oiduty is unsup- 
 ported by the testimony adduced, 
 " Charge 5th, 
 
 " Specification Isi.— rThe court is of opinion that this speci- 
 fication is not of sufficient import to claim their attention* 
 
 ^* Specification 2rZ,— The court is of opinion that this speci- 
 Bcation is unsupported by any testimon]|. 
 
 " Specification Sd. — The court is of opinion that the order re- 
 ferred to was expedient, proper and military. 
 
 " Specification Mh. — The court is of opinion that the teftimo- 
 by does not support this specification. 
 
 " Specification 5th. — The court is of opinion that this specifi- 
 cation is not est/iblished. 
 
 The court is of opinion that the charge of incapacity to eom. 
 Biand a squadron of Dragoons, is not supported by testimony 
 before the court. 
 
 The court is of opinion that the complaints set forth in re. 
 raonslrances, signed by several officers of the Regiment of Dra- 
 goons, and addressed to the honorable the Secretary of War, 
 are not justified by the testimony before the court. 
 
 And the coart, after maturely weighing and deliberating upon 
 the charges and specification, and the testimony adduced, is of 
 spinion^, that there is uo cause of Court-Martial in relation to 
 the conduct of lieut. col. Ball. 
 
 The Court adjourned until 8 o'clock to-morrow morning. — 
 (sethMay, 1815.) 
 
 I'he Court met pursuant to adjournment.'~PREsiNT. 
 Col, ROBERT PURDY, President. 
 Major W. MORGAN, ) ^ , 
 Major H. GRINDAGE, J •^'^^'r^- 
 ROBERT R. RUFFIN, Lieut, Artill, Recorder, 
 e Court adjourned, Sine die. 
 
 (Signed) ROBERT PURDY, 
 
 Col, ^th Inf. Sc Tresident, 
 ROBERT RUFFIN, 
 
 Lieut, Artillery., Recorder. 
 
40 
 
 BiTisieN Orber, " Mjutant Cre.ni, Office 1 
 
 Buffalo tst. June 1815. J 
 The court of Enquiry, of whieh col Robert Purely is president,, 
 is disitolTed. By Order. 
 
 J. SNELLING, dssL MjL Gen. 
 
 The letters and exparte affidavits eontained in the appendix, 
 I have selected from a greater mass in my possession, which, al- 
 though not considered proper evidence before the Court, (andl 
 without whieh the Court has decided in my favor on every spe- 
 cification,) will serve more folly to illustrate the subject, and! 
 exhibit the falsehood and baseness of my accusers. The who!*' 
 w submitted to the candor of a discerning public, in esnfidenctw 
 that nothing will be discovered to chill the bosom of friendship, 
 awaiting my return to private life, and to the circle of my ear- 
 ^y aequaiataiee. 
 ^ ^ JAMES V. BALL. 
 
«1 
 
 41 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 (a a) 
 FROM THE LONDON STAR— Nov. l^. 
 
 generaT order. 
 
 Horse Guards, Nov- 10, 1814. 
 
 His royal highness the commander in chief has been pleased^ 
 to direct, that the following copy of a letter, containing the 
 opinion and sentence of a general court martial, recently hold 
 for the trial of Colonel George Quentin, of the 10th or Prince 
 of Wales' own royal regiment of light dragoons, and the Prince 
 Regent's pleasure thereon, shall be entered in the general or- 
 der books, and read at the head •£ every regiment ia his majes- 
 ty's service. 
 
 My cemmand of his Eoyal Highness ike Commander in Chiefs 
 
 HARRY CALVERT, 
 
 Adjutant- General. 
 (COPY.) 
 Horse Guards, Nov. 8, 1814. 
 
 SiR''— I have laid before the Prince Regent the proceedings 
 of a general e»urt martial, held at Whitehall, on the l7th Oc- 
 tober, 1814, and continued by adjournments to the 1st of Nov. 
 following, for the trial of Col. George Quentin, of the 16th roy- 
 &l hnssars, who was arrainged apon the following charges, 
 viz: — 
 
 ±st Charge. — "That on the 10th day ef January, 1814, th©^ 
 regiment being on that day on duty, foraging in the valley of 
 Mocoy, in France, and the said Col. Quentin having the com- 
 mand of the regiment, did not make the proper and timely ar- 
 rangements to insare the success of the regiment ia its opera- 
 tions of foraging, although directed so to do by the brigade or- 
 der of the 6th of January, 1814, but neglected and abandoned 
 his duty, as commanding offiijer, leaving some of fhe divisions 
 without orders, or support, when attacked by the enemy, where- 
 by some men and horses of the regiment were taken prisoners, 
 & the safety of such divisions hazarded j — such conduct, on the 
 part of the said Colonel Quentin, erineiBg great professional in- 
 eapaeity, tending to lessen the confidence oT the soldiers of tha 
 regiment in the skill and courage of their officers, beiag unbe- 
 eomingand disgraceful to his character as an officer, prejudicial 
 to good order and discipline, and «oulrary ts the articlea of 
 war." 
 
42' 
 
 2d Cha^'ge. — The said Col, QuentiD, having the eominand ef 
 <he regiment, (he dav after the battle of Orthesj viz. on the 
 38th day of Feb. 1814, on the high road leading to St. Sever, ia 
 /rent of the village of Hagelman, Department of Landes in 
 France, and the regiment being on that day engaged with the 
 enemy, he, the said Col. Quentin, did not previously to, or 
 during the period the regiment was so engaged, make such etfec- 
 tuai attempts as he ought to have done, by his presence, and by 
 his own personal exertions, and example, ta co-operate with, 
 or support the advanced divisions of the 10th hussars, under 
 his command, but neglected and abandoned bis duty, as com. 
 mandiug offic r, and tiiereby hazarded the safety of those divi- 
 sions, and the character au(i reputation of the regiment j— such 
 conduct on the part of the said Colonel Quentin, tending to les- 
 sen the confidence of the soldiers in the skill and courage of 
 their officers, being uubecoming his character as an officer, pre- 
 judicial to good order and military discipline, and contrary to 
 the article of war." 
 
 3rf Charge. — " That on the l«ith day of April, 1814, during 
 the battle of Toulouse, in Fra»ce, the said Colonel Quentin, 
 having the comiuand of the regiment, and the regiment being on 
 that day in the presence of, and attacked by the enemy, he, the 
 said Colonel Quentin, did not during such attack, make such 
 effectual attempts as he ought to have done by his presence, and 
 his onn personal exertions, to co-operate with, or support the 
 advanced divitsions of the regiment under his command ;"but na- 
 gleeted and abacdoned his duty as coramandiHg officer, leaving 
 some of the divisions, when under fire from the enemy, wiiheuC 
 ©rders, and thereby unnecessarily hazarding the safety and re- 
 putation of those divisions, such conduct on the part of the said 
 Colonel Quentin, tending to lessen the confidence of the soldisrs 
 of the regiment , in the skill and courage of their officers, being 
 unbecoming and disgraceful to his character as an officer, pre- 
 judicial to good order and military discipline, and contrary to 
 the articles of war." 
 
 4i/i Charge. — " For general neglect of duty by allowing a re- 
 laxed discipline to exist in the regiment under his command 
 then on foreign service, by which the reputation of the regi- 
 B\ent suffered in the opinion of the commander of the forces, 
 and of the Lieut. General cojsmandiug the eavalry ; — their dis- 
 pleasure having been expressed, or implied, in a letter frsm the 
 Adjutant-General of the forces on the continent, addressed to 
 Maj. Gen. Lord Edward Somerset, commanding the hussar 
 brigade, dated en or about the 29th of March, 181*, and in the 
 •rders of the Lieut. General commanding the cavalry, dated th« 
 jgeth of February, 1814, such conduct on the part of the said 
 
4S 
 
 Colonel Qaentin being unbecoming his character as aaofficer, 
 prejudicial to his Majesty's service, and subversive of all or- 
 der and military regutatiou and discipline, and contrary to the 
 articles of war." 
 
 Upon which charges the court came to the following deci- 
 sion : 
 
 *' The court having maturely weighed and considered the 
 evidence on the part of the prosecution, as well as what hag 
 been offered in defeBce, are of opinion that col. Quentin iii guil. 
 ty of so much of the 1st charge as imputes to him having ne. 
 glected his duty as commanding oftieer, on the lOth of January, 
 by leaving some of the divisions without orders when attacked 
 by the enemy, but acquit him of the remainder of the charge. 
 
 ** With respect to the second charge, the court are of opinion 
 tliat ool. Quentin i» not guilty. 
 
 "With respect to the third charge, the court are of opinioa- 
 that col. Quentin is not guilty. 
 
