General Court Martial of Ensign Harris
Document 1795Detailed account of the charges and specifications against Ensign Harris in a General Court Martial led by Major Shaylor. Harris was found guilty of the first and second charges and the Court Martial was dissolved.
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Head Quarters—
Greenville 20 Novem[undecipherable]
At the General Court martial
[undecipherable] Major J Shaylor [undecipherable] for [undecipherable] his
[undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable]
[undecipherable] [undecipherable] on the [undecipherable] — Ensign Corwin
Harris of the 1[st] Sub[legion] was had
upon the following charges exhibited against him
[undecipherable] [undecipherable] to orders from the Sub[legion]
of [undecipherable] — [sign?]—
1[st] Charge — For [undecipherable] by
obtaining money from the Public —
1[st] Specification — in charging [undecipherable]
[undecipherable] and [obtaining?] Drawing [undecipherable] the
[undecipherable] of the commanding [undecipherable] on [undecipherable]
1[st] January 1795 the sum of seven Dollars
and seventy five Cents for his rations or
subsistence as an Ensign in the Legion of the
[United] States on the [undecipherable] of July 1794 after
he had [previously] on the 23[rd] day of October
1794 received the like sum of seven Dollars &
seventy five Cents, for his subsistence for the
same month from [undecipherable] Dabbs, the sub
Pay Master to the Troops of the United States
in Georgia.
2[nd] [Specification] — In receiving and receiving
[undecipherable] [undecipherable] from the [undecipherable] of [undecipherable]
the War Department on the 7[th] of January
1795 the sum of Ten [Hundred?] and six Dol-
lars in full for the balance of his Pay &
subsistence, as an Ensign in the Legion of
the United States for the Year 1794, after
he had [previously] drawn orders on Lieutenant
Dabbs, the Pay master as above, in favour
of his Creditors, for the sum of Forty three
Dollars on account of his Pay, as an Ensign
in the Legion of the United States, for the
said year, and after Lieutenant Dabbs
had accepted, and became liable to pay
the amount of the said over to his Creditors
3 Specification — For charging and receiving
and from Isaac Craig, the Deputy Q[uarter]M[aster]
[General] at Pittsburgh on the 2[nd] of May
1795 the sum of Eighty Dollars for his
Pay as an Ensign for the Months of Jan-
uary, February, March, and April, 1795
after he had [previously] on the 20[th] of [April?]
1795 absconded, and relinquished this Pay for
the Month of January, February, and March,
1795 (by letter of Attorney, executed and
filed in the Office of the Accountant to
the War department) to Thomas [P?] [Ben?]
Carns [?] to be by him received, at the
said Office; and after he had received the sum
of Sixty Dollars from the said Carns in full
for his Pay for said Months —
4[th] [Specification] — In receiving from the
in receiving from the Accountant of the
[War] Department, on the 7[th] of January 95
the sum of Sixty Dollars, in full for the
amount of his rations, or subsistence, due
to him as an Ensign in the Legion, for
the Year 1794; after he had [previously]
made out [Muster] returns, and drawn on
M[r] [Nath?] the [Payg?] Commissary in Georgia
for [part] of the same rations and Subsistance
[& Cost?] One [Muster] return, for one Hun-
dred and Thirty [eight] Rations, [drawn from?]
[the first] of July to the 21[st] of September
1794 inclusive, and one other [Muster]
return for Sixty Rations, commencing the
[first] and ending the 21[st] of October 1794 —
2[nd] Charge — For unofficerous and ungentleman
like conduct — 1 Specification — For
certifying as an Officer of the Legion to
the Accountant of the War Department on
the 7[th] of January 1796 that he had received
no rations for the Year 1794, after he had
[previously] drawn on the [Payg?] Commissary
in Georgia, by his [muster] returns for
two Hundred and [fifty] eight rations due
to him as an Ensign for the months of July,
August, September, and October 1794; and
after he had on the 21[st] day of October received
the sum of Seven Dollars, and Seventy five Cents
Cash from Lieutenant Dabbs, the Pay
Master, as above, for his rations or
Subsistence for the month of July 1794 —
2 Specification — For certifying in honor
as an Officer of the Legion on the 2[nd] of
1795 to Isaac Craig, the Deputy Q[uarter]M[aster]
[General] at Pittsburgh, that he had not re-
ceived or drawn any Pay of his Pay
for the Months of January, February, &
March 1795 after he had [previously] on
the 20[th] of January 1795 by his letter of
Attorney, executed and [filed] in the Office of
the Accountant of [undecipherable] [assigned] [undecipherable] [undecipherable]
his Pay for the Month of January, Feb-
ruary, and March 1795 to Thomas [P?] [Ben?]
