Compendium of history and biography of the city of Detroit and Wayne County, Michigan by Clarence Monroe Burton

Author:Clarence Monroe Burton [Burton, Clarence Monroe]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Geschichte
Publisher: Jazzybee Verlag
Published: 2017-11-08T23:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER X.

Hull's Trial by Court Martial-Members of the Court-Hull Sentenced to be Shot-Execution of Sentence Remitted-Efforts to Exonerate Hull in Later Years-The Lewis Cass Account of Surrender of Detroit-Extracts from Hull's Arguments at Time of Trial.

Governor Hull was tried by a court martial that convened in Albany, in January, 1814. The charges against him in connection with the surrender of Detroit were (1) treason, (2) cowardice, and (3) neglect of duty and conduct unbecoming an officer. The members of the court were Major General Henry Dearborn, president; and Brigadier General Bloomfield, Colonel Peter Little, Colonel William N. Irvine, Colonel J. B. Fenwick, Colonel Robert Bogardus, Lieutenant Colonel James House, Lieutenant Colonel William Scott, Lieutenant Colonel William Stewart, Lieutenant Colonel Richard Dennis, Lieutenant Colonel Samuel S. Conner, Lieutenant Colonel S. B. David and Lieutenant Colonel John W. Livingstone. The special judge advocate was Martin VanBuren.

The trial began on the 3rd of January and was continued until March 23rd following. Hull was acquitted of the charge of treason and of some of the other specifications, but he was found guilty of cowardice, and was sentenced to be shot. The sentence was approved by President Madison, but its execution was remitted.

It is thought probable that the excited condition of the country and the bias of military officers of the state had much to do in forming the opinion of the military court. A constant and untiring effort for nearly one hundred years has been made and is still being made to exonerate Hull and to show that his actions were justified by his situation and surroundings. The first official account of the surrender of Detroit was made by Lewis Cass. His letter was written at Washington, September 10, 1812, and purports to have been made by direction of Colonel McArthur. It was in consequence of this report that. the torrent of abuse was heaped upon Hull, who was then a prisoner. The report consists of a succession of charges and was followed by a series of similar attacks when Cass was called as the first witness at the subsequent trial of Hull. Whether Cass, at this time, had in mind the possibility that he might be a successor to Hull in the office of governor of Michigan Territory, is difficult now to determine, but it is certain that Hull had no more bitter or relentless enemy.

Next to the charge of treason, against which Hull successfully contended that of cowardice most deeply affected him, and he resented it with all the powers of a man overburdened with the disgrace of his surrender. In the course of his argument on this point he said:

"But, gentlemen, upon the charge of cowardice, I am bold to say, I have no dread i have fought more battles than many of the young men who have impeached me of this crime have numbered years. I appeal to the history that bears record of those who were engaged in the bloody contests for our liberty; there you shall find my

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