 " With respect to the 4th charge, the conrt are of opinioa 
 that a relaxed discipline, as set forth in that charge, did exist 
 in the regiment under col. Quenlin's command, whilst on for- 
 eign service, during the period alluded to in the letters and 
 •rders referred to in the charge, and as they cannot but 
 consider the commanding officer of a regiment to be responsible 
 far such relaxation of discipline, they, therefore, think them- 
 selves bound to find eal. Qtieritin guilty to the extent o( allowin^^ 
 to exist, but as they consider the letter from the Adjutant-Gea.. 
 eral to the troops on the continent, of March 30, <814, express- 
 ing the displeasare of the coramander tf the forces, as a repri- 
 mand to col. Qaentin, adeq^uatc to th@ degree of blame which 
 attached to him, the court do not feel themselves called upon to 
 give any sentence upon this charge in the way of further pun- 
 ishment, and they consider that any thing unusual in this deter" 
 mination will be explained by the singularity of theeircurostan^ 
 ees attending this charge, by which an officer is put Bpon his. 
 trial for conduct which had before been the subject of animad- 
 rersion by those under whose command he was then serving^,, 
 but which at the time was not coasidered deserving of a more, 
 lerious proceeding by the commander of the forces j nor does ir, 
 appear to have been made the subject of any remonstrance or 
 request for a more serious iarestigation on the part of the o^^ 
 eers of the regiment. 
 
 *' The Court having found the prisoner guilty ofsomuchof 
 the first charge as is above expressed, and so much of the last 
 charge as is above recited, with the reasons which induce the 
 court to feel that they are nnt called upon to affix any punish ^ 
 mtui t« the kit mestioned charge^ do qqIj adjudge with refer ^ 
 
44 
 
 enee to tbe first charge, that col. Quentin be reprimaiided i» 
 saeh manner as his Royal Highaess the commaudiT ia chief 
 shall be pleased to direct. 
 
 *' The Court, however, cannot conclude these proceedings 
 without expressing their regret, that there appears to have ex- 
 isted such a want of eo. operation among the oflicers of the regi. 
 ment, as to render the duties of the commanding ofllicer much 
 more arduous than they otherwise would have been." 
 
 *' 1 am to acquaint you, that his Royal Highness the Prince 
 Regent had been pleased, in the name and »u the behalf of hi& 
 Majesty, to approve and con@rm the finding and the sentence of 
 (he court. 
 
 His Royal Highness has further been pleased to consider, that 
 when officers of a corps prefer accusations affecting the honor 
 and professional character of their commander, nothing but the 
 most conclusive proof of their charges before a court-martial 
 can justify a proceeding, which must otherwise be so pregnant 
 with mischief to the discipline of the army ; and that a regard 
 due to the subordination of thi? serviae must ever aitach a se. 
 Tere responsibility to subordinate officers who become the accu' 
 sers of their superior. His Royal Highness, therefore, could 
 not but regret, that the oSicers of the lOth Hussars, should have 
 been so unmindful ofwhatthej owe to the first principles of 
 their profession, as to assume an opinion of their commander's 
 personal cenduct, which neither their general experience of the 
 service, nor their knowledge of the allsged facts (as appears 
 from their own evidence,) could sanction or jfiistify,~and which 
 opinion would appear, from the proceedings, to have been utter- 
 ly void of foundation, in every instance of implied attack or 
 insinuatioi, upon that officer's courage and conduct before the 
 enemy, as conveyed by the tenor of the second and third char- 
 ges. 
 
 In allusion to the letter signed by the ehief part of the 
 nifncers, and in which the present proceedings originated, the 
 Prince Regent has specially observed, that, exclusive of tha 
 doubt which may be entertained of their capability to form a 
 judgment, so much beyond the scope cf tlieir experience in the 
 service, it was worthy of remark, that some who have affixed 
 their names to that paper, had never been with the regiment 
 during the period in question, and others had never joined 
 any military body beyond the depot of their corps ; and it 
 might thus be deduced, that although the officers have mani- 
 fested, according to the appropriate remark of the court-mar- 
 tial, a want of co-operation in support of their commander's 
 authority, yet those who have assumed a personal observanc* 
 •f Colocel Quentia's conduct, and those who, though absent, ap- 
 
Is 
 
 pt&T to hare aeted under a misebievons influenee, by JoiDitig ia 
 an opioioD to his prejudice, have ail co-operated ia a eowpaet 
 against their eammanding offiaer, fraught with evils of the m«8' 
 Kiischievous teudency to the service ; nor did it escape the no- 
 tice of his Royal Higkueris, that this accusation brtS uot beea 
 the mcmeBtary eftsspring ef irritated feelingSj but the deliberal* 
 issue of a long and extraordinary delay, for which no sufficieot 
 reasons, or explanation, have been assigned. 
 
 In this view of the eas< (which is not palliated by the very 
 slight censures passed on Col. Quentin upon the iirst charge) 
 his Royal Highness has considered ikat a mark of his displea» 
 sure towards those officers is essential to the vital interests of 
 the army • and that the nature of the eomfeination against col, 
 Qaentin, vfould call for the removal fro«i the service of those 
 who have joined in it; but as his Royal Highuess would wiU 
 lingly be guided by a lenient disposition towards a corps of of- 
 ficers who have hitherto merited his approbation, and woulJ 
 willinglj believe that inadvertence in some, and inexperience in 
 others, had left ihem unaware of the miscbievcus tendency of 
 their conduct upon this occasion, his Royal Highness is averse 
 to adopt such severe measures as the custora of the serviea, in 
 support of its discipline, usually sanctions upon the failure of 
 charges against a conimandiEgo&eer I still it is essential that 
 conduct 80 injurious in its nature, should be held forth to tho 
 army as a warning in support of subordination | and his Royal 
 Higheess has therefore coaimauded that the officers who signed 
 the letter of 9th August shall no longer act together as a corpsj 
 bat that they shall be distributed by exshange throughout the 
 different regiments of Cavalry ia the Service, where it is trust- 
 ed, that they will learn and confine themselves to their subordi- 
 nate duties, until their services and experience shall sanction 
 their being placed in ranks and situations where they may be 
 allowed to judge of the general and higher duties of the profes- 
 sion. 
 
 The Prince Regent has been further pleased to observe, that 
 though col. Palmer did not sign the letter of the 9th August^ he 
 is nevertheless, by his declared sentiments on the prosecution, 
 aad his general concurrence ia the apinion of the olBeersi to be 
 considered in the same light as if lis had put his uarae to that 
 paper ; and his Royal Highness has therefore commanded that 
 he shall also be removed to another corps, 
 
 I am, &c, 
 (Signed) FUEDERiCK, Ccrmnander in Chiefs 
 
 To {he Adjutant. Oeneralf (^'c. 
 
 The Adjutant General then read the names of the following 
 •fiisers, being those who sigaed the letter to col. Palmer of the 
 
46 
 
 Sth of Auguslj from which the preieediogs Agaiast col. Qaentia 
 originated : 
 
 Col. Charles Palmer : Lieut. CqI. G. J. Roberts; Capts. ,T. 
 R. Llo^d, B. N- Harding, S, H. rftuart, George Fiizclarenee, J, 
 Sraithjfi. P. Turner, R. Goveeo, C. Synge, Lord A. W. Hill^ 
 Edward Fox Fitzgerald ; Lients. H. Marquess of Worcester^ 
 Charles Eversfield, H. Somerset, G. Wombwell, C. Wyndham, 
 H. Seymour, Henry Fitzelarence, A. F, Berkley, J. H. Powell, 
 J. Jackson, J. A. Richardson, J. C. Green, Cornet R. B. Paliser. 
 
 And desired them to move forward in front of their respec- 
 tive troops, and to return their swords. He then addressed 
 them as follows : 
 
 " Gentlemen — I have the Cummander in chief's commands 
 to signify to you his Royal Highness the Prince Regent's plea- 
 sure, that you no longer belong to the 10th Regiment of Hussarsj 
 fcnd the commander in chief enjoins you to hold yourselves in 
 readiness to join the different regiments of cavalry to which 
 the Prince Regent will immediately appoint you." 
 
 The Adjutant General then directed the Hon. Maj. Howard 
 to take on himself the command of the 10th Royal Hussars, un- 
 ^il it shall be resumed by Colonel Quentiu. 
 
 {J) 
 " i*Iattsburg, June 1st, 18U. 
 "DRAGOON ORDERS. 
 
