Regarding Duties & Definition of Officer Appointments & Commissions, in Relation to a Military Death Sentence

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No human transcription currently available for this document.

Type

Autograph Letter Signed

Description

Returns various officer recommendations, with approvals, as well as the report of a court-martial of a deserter. Writes that he believes that strong examples of military discipline are necessary, and implies he will not pardon the man, Richard Hunt. The only remaining question is whether the officers who comprised Hunt's court-martial were allowed to act in that capacity as not all had received their commissions. Regarding McHenry's assertion that he had evidence of those officers who had accepted appointments, and thus commissions were not necessary to allow them to begin their military duties, Adams ponders whether anything other than the president's signature on a commission would hold up as evidence of appointment under the law. Asks that McHenry lay this issue before the department heads [Cabinet] and get their opinions. If the opinion is unanimous that the officers had a right to act as members of the court-martial, Adams will order the execution.

Date

06/19/1799

Recipient

Sent from

Quincy

Document number

1799061940001

Note

2 COLLECTIONS: one with photocopy images, one without images.

Notable persons

James McHenry
John Adams
major
officers
General Pinckney
General Washington
Mr. Steele
deserter
Richard Hunt
Senate

Notable locations

Quincy
North Carolina
South Carolina
Georgia

Notable items

recommendations
proceedings
court martial
pardon
appointment
signatures