Carns, to be by him received at the said
Office and [after] he had received [from] the
said Carns [undecipherable]
[General Court?]
[undecipherable]
337
[General] [Cts?]
[undecipherable]
the sum of Sixty Dollars therefrom —
3 Specification — For drawing orders on
Lieutenant Dabbs, the Pay Master as Sub-
in favours of his Creditors in Georgia for
the sum Forty three Dollars, on account of
his Pay as an Ensign in the Legion, and
afterwards drawing on the Accountant
stated the like sum from the Accountant
of the War Department, when he was not
entitled thereto, and after he had
Dabbs, had accepted and became liable to Pay
the amount of the said orders to his Credit-
ors.
4[th] Specification — In repeatedly and [un?]
[undecipherable] bringing and receiving monies from
the United States, on account of his Pay,
and Subsistence, as an Ensign in the Legion
which he knew he was not entitled to, &
after he had, either offense received or defraud
of the same, attempted to defraud the
United States. —
[Signed] [James Wilkinson?]
The Court in consideration of the
testimony adduced are of opinion that
Ensign Harris is guilty of the [first] Charge,
exhibited against him, as stated in the
1[st] and 3[rd] Specifications, and also guilty of
2[nd] Charge exhibited against him, as stated
in the first and that Part of the 1 [Speci-
fication?]
and in the 2[nd] and 1[st] Specifications of
the said Charge, but for want of further
testimony which cannot now be had they
do not find him guilty, as stated in
the other Specifications of the said Charge —
Wherefore they sentence the said
Ensign Corwin Harris by Virtue of the
Powers and authority, in them Vested, by
the 5[th] Article of the 1[st] Section of the 2[nd]
and 22[nd] Articles of the Appendix to the Rules
and Articles of War — to be dismissed the
service of the United States — And that
his enemies Name, Place of abode, and
Punishment, be published in the News
Papers in and about Camp, and of the
Particular State from which he came, or
usually resides; after which it shall be
deemed scandalous for any Officer to
associate with him —. They also sentence
that the Sum of Sixty Six dollars and
Seventy five Cents, be stoped from the
Pay of the said Ensign Harris to reimburse
the United States for this sum, proven to
the Court to have been by him received
over and above what was due to him
The Commander in Chief, after the
most mature deliberation, confirms
the foregoing sentence of the General
Court martial, whereby Major J Shaylor
is President; and by which Ensign
Corwin Harris is dismissed the service
of the United States; and he is hereby
dismissed accordingly — But the
Commander in Chief, is under the
necessity of disapproving that part of
the sentence "which specifies the sum
of money that shall be stopped from
the Pay of Ensign Harris" because
the Accountant of the War Department
(by virtue of the Powers Vested in him)
will direct stoppages of Pay from M[r]
Harris to reimburse the United States for
the monies he may have received, over
and above what was justly due him —
In consideration of the Youth and in-
experience of M[r] Harris & to save the
feelings of a worthy family the
Commander in Chief hereby remits
that
that Part of M[r] Harris's Punishment
which directs "that his Crimin, Name,
Place of abode, and Punishment be
Published in the news Papers"
The General Court martial where-
of Major J Shaylor was President is
Dissolved —
Type
Copy of document
Description
Detailed account of the charges and specifications against Ensign Harris in a General Court Martial led by Major Shaylor. Harris was found guilty of the first and second charges and the Court Martial was dissolved.
Date
11/28/1795
Author
Recipient
Sent from
Headquarters, Greenville
Document number
1795112890001
Page start
1
Note
Partially illegible.
The handwriting of the first page is different from the remaining pages of the document.
Notable persons
John Miller, Adjutant General
Ensign Harris
Major Shaylor
Isaac Craig
Notable locations
Headquarters, Greenville
Notable items
court martial
commissary
dollars