 ** The command ef the Dragoons at this place having been 
 assigned to lieut. col. Ball, he directs that the following regula- 
 tions for their government, be, until further orders, piinetually 
 attended to. At Reveille every Oiiieer and Dragoon for duty, 
 will repair to their stables and remain with their horses until 
 they and their stalls are perfectly cleaned — after which the se- 
 nior officer present will order water aad feed sounded, when the 
 horses will be inspected and lead to water. At noon and 7 P. 
 M. water aind feed will be sounded, when the same routine will 
 be observed, with the exception of falling in for inspection, and 
 that the horses shall be watered before they are cleaned. Ne 
 Dragoon will be permitted to ride his horse on any account 
 whatever, without the order or permission of a commissioned 
 offieer. All the dismounted Dragoons will turn out at reveille 
 ftud sweep the camp. All other fatigues will be performed by 
 regular de-tail from the whole. The prisoners of war are to be 
 exempt from field duties only. The Saddlers will be immedi- 
 ately and daily employed in repairing the saddles, and the 
 Blacksmith's, as soon as tools can be procured from the Quarter 
 Master, in shoeing the horses and furnishing each mounted Dra- 
 ^om vikb aa •s.tra set of pointed shoe nails, for which he will 
 
4,1 
 
 {jg hel^ aceouDtable. As mouthing atnl frahiiBg is of the first 
 iroportanee in Cavalry service, eapt. Haig will imraediatelj 
 cerhmenee with his horses, and use every exertion to perfect 
 them IB it as «eoa as possible. No soldier, except he be siek, or 
 Tvben raining, will be permitted to eat in his tent. 
 
 The daily details until further orders, will be as foUows.--- 
 For police, one subaltern — for guard, one sergeant, one eorpo- 
 r*l, and fifteen privates — as orderly to the coaimanding sfficPt. 
 une aen-commi^sionedollieer. 
 
 JAMES V. BALL, 
 Lt. Gol. ComiTg, Dragoons* 
 
 (B) 
 " Dragoon Camp, Chazy, N. \. 
 17th August 1814. 
 DRAGOON OKDERS. 
 
 Every Dragoon THGunted and dismounted oS* duty, will bb 
 lurued out to-morrow a*, 10 o'elock, and he incessantly employ- 
 sd, except at stable and meal hours, in raking, sweeping und 
 removing the nuisance from the earap, uoj^il It is iu a perfect 
 s(ate cf cleanliness ; and ^vhenever aecessity of removing thii 
 horses from the pickets, for the purpose of cleaning the ground, 
 occurs, that duty shall be performed by troops entire, each 
 troop cleaning it» own ground, and not by detailed fatigues from 
 each troop. The Quarter Master of the detdchmeut will as- 
 sign to the troops their ground, respectively, aftsr which the 
 commanding oi&cer of each troop will be held responsible for 
 its cleanliness. — The Lieut. Colonel regrets the necessiiy of re- 
 iterating his order.of'the 1st of June last, respecting stable da- 
 ties ; it is a course which he is decidedly determined shall be 
 pursued in his command, ar,d frem whi^h he will permit no de- 
 parture. — When all the soldiers of a company are on duty, their 
 officers should never be absent. — The Commanding Oflieer takes 
 this opportunity of assuring the gentleman of his command, 
 that however disagreeable tha duty of superintending the cleaR- 
 ing and feeding their horses may be, they will be amply paid 
 for their toil and/eeimg-s, by the additional service, ditfereaee 
 of appearance, and fa.rae of thes;* troops. AH the tnouuted 
 Dragoon officers, are theiefore strictly enjoined to give regular 
 personal attention to this important duty. Iu future no Dra- 
 goon will be permitted to pass the chairj of sentineSd without it 
 written pass, signed by the commanding officer of his tr«op, up- 
 on which subjeet the officer of the day, will instrucE the non.. 
 commissioned officers of the guards. Nor shall more thaa four 
 Drageens, from any one troop, be absent or pass at tha sama 
 lime. The gro^ud upon which the horses ara picketed; shall 
 E 
 
48 
 
 te regularly cleaned three times a day, except in cases of emer- 
 gency or bad weather, when the senior officer present may di- 
 rect otherwise. No Dragoon shall be permitted, upon any oe- 
 casion, to mount his horse, without the special order or permis- 
 sion of an officer. There shall be daily detailed, an orderly mu- 
 sician, who will be punctual in his attendance at the Acting 
 Adjutant's quarters at all times, except when the squadrtn is 
 upon drillj when he shall attftid it. The hour for the evening 
 stable call is changed from seven, to half after six o'clock. 
 (Signed) JAMES V. BALL, 
 
 Lt. Col. Com^dg. Dragoons. 
 
 rc.j 
 
 ABRAHAM BISHOP, 
 
 Question. — What Horses had Major, now lieut.^col. Ball, 
 in the army, when you first joined it ? 
 
 Answer. — I joined the squadron in the latter end •fNoveni- 
 her, or first of December 1813. — At that time, Major Ball had 
 two large Bay Horses, and two Dun-horses. 
 
 Question — What became of them ? 
 
 Answer. — When we marched to Massissinawa, one of the Dti» 
 and one of the B;iy htirses, were sent to Kentucky to keep; the 
 other Dun horse was left at Daytoa or somewhers in its neigh* 
 bourhood ; the other bay horse the Major road to Massissinawa 
 and back; he afterwards let Cornet Hays have him for a hors« 
 called Duke, which horse n'as forwarded to Detroit & met the 
 Major there— and when we were ordered to embark for Butfato, 
 he was sent into Ohio. —One of the Dun horses got lame and 
 was left in keeping at Pickwa-plains.— -I was present when the 
 Bay and the Dun horse was sent off to Kentucky. — The Major 
 charged Capt. Ball to take good eare of them, and Capt« Ball 
 promised to put them in fine order for him. 
 
 Qiiestion. — Was the horse that Capt, Hopkins took, and 
 used as a pack horse, while on furlough to Philadelphia and 
 back, one of bis troop dragoon horses ? 
 
 Answer. — He has always been in the troop »s a dragoon 
 horse, since I joined last. 
 
 Question. — What became of the match of young Sterling hor. 
 ses that were purchased for, and belonged, to Capt. Hopkins's 
 tr;top in 1813 ? 
 
 Answer. — One was killed at Massissinawa, and the other is 
 the horses that Capt. Hopkins rides and claims. — The little 
 sorrel that Capt. Hnpkias claims, he got ef lieut. Watts by ex- 
 changing a public dragoon horse for him. The brown horse 
 claimod by Capt. Hopkins was purchased for his troop and was 
 a public dragoon horse in it in 1813. 
 
 Question. — Did you ialist in Capt, Hopkins troop. 
 
 »lnstt?8r.— I did in June 1815. 
 
49 
 
 Abraham Bishop p2rsonally appeared before me Jeremiah Riggs Esq. 
 one of the Justices of the peace for Ontario county, and hearing the 
 questions hereon contained, read, made oath to the answers, as hereon staled, 
 as being true and correct. 
 
 Sworn before me at Avon 12th April 1815. 
 
 JEREMIAH RIGGS, J. T, 
 
 c c 
 SPENCER BALLS DEPOSITION. 
 
 I arrived at Franklinton, Ohio, in November 1813, when I 
 carried with me, and delivered to James V, Ball then a Major 
 in the U. States Dragoons, a pair of bay horses, /its own pro- 
 perty — I found the said Major Ball on my arrival at Franklin, 
 ton, in possession oi a pair of dun horses which I also knew to 
 he his own property. — I aceorapanied the said Major Ball from 
 Franklinton to Xenia, when oh his march in December follow- 
 ing to Massigsiaawa. 
 
 At Xenia, in presence of Capt. Samuel G. Hopkin?, Ihe said 
 Major Ball did deliver me two of his said horses viz. a bay and 
 a dun, to take care of for him the said Major, until afler the ex- 
 pedition upon which he was then ordered.— Sometime iu March 
 following when thesaiJ Major Ball was returning with his pqwa- 
 droa from Camp Meigs to the interior, he the said Major did 
 receive at Dayton his said dun horse, left with me as afcresairi, 
 and I did see the said Major sometime after that in CiKcinr>a!i, 
 when and where the said Capt. Hopkins was on his way to 
 Kentucky on furlough, in possession of his said dun horge. — 
 Bometime after, and during the absence of the s.<iid Capt. Hrp- 
 king on furlough, the said dun horse was again delivered to 
 we at Lebanon, Ohio, by the said Major Ball, to be kept fur hiia 
 fn Kentucky; and from that time to the conclusion of the la?c 
 war, there never was a day in which I had not two horses in 
 keeping f»r the said Major James V, Ball. 
 
 SPENCER BALL, Jor. 
 
 Pppderick, set. 
 
 I'ersonatly appeared before me the subacribing Justice, Spencer Bill 
 Jnr. who made oath that the above statement is just and true, to the best of 
 bi« knowledge and belief. 
 
 Given under my hand the 25th October 1815. 
 
