[Address: Hon'ble James M^cHen^ry / Sec^y of War] [Docket: 8 June 1796 / S.W. Geddes] Wednesday moring, June 8^th 96 Sir My feelings you will no doubt judge must be extremely agitated on that state of uncertainty, in which I am placed by those Delays which has held Back your decision on the proceedings that has been had against me at West Point, to hang for several weeks, suspended the Reputation of a man devoted to the profession of arms, can indeed no doubt, be well accounted for, but the bound to bear you will, I trust excuse [undecipherable] has exceeded. Conscious that I have suffered under a malevolence, that did not preserve the semblance of justice, I feel it a debt, due to my family to press for further investigation, satisfied equally of the rectitude as well of my intentions as my actions, I can not experience with [undecipherable: probable reading "patience"] their being from inquiry, to the proceedings now before you, there are numerous objections, a shocking one, is, That charged with breaking an arrest, I offered to swear, that my principal evidence to meet that charge, was absent, who was the identical officer by whom this supposed arrest was made, it was Replied, that this was not the time, a few days after, be heard of the circumstance and bears to you Testimony, That it was an arrest, another Ground of Complaint is my fraudulently charging Half a Cord of Wood and attesting the Return, by whom Sir, was this fraud detected, by whom remedied, the answer of every officer of the town would be to those interrogatories himself, the Circumstances, the manner, all speak me free of intentional Error, the Detail presents a new feature in the character of malice, accept it if you please as it happened, and if a doubt exists of the justice of the Representation, Respectable Testimony will be adduced in support of its veracity. The officers being about to make out their Returns for averages of Wood, one of them who had anticipated me in this service presented one month [undecipherable] now a guide, he had unwittingly charged a Cord of Wood, for one of the Summer Months, and Copying from his, I fell into a similar Error, having complicated my return, it was attested, and signed by the Commandant, in my way to Quarters, I met with one of the Contractors of the Army who had just arrived from Newyork (M. Smith) and conversing with him on the subject of Supplies, became informed of the mistake, I stepped instantly to the Quarters of Cap.^t Blackburn, found a number of the officers, complaining of the extreme Strictness of the Commandant who compelled them to Swear to their Provision Returns &c. and were about to address you on the Subject, in the levity of a heart Loaded, with no consciousness of Guilt, I observed their [strikethrough: too] complaints of the to great accuracy of the Commandant could not be well founded, as he had looked over the mistake, by which I might have defrauded the publick out of half a Cord of wood. Lieut. Guimpe corrected the Error for me immediately after, of which the Prosecutor never, when I asked him if he thought I had sworn to an account knowing it to be erroneous he replied he did not — he only charged me with boasting of it. How poor, How much proper for the means of [criminating?] a character, must be that malice that of such an incident would putt out a serious charge — To my objections made before the Court, and some of them certainly merited serious reflection, I have been answered [strikethrough: they were] they were not legal, the Object of Court Martials, I have ever understood was to investigate & to [undecipherable: probable reading "shew"] Guilt, and wipe from innocence every imputation. They are that respectable Tribunal set up by the Government, that decides between the accuser and the accused, and their conduct should be characterized with every feature of Delicacy, and wholly unbiased, such has been the Conduct of County Martial, in the former Army of America, when the science of arms was acquired in practical Men, and Rank became the offspring of [undecipherable] but how different the conduct of this, my accusers unknown, I am notified of the Charges, prepare my defence on their three Days notice, all further time Refused, the Members are sworn, and taking their Seats, each presents a Book, and from particular expressions selected from private conversations, of a Date Ten months old, [undecipherable] out a Catalogue of crimes, of five of them that are to be my Judges, Three of them are [strikethrough: also] my accusers, and my objections are not legal. — My Protest to the proceedings contain my reasons for believing myself treated [undecipherable] unjustly, I demand the [undecipherable] of a Trial composed of dis[undecipherable] impartial Men. I have no choice of the number of which the Court shall be composed, nor of the time or place it may be convened, I wish my reputation judged by men unprejudiced by party, and wish to stand or fall by some equitable estimate and in this I cannot doubt I shall be indulged. — I expect Sir you will do every thing for me That is consistent with honor and justice — I therefore Sir, request you to lay this letter & my Defence together with the Charges before the [strikethrough: undecipherable] President of the United States — [if a new trial is not granted me,] [undecipherable marginal marks] I have the Honor to be Sir you.^r obed.^t Serv.^t S.W. Geddes L.^t 4.E — [you must excuse this Scrawl as I have wrote in a great hurry and am indisposed]