One
of the Cadet Corporals, Bailey, reported me for
'inattention in ranks,' and in my written explanation
of the offence, I detailed the circumstances, but both
Birney and Anderson denied them, and the Commandant of
Cadets took their statement in preference to mine, and
preferred charges against me for falsehood.
"I was court martialled in January, 1871, Captain
Piper, Third Artillery, being President of the court.
By this court I was found I 'guilty,' as I had no
witnesses, and had nothing to expect from the
testimony of the witnesses for the prosecution. Cadet
Corporal Bailey, who made the report, Cadets Birney
and Anderson were the witnesses who convicted me; in
fact they were the only witnesses summoned to testify
in the case. The sentence of the court was that I
should be dismissed, but it was changed to one year's
suspension, or, since the year was almost gone before
the finding of the court was returned from Washington,
where it was sent for the approval of President Grant,
I was put back one year.
"I had no counsel at this trial, as I knew it would be
useless, considering the one-sided condition of affairs.
I was allowed to make the following written statement
of the affair to be placed among the records of the
proceedings of the court:
"'May it please the court: I stand here to-day
charged with a most disgraceful act--one which
not only affects my character, but will, if I am
found guilty, affect it during my whole life--and
I shall attempt, in as few words as possible, to
show that I am as innocent as any person in this
room.
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