 EDWARD McGCIRE. 
 
 w 
 
 SERGEANT MAJOR GRIMEk^. 
 = Question — Do you know that the Corporal, having commaml 
 »f the men furnished upoB your detail as a fatigue, to werk at 
 lie barracks of the field and staff of the squadron, reported f© 
 ieut. col. Ball, that they were inoompetent t» that djity, there 
 i^iag notoae axs-ajaa amoagst ih^m ? 
 
 Itr- 
 
50 
 
 Jnswer — Y^es, 1 do; and I have reason to believe they wer» 
 geleeted from each troop speeiallj on that account. 
 
 Question — Was it immediafely after the report of these facts, 
 and inconsequence thereof, that he, lieut. c»K Ball ordered you 
 to select six axe-tuea to be reported um daily daty, to work at 
 these buildings? 
 
 .flniu'cr— Yes,-the order directed that they should be reported 
 01 daily duty, until the barracks ©f the field and staff were fin- 
 ished. 
 
 Question — Was there ever another instance of lieut. eol. Ball's 
 sending baek a detailed party, and ordering you to select other 
 men in plaee 9f those detailed, since you have been sergeant 
 niAJor to the squadron.* 
 
 Answer — No other instance of selecting men has occurred in 
 the squadron, since I was sergeant major. The Masons were 
 regularly detailed. 
 
 Question — How long was lieut. col. Ball's house finished be- 
 fore the other buildings P 
 
 Answer — Lieut. Col. Ball's house is not yet finished, owing 
 to the want of boards. He moved in it on the eveni<ig that 
 Capt. Harris's troop moved into the barracks, and not mor» 
 than two days before the balance of the squadron moved in. 
 
 Q?t£sito?z-— What proportion did the fatigue, for building the 
 barracks of the field and staft', bear to the whole number report- 
 ed for duty ? 
 
 J?ns7ver — There '* as from 130 to 140 privates, exelnsive of 
 
 <he duily and extra dufy-men present, reported for dutj, and 
 
 tlie fa! igiio for the field and stafij including tliat for building, 
 
 the hocpifal and guard-house, never exceeded one or two non- 
 
 comnM&siened officers, end twelve men. and often but ten. The?e 
 
 was never more than two carpenters employed at these build> 
 
 ings at a time, except part of one or two days that Carpenter 
 
 Brown v\'orked on Doctor M'Cairs house, which was after the 
 
 li'oop was in the barracki; — and it was the only work that capt, 
 
 ISopkins's Carpenter did upon the above h'jildings, excopt mak- 
 
 irig a cpuple of small drtfirsin the guard-house. Nor could the 
 
 fatigues, for \ht neld and staffbaildings, have ehecked the pro. 
 
 greusDf tiie other w»rki, because neither troop ever employed 
 
 ino whole of the residue of men after these details, upon theie 
 
 company fatigues, 
 
 Question — Did you eyer knowaa act ef cruelly committed b) 
 lieut. col. Ball upon his mea» or either of them ; — or have yo« 
 ererknonn him inattentive to their wants ? 
 
 Answer — 1 have never known an instance of either. 
 
 ELIJAH GRIMES, Serg't. Major. 
 Personally appeared before me Jeremiali Uig'gs, Esq. one of the Justi 
 ces of tlie peace, for Ontario County, slate of New- York, Elijah Grimes, ani 
 madft oatli to the questions hereon contained as stated. Sworn beforf; m 
 fM Avoa,20lh February 181? JEREMIAH RIGGS, J. P 
 
51 
 
 [e] 
 JOHN W. DUBS. 
 ^Mfsi/ojz ls^— Were not worse men often seat, by order of 
 Capt. Hopkins, in plaee of those regularly detailed, to work at 
 the barracks of the field and staff of the squadron at Avon ? 
 Jinswer.—'Y eSf 
 
 q^uestion 2nd. — After you have made regular details from 
 yoor roster for that duty, has Capt. Hopkins selected the most 
 capable of the party, and ordered others to supply their places, 
 .^nsu'er.— He has. 
 
 question 3d.—l)\A ycu know lieut. col. Ball, frequently to 
 detail from Capt. Hopkins treop, his best horses for his own 
 use? Andif such detail had been made, would you not hav« 
 known it ? 
 
 Jnswer,^l should have known had such detail been made. — 
 It never «as. JOHN W. DUBS. 
 
 Late Orderly bergmnt of Capt. Hopkins Company, 
 Personally appeared before me Jeremiah Riggs Esq. one of ihe Justices 
 ©fthe peace,' for Ontario County, state of New -York, John W. Dub« aud 
 made oath to the above. 
 
 Avon, 21, February 1815. 
 
 JEKEMIAH RIGGS, J. P. 
 
 L'r] 
 Camp at Avon. 11th Dec. 1814. 
 
 <« DETACHMENT ORDERS. 
 
 <« Six experienced axe-men will be iramediaiely selected by 
 the sergeant major and reported on standing fatigue, for the 
 field and staff officers of the detachment, until their necessary 
 buildings are completed. The Commanding Otfieer is sorry te 
 find, that instead of regular details for such fatigue, the most 
 indifferent men in hJs eommand have been selectsd. He hopes 
 that uumilitary procedure will cease with this order. It is now 
 enjoined on the commanding officers of troops, to attend regular- 
 ly (o their company roster, and see that their details are made 
 agreeably to them, JAMES V. BALL, 
 
 Lieut. Col, Comd'g, 
 
 I have repeatedly heard oapt. Samuel G. Ffopklns, late •{ 
 the U. S, army, relate, in Alexandria and in Washington City, 
 the circumstances of a charge msale by lieut, col. Bali's squad- 
 ron of ©ragoon's near Lower Sandusky j in which charge h» 
 stated, that the said lieut col. Ball did engage au Indian in sin- 
 gle combat, and did kill hinn; that duriig the combat, Revera! 
 of his men, alarmed at the It. colonel's situation, pushed up to 
 his relief, and were ordered on by the said litut. col, Ball, who 
 B 2 
 
52 
 
 at that time did not require their aid. As dften as 1 have ?iearc3 
 hira, the said capt. Hopkins, recouDt the eircumstaBces, he has 
 spoken of the eondiict and bravery of the said lieut. col. Ball oo 
 that occasion (to which he said he was an eye witness) in the 
 highest terms of approbation and applause, and stated his situ- 
 ation to have been a most hazardous and dans;erous one. 
 
 SPENCEIl BALL, Jr. 
 
 Frederick, set. 
 
 Personally appeared before me, the subscribing' Justice Spencer Ball 
 Jnr. who made oath that the within dtatement isjust and true, to tlie fae«t of ^ 
 Lis knowledge and belief. 
 
 Given under my hand the 25th October, 1815; 
 
 EDWARD McGUIRH. 
 
 " Head-Quarters Johnstown, > 
 
 8th September 1814. C 
 GEJ^TERAL ORDESS. 
 
 *' The sqaadroa of Light Dragoons will proceed in advance 
 •f the Infantry, and make the best of its way to Watertown. 
 where lieut ccl Ball will meet erders;-the remainder of the Di- 
 risioB will centinne its march in the order heretofore observed, 
 A severe example will be made of all who plunder, or injure 
 private property ; the grsatest attention is required of all Ofii» 
 cers in order to bring to punishment those whose misconduct 
 thus tends to disgrace the character of the army. 
 
 By eommand. 
 iSigaedY Wm.. CUMMINGS, 
 
 Act. Mj. Gen^ 
 Dragoon Cantonment, 
 
 Avon, Feb. 20, 1815. 
 
 [h] 
 ORRIN FULLER. 
 
 Question — Were you Sutler to my squadron, and did Tf»ta 
 inarch with it from (Jhazy to Champion in the summer and fall 
 sf IS It? 
 
 ^Sn»iffer — Yes, 
 
 Question — Did the dismounted Dragoons under the command 
 ef lieut. Wright, during tha whole of that time, form a part of 
 ny command ? 
 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
 QMesiton— -From Lake George to Champion, were they al- 
 ways marched off some tim«bafore the mounted Dragnoas.-— 
 and did they frequently arrive at the halting pviuls before they 
 were overtaken by the mounted Dragoons ? 
 
 Answer — They were many timei;, to my certain knowledge, 
 marched otf a considerable time before'he mounted Dragocbi*;- 
 aad my impr^ggioa is they always wcre;«-th(it U was sufl^eieut 
 
m 
 
 to gire them fuHr or five mifes ahead, aad in most eases, as uell 
 as my recoiiectiea serves me, they did arrive at the halting 
 poLots before they were evertaken by tha mounted Dr&geons,. 
 but IB several instasees I aia pouitiye, 
 
 ((uestion — Did you ever hear the dismounted Dragoons coin" 
 plain, that they were pressed and constraiffed to march faster, 
 by the mounted Dragoans marching in their rear ? 
 
 dnswer—J never did, and if they had have been mAde, I 
 should most probably have heard it, as they are in the habit of 
 speaking with freedom of all their complaints, at and about my 
 shop, and 1 think 1 hear as much of their eonsplaints as any one 
 ia camp. 
 
 Question — Have you ever hsaid the soldiers of my command, 
 complain that I was cruel ? 
 
 *Snswer — No — I have frequently heard tfeera say yoa were 
 strict in your command, but I have always heard them say, 
 that in all cases coming to your kuovi'iedge, they always had 
 fair trials. 
 
 Question — Have I frequently urged yoa, as SutJer to my com- 
 mand, to be particular in supplying such articles as would ad- 
 minister most to ihe eorafort of the soldiers ? 
 
 Answer — Frequently, and more particularly than any other 
 •ffieer I ever supplied, and upon the march alluded to, I was 
 particularly instructed to keep a supply of shoes f©r the dis- 
 30 sunted dragoons. 
 
 At the request of lieut. eol, James V. Ball, I have answered- 
 Ihe above interrogations, put by hiaa, and ilo certify the said aa- 
 iwers to be correct and true. 
 
 ORRIN FULLER. 
 P^rsonilly appeared before me Jeremiah Riggs, tisq. one of the Justices 
 »f the peace for Ontario County, state of N. Y. Orrin Fuller, and made oaxte- 
 to the questions hereon contained. 
 
 Sworn before me at Avon, 22d, Feb. 1815. 
 
 JERKMIAH BIGGS, j, p, 
 
 JOSIAH PATTERSON. 
 
 ^Mps/ion.— Did you march in the capacity of sutler to lieu?, 
 eol. Balls command, from Lake George to Champion in Septem- 
 ber 1815 ? 
 
 Answer— I did, 
 
 Qjieation. — What was the order in whi«h his command was 
 Hianhed from the ground on which it halted at night and 
 noon ? 
 
 Answer — The dismounted were marched off first, and gene- 
 rally time e?iou£5h to get four or five miles before the mounted 
 dragoons marched ? 
 
54 
 
 ^^Mfs^ton,— Did the di8m6uated ever arrive at the halting 
 jjoints before they were overtaken by the mounted dragoons ? 
 
 Ansx'er. — I recollect that the dismounted sometimes arrived 
 at the places where the command halted for the night, before 
 they v»'ere overtaken by the mounted dragoons, but more frequent- 
 ly at the places where it stopped to refresh at noon f 
 
 Question. — How f^r was the Light Artillery generally in 
 the rear ef lieat. col. Balls command ? 
 
 Answer. — I cannot say with respect t« the general distance, 
 hut we were so pressed by them, that 1 have been frequently ob- 
 liged to drive ray waggon off imperfectly loaded. 
 
 Question,'— Did you ever hear the dismounted, or any of 
 them, eompliiin that they were obliged to march faster, in eou. 
 sequence of the mounted dragoons marching close in their 
 rear ? 
 
 Jinswer,^-! never did — but I have frequently heard them say 
 Ihattbey had halted for the mounted dragoons to come up witk 
 them, boasting that they could out roareh the mounted dra- 
 goons,— I have frequently h«ard complaints of soreness of feet 
 and want of Shoes, but never of being marched too fast, or to» 
 far, except in one instauee when the Qt. Master, capt Brook, re- 
 ported that the command Could not ^e aeeommodated at the pro- 
 posed halting place, aad it had to march several miles further, 
 
 That rtight they complained a good deal of fatigue.-— Whea 
 
 the soldiers are about my shop or waggon, they are in the h4- 
 bit of speaking with freedom of all their grievances, and if they 
 had have complained of being made to march too fastj it is 
 more than probable that I should have heard it — but I never 
 did. 
 
 Question. — You say that you have frequently heard com- 
 plaints of sore feet and want of shoes. — J>id lieut, col. Bali 
 ever take any pains or use any means to supply that want of 
 
 shoes ? 
 
 ^Qnswer, -—YeSf I have heard Mr. Fuller' who is ray partner 
 say, that he was particularly instructed by lieut. col. Ball, to 
 procure a supply ef shoes for the disjnonnted dragoons, upon 
 the march;— and that lieut. col. Ball had advanced him money 
 for that purpose, and he Mr. Fuller did leave the command for 
 that purpose, and did procure shoes for them. I never heard 
 a soldier complain of au act of cruelty in lieut. col. Ball. 
 
 JOSIAH PATTERSON. 
 Personally appeared before tr.e, Jeremiah Uiggs Esq. one of the^Justices of 
 the peace for Oiitnrio County stale of Nevr-York, Josiah Patterson and made 
 »ath to the qutstions liereon contained. 
 
 Sworn before me kt Avon, 3d March 1815. 
 
 JEHEMIArt KlGGS J.P. 
 
B5 
 
 JOHN PARRIS. 
 
 <^M?«Hon— Were yeu a trumpeter to ejpf. Hallos troop, of LL 
 eol. Bali's squadron, during its march irotn Lake George to 
 Champinn, in New York? 
 
 Answer— Yes. 
 
 Question — Do you recollect that the disniou»ted wer3 always 
 marched ofit'from each halting place, a considerable time before 
 the mounted Dragoons marched ? 
 
 m^nswev'^Yes, generally a suHi«ient length of time for thetut 
 to get five or six miles ahead, 
 
 (Question — Do you, or do you not, recollect that wheaever the 
 dismounted were overtaken by the mounted Dragoons, that the 
 gait of the latter was always slackened r 
 
 Answer — Yes, invariably : and 1 recollect perfectly the exer» 
 tious of lieut. col. Bail to get off the dismouated Dragoons from 
 the various halting points, and that he never would permit m» 
 to sound " Boots and Saddles," until after they had marched, 
 as above stated. 
 
 Question — Did you ever hear any ef the dismounted Dragoon* 
 say that they marched faster, after they were overtaken by the 
 mounted Dragoons, than they had doae before they were over- 
 taken ? and if it had been a cause of complaint amengst themy 
 do you not believe you would have heard it ? 
 
 Answer — I never heard sueh a complaint, and if it had beea 
 made, I am positive I should have heard it. 
 
 Cluestion—Da yn«. cr dr. «--f n.'^>-5 rseeilcGt uiai iTie uisBionnt' 
 ed arrived at the established halting points, before they wer* 
 o7fi)"takeaby the mounted Dragooas, in several instances. 
 
 Ansiver — Yes, I remember many places at which we halted, 
 both at noon aad night, where the dismounted arrived before 
 they were overtaken by mounted Dragoons. 
 
 JOHN PARRIS, Trumpet Major. 
 Personally appeared before me Jeremiah Rig'gs Esq. one of the Justi- 
 ces of the pease for Ontario County, state of New-York, John Parris, aad 
 roade oath to the wUhin. 
 
 Sworn at Avon 22d February 1815. 
 
 JEREMIAH RIGGS J. P. 
 
 QUARTER HASTER SERGEANT ROWLAND. 
 
 Question — Did you join lieut. col. Ball's squadron at Lak* 
 ©eorge, in August or September last, and march with it t© 
 Black Rock ? 
 
 Answer — I joined it at Lake George in Septenther, 1815., ani 
 tiarehed with it to Buffalo. 
 
 Qaceiion— Do yon kajow that the dismoanted Dragoons wer* 
 
36 
 
 always moved oflFin the morniug and after the noon halt, a con- 
 siderable lime before fhe mounted part of the command marched? 
 
 Answer — The disraounted Drageoas were always mo?ed off 
 sueh a length of time before the mounted men, as was calculat- 
 ed to bring them near the hailing point Viefore the mounted 
 men overtoek them. — The distance at which the moanted over- 
 took the dismounted men from the encamping ground varied 
 from one to four or five miles— -but sometimes the dismounted 
 men arrived at the encamping ground before they '^ere overta- 
 ken. 
 
 Question. — Were there established depots on the road at 
 which only we could draw provisions for the corps ? 
 
 Answer^ — There were established depots at unequal distan- 
 ces, and it was necessary to make each of these within th« 
 number of days for which we had drawn at the preceding de- 
 pot. 
 
 Question, — Did you march with the dismounted dragooui 
 Hntil you reached Chatupion ? 
 
 Answer. — I did 
 
 Question^ — Did you ever hear the dismounted men coaiplain. 
 ef their being too much pressed or urged on, at an improper 
 gait, by the mounted men being in their rear ? 
 
 Jinswhr^ — Never 
 
 Question — Did you ever know aninstaace of cruelty in lieut. 
 col. Bdll to his men on a march or elsewhere ? 
 
 Atwwzr. — I never did, nor did I over hear a soldier eomplaia 
 ef ill treatment frem him ? 
 
 Question — .Have provisions of good quality (with the excep- 
 tion of a few articles of small rations) been regularly and 
 punctually supplied to the troops at Avon ? 
 
 Answer. — Yes-'the only complaint that I have heard was a- 
 bout some bread that M'as badly baked, and as soon as it was 
 fihown to the Colonel, the Contractor was sent for, who agreed 
 to take it back,— but uponexaminalion made by Sergeant Jones,, 
 a small quantity, only, of it was found to be bad / and here- 
 ported that the men preferred keeping it, with an allowanee of 
 flour which the Contractor agreed to make ? 
 
 Question. Has the fall allowance of forage ef an excellent 
 qu»lity (with the exception of a small quantity of hay) been re- 
 gularly supplied ? 
 
 Answer, Yes,— pxeept a few days immediately after our ar- 
 rival here — when the allowance was not entirely full. 
 
 (luestion. Do you know that lieut. col. Bull's house, in con- 
 sequence of want ot plank, is yet unfinished, and that he moved 
 into it in its unfinished state, on the same day that capt. Harrii* 
 troop moved into their finished barracks ? 
 
 Answer, Yes— and not more than one or tw» 3aya before 
 tli9 whole of the squadron tuovod is ? 
 
i 
 
 57 
 
 Question. What proportion does the barracks of the fielJ 
 and staff, including the hospital and guard-house, bear to th« 
 whole line of barrracks ? 
 
 Jinswer. Exclusive of the Adjutants house they bear a pro- 
 portion of precisely one third ? 
 
 ALEXANDER ROWLAND, 
 ((uarter 'Master Sergeant Lt. Dragoons. 
 
 Personally appeared before me Jeremiah Riggs !Ssq. one of the Justice* 
 »f the peace forOiUario County, state of New-York, Alexander Rowland and 
 made oath to the questions hereon contained. 
 
 Sworn before me at Avon this 20th of February 1815. 
 
 JEREMIAH RIGGS, J. P. 
 
 SERGEANT WILLIAM ELDRIDGE. - 
 
 ^uestion^ Were you a sergeant in the detachment of dis- 
 mounted Dragoons, that marched under lieut. col- Ball from 
 Lake George to Watertown, New Yurk, in Sept, 1814 ? 
 
 Answer, Ves. 
 
 Question. Were, or were lot, the dismounted always march- 
 ed off first,— .and did, or did not, they get a considerable distance 
 from their several halting plaees, before they were orertakea 
 by the mounted Dragoons? 
 
 dnswer. Yes, and often we arrived at our halting places 
 before the mouHted svertook the dismaunted Dragoons, 
 
 Question. When the mounted overtook the dismounted Dra- 
 goons upon the mareh, were the dismounted Dragoons con- 
 strained to mareh faster than they ha'l marched before they 
 wer« overtaken ? 
 
 Answer, Noj— sometimes when they saw the nipunted dra- 
 groons eoming up, they would increase their gait with a view 
 of making their encampment at an early hour. 
 
 Question. Did you ever hear a soldier complain of an act 
 of ckuelty iH lieut. col. Ball P 
 
 Answer. I have heard a man by the name of Kooker com- 
 plain that Lis fp«t were blistered, and that he thought they 
 were marched too far in a day, and I have heard some others 
 
 complain in the same way, most of them boys I have never 
 
 heard of an act of cruelty ia lieut. col. Ball. 
 
 Question. When the men complained as stated above, were 
 they permitted to ride in the waggon?? 
 
 Answer. Whenever there was room in the waggons, the 
 men complaining in that way were alwayi permitted to ride. 
 
 WILLIAM ELDRIGE, Serg't. 
 
 Fersonally appeared before me Jeremiah Rigs^s E^q. one €>f the Justices 
 of the peace fov Ontario County, State of New Vor k, William Eldridge and 
 a3adeci;th to the questions hereon contained. 
 
 Swam before me at Ayo.i, 2-2d Feb. 1315. 
 
 JERBMiAH RIGGS, j. p. 
 
1 
 
 58 
 
 . [.¥] 
 '* Cantonment, Avon, 5th March, 1815. 
 SQU\1>K0N ORDERS. 
 «' Commisfiioued ijffieers are required to visit the etahies of 
 their respective troops, as frequeutly as is necessary to the ob. 
 servaoce of a good police, — and at such intervals as they may 
 deem necessary to insure this valuable abject, all important to 
 give efficacy and character to the corps. In the service of eve- 
 ry nation iu the world, competent t» the raising aud maintain- 
 ing of a regalar army, a primary object hasbeen, to induce noa. 
 commissioned oflicers to feel that respect due their characters' 
 from those of inferior rank; properly to estimate the importance: 
 •f the various duties committed to thera, and rightly to appreei* 
 ate the high responsibility of their stations, These objects ef- [ 
 feeted, the burthen of all is diniiuished, and system and harmo- 
 By are the consequences ; but when it is made the duty of com- 
 Eiission^d officers to travel out of their own, and invade the 
 spheres of Hon-eommissioned offieerst — confusion, contempt for s 
 the authority of both, numberless collisions^ degradation, and aj 
 variety of deleterious eftects must necessarily result ; — same of r 
 these are uahappily hot too discoverable in this squadron at I 
 the present moment, dedueible no doubt froM the conflict of 
 duty and authority above complained of. To remedy this evil, 
 •fl&eers cannot be too particular in exaoting from nen-commis-; 
 sioaeA officers, a ponetual discharge of their respectivQ duties, 
 Tvhile, by their own diguity of condnct and deportment, they will 
 ezemphfy the propriety of proper sense of subordination. Mac 
 being ppone to imitation, will learn every thing faster from e;»- 
 ample thaa precept. In future, after the parade is formed an«J 
 marched to the stables, the dismissal of the men will be at th( 
 discretion of the sergeants of their respective squads, after th( 
 l^roper signal of the trumpet, and hence a formal dismish/^l oi, 
 parade is dispensed with. 
 
 (Signed) SAMV Eh O. HOPKINS, Capt. Comd'S. 
 
 [n] 
 " Camp, Genessee River, 22d Nov. 1814. 
 DRAGOONS ORDERS. 
 *' The detachment having arrived on the ground at which it 
 will canton for the winter, every other duty and consideration 
 except guard-mounting, and a regular attention to rvatering aud 
 feeding, will yield to the important matter of putting the men 
 and horses under cover with the least possible deli»). The 
 om n indi« g o ffie ers of troops are charged with the erection ol 
 the stables aud huts of their respective troops, upon the ground 
 assigned them by the Qr. Master j— the size, wanner, anditoroi 
 which has been prescribed, by the lieut tol., will be o^jserved w 
 
59 
 
 Ihe buildings. The Qr. Master will issue the tools on hand, in proportion 
 to the strength of the troops re8pectJTeh;"reserving those to be used for tha 
 field and stafFof the detachment, and take the necessary receipts for thera. 
 Six panes of glass will be allowed to each barrack-roora, having regard to 
 the war-office regulations. The commanding officer derives much pleasure 
 from the hope and belief that the utmost exertion of evcfy member of his 
 command will be used to effect this object, so important to the interest of 
 the service, and the eomfort and credit of the corps ; and here takes occasi- 
 on to assure the gentiemcn of this detachment, that his official and indivi- 
 dual aid will at all times be given with pleasure and alacrity. In future, no 
 ©fficsr will leave camp except to attend the working parties, but by special 
 permission of the commanding officer. The Qr. Master in the discharge of 
 his duty, is exempt from this restriction. Privates Romer and Ritter, of 
 capt. Harris's troop, confined for being absent from camp without lea^e, 
 and attempting to rob the citizens of potatoes — Bell of capt. Hopkins' and 
 King of capt. Hall's troop, confined for a breach of the commanding officers 
 orders, in leaving camp without a written permission, are released; — and th« 
 It. col. pledges himself, that the first non-commissioned officer or soldier 
 guilty of a similar offence, or in ariy way acting derogatory to the credit of 
 the detachment, will be punished in the niost exemplary manner. 
 
 [Signed] JAMES V.BALL, Lt. Col. by brevet Comd'g. 
 
 1 certify on honor, that six thousand rations of soap, over and above theli' 
 legal demand, have been furnished to the troops under the command of It. 
 col Ball, at .4von, N Y;.And that when I first began to supply the said troops, 
 it was not in my power to furnish all the small rations, and that while it was 
 the case, I have been frequently sent for by It. col. Ball, and admonished by 
 him on that subject, -with the most earnest requests to use roy exertions to 
 
 f[ii\,iiL\. »..»! f.*»..i-i. vUvu., utivi vij»v ti\, (viruii<.a !.»» ~;5ii iiij' abstracts, until he 
 
 saw me settle with, & give my due-bill, through my agent j to his ^r. Master 
 for the deficiencies. Given under my hand this 21st day of February, 1815; 
 
 JEREMIAH RIGGS, Late Contractors Agent. 
 
 [Q] 
 " January 1st, 1815, o'clock a. m. 
 
 ** To Lieut, Col, James V. Ball, Commanding Dragoons. 
 
 Sir— As an officer I address you ; yesterday 1 received thirty stripes on 
 my bare buttocks, by order of Lieut Anspach, without any trial of a Court 
 Martial. This sort of punUhment -would not have been inflicted by •rder of 
 yourBonor. Your punishment corrects, witheut enraging the culprit. As a 
 man of hBmanity, and aa an officer, the laws of your country will incite you 
 to examine into this affair. 1 care not to have the afiair enquired into, any 
 further tha» to have the abuse corrected; — a regular court-martial does not 
 enrage the prisoner;— i« corrects him.' JOHN ROBERTSON, 
 
 Private in Capt, Hopkins' Troop. 
 
 "Dragoon Camp, f lattsburg, 14th July, 1814. 
 
 *' SIR — I have taken the liberty to enclose you two communications from 
 
 •capt. Haig upon the subject of his troop. The force and accuracy of the 
 
 Captain's observations relative to^.he necessity of the vigilant eye of the of. 
 
 ficer, for the welfare of his horsesi must at once strik? you. Light detack» 
 
 F 
 
63 
 
 roents of Dragoons, unreslrained by the presenct of an officer, vicW- their 
 tour as a party of pleasure, and ride, neglecJ, and abuse their horses without 
 mercy : particulaiiy when in pursuit of deserters, because if bounds are set 
 theni, their linvits are greater. The detached Orderly's of whom he speaks 
 IS another serious injury to the corps— they acquire no other habits than, 
 those of a waiter, and an indolence which excludes all disp(»siiion to 
 recurn to their duty in the line. Will you permit me General, here to 
 ask the favor of you to define the duties of those Orderly's, as I have been 
 told by a gentleman in the adjutant generals department, that whenever de- 
 tailed, I have no right to order them, even as relates to the necessary care of 
 their horses. If that was the case, Sir, few Dragoon officers would willingly 
 feecome responsible for their Cavalry. 
 
 I beg Sir, you viill not think me disposed to be unnecessarily troublesome, 
 I assure you that nothing but an ardour for the service, and a desire for an 
 «qual QfiporUnity in the field, could have induced me to have tresspassed thus 
 upon your time. 1 am, &ic. 
 
 JAxMES V. BALL, Lt. Col. Comd'g, Dragoons. 
 
 His Excellency, Maj. Gen. Geo. Izard,'' 
 
 [RJ 
 
 *^ Oreensburg, fPa,J iSthMay, 1815, 
 ''Having been desired to answer certain questions relative to the conduct 
 
 «t lieut. col. James V. Ball of the U. S. Light Dragoons, I have to maka 
 
 thefoHowingstatementof facts— it will exhibit answers to Jhe interroga. 
 
 toriei 60 far as I am predent able to recollect the circumstances. 
 
 I was on guard during a part of the night preceding the battle at the Misi 
 
 sissmewa on the 18th Dec. 1812— and was relieved by capt. Butler, betweea 
 
 two and three o'«1uvK, as ».c.ll a* a itincinuci"; a:>».iii.g vi — J.: — ^ I •anuautnd' 
 
 ed the guard. Major Ball, officer of the day visited the guard house repeated. 
 ly — admonished us to be on the alert, that from every appearance we would 
 be attacked befsre morning, and appeared during the night to be vigilant 
 and attentive to provide against a surprise. 
 
 Soon Sifter the action began, col. Campbell came to me at the right of my 
 company — and said ** these Dragoons of capt. Hopkins' will give way unless 
 they are reinforced." I answered the colonel by proposing to march to the as- 
 sistance of the Dragoons, and whilst speaking, major Ball came op and en- 
 quired for capt. Butler's guard. Col. Campbell immediat«ly left me, and 
 in company with major Ball, passed along the line towards the right of 
 capt, Butler's company, who immediately marched across the camp to 
 where capt Hopkins was stationed. Major Ball soon after told m" be had 
 taken capt. Butler's company in preference to mino, because capt. Butler's 
 men were armed with muskets and bayonets, and mine with rifles— and be- 
 cause he calculated the firing with buck-shot would be of more service to 
 us, than with a single ball. 
 
 After the firing had abated considerably at that part of the camp, to 
 which eapt. Butler had been ordered, and about day light, major Ball pas- 
 sed in rear of my company, to\»^ards the right flank of the camp, he was fol- 
 lowed by some Dragoons of Col. Simrals regiment Some persoa with the 
 Dragoons asked, " where shall we form," major Ball turned round in hi* 
 stirrups and said, I think nearly as follows ** come on my lads I'll form 
 you." He rode a few paces further, and repeated his call. 1 am the more 
 particular in this, owing to my havipj had a conversation soon aftsr 
 on the subject. 
 
 1 do not retnember to havese^a Major Ball agala until after the firing buE 
 •eased. 
 
61 
 
 The diligence, and care, and skill with which Majm' Ball had prepared 
 for the expedition, had impressed me with a favorable opinion of his mill. 
 tary talents. And 1 assert without hesitation, that the skill, industry, vigi- 
 lance and humanity invariably to be noticed in his conduct, curing our ad- 
 vance into the enemy's country, during the action, so far as I witnessed it, 
 and have it by ini^brmation, and on our return, convinced me 1 had not mis- 
 placed my confidence. And if any thing had been wanting to have firmly 
 established major Ball in my opinion, 1 would have found it in the general 
 and implicit confidence reposed in him by the troops after the action. 
 
 Thecommunicatisnof lieut. FuUerton, the then adjutant of Major Ball's 
 squadron, furnished by my request, is more explicit than 1 can pretend to be. 
 And lean only add that the conduct of Gol. Ball during the siege of Fort 
 Meigs, and particularly on the 5lhof May 1813, was such as to add to the 
 good character he had acquired amongst his brother officers- .S:id 1 never 
 heard that Col. Ball had done any act to deprive him of the elevated re- 
 putation he enjoyed, as 1 believed meritoriously, until within alate period 
 that 1 have been called on to testify in his behalf. 
 
 J. B. ALEXANDER. 
 
 " Westmoreland County, (Pa.) 12th May, 1S15. 
 
 " SIR, — Having given you an account of the aflTair near L'jwer Sandusky 
 ir> my letter of the 8th inst. I will proceed to state some facts to which 1 
 was personally a witness, on the other subjects of your letter of the 7th. 
 
 Lt; Col. Ball, (then major) came to Franklinton in October 1812, where 
 he had been assigned the command of some troops of militia and volunteer 
 Cavalry. His first conflict was with the prejudices and antipathies of vol- 
 lunteers to regular officers. These he had the address, in a great measure 
 soon to overcome. A secret e.xpedition was said to be proposed. His next 
 
 object was to organise, train, .ind equip hio ooaiiiland fop active ServicC^ 
 
 lie appointed some staff oflicers, not such as were acquainted with the du- 
 ties of their appointments, but such of the volunteers as he could induce 
 to accept. Ilis squadron he ordered to be daily drilled, fatigue parlies were 
 put upon duty, to cut wood, dig coal pits, prepare horse shoes, maka ammu- 
 nition chests, cartridges, &c. fcc. Scarcely an aiticia of a public kind was 
 -o be had at that time without the greatest exerlion. Some puWic arms 
 ha however, soon arrived and the detachment moved from Franklinton on 
 the 25th November. At Xenia we were met by Capt. Hopkins's Troop U. 
 States Light Dragoons ; here old prejudices again began to shew themselves, 
 but owing to col. Ball's mild, and persuasive method eS treating the subject 
 he got them again quieted without resorting to harsh measures. The 
 troops composing this Squadron, had been hastily collected together from 
 theStates of ^'^•>•nsylv.^nia, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee and ths Territory 
 of MichigaH, and consisted of s,;, and twelve months volunteers and militia, 
 and regular troops, and of course were in a great measure unacquainted 
 , with each others manners and customs, and the whole were yet to be in- 
 structed in the rules and discipline •! camp ;— the arduous task of which 
 devolved on colonel Ball. Indeed his whole conduct from the commence- 
 nient to the end of the expedition, was one continual scene of exertion, and 
 indefatigable perseverance, hi the first place he had to procure horses t-- 
 mount some of the volunteers, then swords, pistols, rifles, muskets, -.^^ 
 ammunition which was to be made into cartridges, nor of this was he fur- 
 nished with a sufficiency. What medicines, hespital stores and surgeens i n- 
 strumentswebsd, were ofhis procuring i-dn fact nothing was neglected that 
 
62 
 
 •ouldbeh»d. He recommended and iaduced some of the volunteers f#- 
 procure axes &c. of tlieir own, as those that had been imposed on the pub. 
 lie were of the most worthless kind. Notwithstanding all this there was 
 still a great deficiency. 
 
 The other particulars relative to the march are perhaps as well known to 
 yourself as to rac. 
 
 On the morning of the 17th December 1312, shortly before the attack 
 on the Indian Town, I was sent by Col. Bali to Col. Campbell, to enquire 
 how he should form his squadron. Col- Campbell directed Col- Ball to dress- 
 by him. — The yelling and firing soon after commenced on the left, Bill's 
 squadron being on the right, had to perform a circuitous route thro' the 
 woods ; he bro't them round at full speed, and formed with their right on 
 the river, facing the town. The firing we nowdlsovered to be at cattle, 
 and a few fugitives atte'npting to mtke their escape. On this occasion 
 lieut. col. Bull caused the ordfips relative to ths plunder to be obeyed, with 
 the most scrupulous exactness, throughout his squadron. 
 
 It was near dark when 1 was called on to furnish our portion of the guard 
 for the night ; and owing to fatigue, loss of sleep, and fro.sted feat, particu- 
 larly of cap t. Hopkins's men, it was very late before our detail could be 
 furnished. Col. Ball bsing' officer of the day, (of which 1 believe he was 
 not informed until about the time the guard wis called for) mtde every ex- 
 ertion to have them placed v/ith the least possible delay ; and visited the 
 guard and centinels during the night more frequently than was usual; 
 and on his return to his fire, told his messmates that he had little 
 doubt, but we would have some " popping before morning." Aid told me, 
 as 1 had been taking a nap during the day, I should set up by our fire ta be 
 the better prepared, in case of an attack. — His orders were, tl»at one oT 
 eaeh mess sliould also be up to awake the others ; this duty the soldiers 
 were to perform by turns. The advantages of this arranerement were made 
 manifest about ;a o'clock in the morning, when a gun was discharged : every 
 man Wis at his post in an instant. He had also gave directions, in case of 
 alarm, to extinguish the fires, and form the line ten paces in their rear. And 
 in the morning before he ordered the reveille to be beat, sent me along the 
 whole line of our squadron, to have every officer and soldier standing at his 
 arms ; while he informed me he was performing the like duty with the other 
 troops of the detachment. 
 
 Shortly after the reveille, Ball and Markle were summoned to eol. Camp- 
 bell. They had not been long absent until the attack commenced ; Col 
 Balls voi«e was soon heard giving orders on the right of the squadron. He 
 soon passed along the line to the left, admonishing his men to behave 
 coolly and deliberately ; to pay strict attention to the leveling of their pie- 
 ces and not waste their amunition unnecessarily. About day hr<;aK i aisco- 
 vered that a part of the Irie, occupied by Gap*- ^^tirSle, was very much 
 thined,from the number of wounded, and a few that were employed in car- 
 rying them back. 1 went with the information to Col. Ball ; was directed to 
 where he was, by hearing bis voice, demanding a troop to charge the enemy. 
 Capt. Trotter with a part of his troop followed him across the encampment, 
 towards Markle, where he was joined by Cipt. Mjrkle, and such of his men 
 & Warrens, as could be mounted, for which he had previously given orders. 
 
 1 was not with Col. Ball when he called for G ipc. Butler* guard, or when 
 he marched Butlers company to reinforce oar Una. Nov was I present when 
 he procured cartridges from Lieut. Gwinn for Capt. Hopkins's men. But I 
 always understood that it vas Bdl that procured both the men and ammuni- 
 tion. I heard it asserted v^ry freqiently, but n3ver heird it d-^.nied, or 
 heard of any othir oSijer claiinung ths merit of these U-ansactions. 
 
6S 
 
 After the action col. Ball distributed every particle of Coffee, Sugar &c. 
 among the wounded, and also divided his bacon and biscuit with ihem, and 
 gave a portion of it to other offizers and soldiers that were in want, by 
 which act.« of generosity he had nona for himself, before he returned to 
 Green vUIe. 
 
 rnaversaw nor heard of col, Bill bafore October 1812, nor have 1 seen 
 bim since the month of August 1813, nor do J know that I ever shall see 
 him again. — But during the ten months of our acquaintance I saw nothing 
 but what tended to convince ma, that he was an officer of the greatest vigi. 
 lance and courage, and a gentleman of the most strict justice and honesty 
 v^hicb, added to his humane and generous disposition, made the most severe 
 hardships be borne with a degree of patience and cheerfulness, that could 
 scarcely be expected from troops of the description he had to command. 
 I am &c. 
 
 HUMPHREY FULLERTON. 
 
 JaifN B. Alexander, Esq, 
 Greenshurgh. 
 
 [t] 
 
 Frankfort Ky. April 4, 1813. 
 
 Dear MAJORf 
 
 I arrived here ssveral days ago, and, as you may naturally conclude, have 
 Bot been an inattentive observer of the truly ludicrous and farcical scene 
 now acting in the capital. The Court of enquiry is in session, but most glad, 
 ly would the inculpators rejoice at its dissolution.— They have merited and 
 received a castigation, at once so complete and severe, that I presume their 
 Military ambition and talenis will, in virtue ot its remeraJjiance, be hence- 
 forth entirely annihilated. — So far from any charge being proved true, they 
 have completely absorbed the whole tissue ."ud black list in feeble and 
 abortive attempts to shield themselves; no longer resting their defencB upon 
 the conviction of their commiinder, they attempt to consume the whole 
 time of the Court in apologising for their cowardice and disorder ; and as 
 to the procurement of a fight out ofany of them ic ware as pissible as for a 
 frail mortal to change the current of the Kentucky River to an opposite 
 direction, or shake the foundation of one of those lofty and romantic clifts 
 Trtiich environ this metropolis — The whole proceeding will corns out in a 
 pamphlet : Aadyoushill have a copy foi- your owj special amusement. 
 
 I have been very much fluttered by the mxny polite and pleasing attentions 
 with which I have been hoaored since my arrival in Kentucky, in consa- 
 quence ot whii my oTuutpy.-njn are pleased to term my good conduct at 
 Massissin way." Be assured my dear sir, I have not failed to do you justice » 
 and on all occasions te ascribe to your vigilance and bravery the redemption 
 of many souls from death. Col. C— 11, 6)1.5—11 5c Mijor S— 11, are low in- 
 deed in public estimation : I am sorry I could not aid them in the resto- 
 ration of their vvonted fame.— My lips however are closed in relation to 
 them, determining not to loan my name at any time to the ignominious 
 work of destroying reputation. I this day dined with the old hero of Kings 
 Mountain, and at his special request, laid off the plan of our encampment, 
 line and manner of battle — 'Iq was much gratified at what he termed your 
 coolness and judgment in the conflict, and general precaution on the Cam- 
 paign.— You stand higher with him than any body else. And you may 
 rely upon it I did not permit? the residue of the squadron to suffer by a 
 •ompafison with ©ur 60i»panio.i-j in ann^, mny ot" nv.uti h\/e atten^nii c 
 
64 
 
 axalt themselves far bej^or.d the elevation that nature Intended for thftm .— 
 The court of enquiry will not adjourn is three or four days to come. — My 
 Father havinnf to go iq the City of Washington immediatel/, thinks it in. 
 dispensible to the protection of my private matters, thatl should go to Hen- 
 derson. For God's sake Major let me hear from you immedUtely, and if 
 possible extend my leave of aosence until the lOih May ; direct yJur letter 
 to Henderson, (Ky.} Remembe? in this request that all things muit bend 
 to my duties as an oftcer, and if it is improper to grant it, or if there is a 
 probability of our being called into service sooner tlian I expect, 1 should bt 
 the last man in the ^rmy to wish the mdulgence.— My old Sweet-hearts 
 and friends all greet me with smiles. It will be like tearing ihe soul from 
 the bodv to leave them again.— My doom however is fixed and irrevoca- 
 ble.— '! Beds of down and essence of roses" wubt be resigned for the cold 
 earth and the fumes of brimstone. 
 
 Your friend most truly, «,ri>T« 
 
 S. G. HOPKINS. 
 
 ERRATA. 
 
 Vigt S-l6Jh ^^'^•^^J^the letter addresaMto CoL Moiiro5f«"G8loaeI«« 
 
 7— See appendix A— read a a. 
 
 for bulli— read Aii/«. 
 Jl — Iftlt — the reference. 
 a5--9th line for«?Mr readme. 
 
 36th line— for tksre read then: 
 53— In Appendix I for 1815 read 1814. 
 
 59— In Do.~(Q) Sth hne dele the word •/. 
 
»