Proceedings of a General Court Martial[1] which convened at Beaufort[2] So. Ca by virtue of the

following order.

Headquarters U.S. Forces District of Beaufort

Second Separate Brigade

Beaufort S.C. October 24th 1864

Special Orders 

No 185

III. A General Court Martial is hereby ordered to convene at Beaufort S.C. tomorrow Oct. 25th 1864. at 10 o’clock A.M. or as soon thereafter as practicable for the trial of 1st Lieut. Sylvester Soper, Co. “B.” 26th U.S.C.T.[3] and such other prisoners as may be brought before it.

Detail for the Court.[4]

Colonel H.L. Chipman       102 U.S.C.T.[5]

Captain J.E. Thorndike A.A.D.C

1st Lieut E.L. Miller Co.A. 26th U.S.C.T.

1st Lieut G.T. Holmes Co. I.  102nd U.S.C.T.

1st Lieut A.S. Bodine Co. C. 127th N.Y. ­­Vols

2nd Lieut G.F. Eaton  Co. K 127th N.Y. ­­Vols

1st Lieut A.P. Ketcheum  ^56th N.Y. Vols A.D.C Judge Advocate.[6] 

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No other officers than those named can be assembled without manifest injury to the service. The

duties of this Court are not intended to interfere with Co. duties of officers named. 

By order of Brig. Gen. R. Saxton[7]

(signed) Stuart M. Taylor

A.A. General

Case of Private James Henson[8] Co. “A” 102nd U.S.C.T.

Beaufort S.C. Nov 10th 1864

12.30 P.M. The Court met pursuant to the

foregoing order.          

~Present~

Colonel H.L. Chipman       102d U.S.C.T.

Captain J.E. Thorndike A.A.D.C

1st Lieut E.L. Miller      Co.A. 26th U.S.C.T.

1st Lieut G.T. Holmes   Co. J. 102nd U.S.C.T.

1st Lieut A.S. Bodine     Co. C. 127th N.Y. ­­Vols.

2nd Lieut G.F. Eaton     Co. K.  127th N.Y. ­­Vols.

1st Lieut. A.P. Ketcheum ^56th N.Y. Vols A.D.C Judge Advocate. 

The Court then proceeded to the trial of private James Henson Co. “A.” 102nd Reg’t U.S. C. Troops who was called before the Court and having heard the order appointing the Court read, was asked, if he had any objection to any member named in the order. The accused having no objection to any of the members, the charges and specifications were read by the Judge Advocate for the information of the Court. The Court was then in presence of the accused duly sworn by the Judge advocate and the Judge advocate was duly sworn by the President of the Court also in presence of the accused. The accused was then asked if he desired to introduce counsel and replied in the negative.

The accused Private James Henson Co. A. 102d U.S. C. Troops was arraigned on the following charges and specifications.

Charge 1st Sleeping on Post[9]

Specification. In this: that Private James

Henson Company “A” 102d U.S. Colored Troops having been duly posted as a sentinel[10] on picket[11] was found asleep on his post between the hours of “3 A.M” and “4 A.M.” when visited by the “Officer of the picket”

This at Ladies Island[12] S.C. on or about September 2d 1864

Charge 2nd “Petit Larceny”[13]

Specification in this: that Private James Henson Company “A” 102d U.S. Colored Troops did steal one small chicken between the hours of 11 P.M. and 12.P.M.

This at Ladies Island S.C. on or about September 9th 1864

Charge 3rd “Absence without leave”[14]

Specification. In this: that Private James Henson, Company “A” 102nd U.S. Colored Troops was

absent from his Company at “inspection” without permission from proper authority, between the hours of 4 P.M. and 5 P.M.

This at Ladies Island S.C. on or about Sept 10th

1864.

To which charges and specifications, the accused pleaded as follows

To the specifications of the first charge “Guilty”

To the first charge -                    "Guilty” 

To the specification of the second charge “Guilty”

To the second charge -                    “Guilty”

To the specification of the third charge  “Guilty”

To the third charge -                     “Guilty”

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The accused having no testimony to­­­­ offer then made the following

Defence

When I was absent from inspection, I went away to get some ­­milk I couldn’t eat anything that was there because I was sick, and I told the Lieutenant that I was sick, and he never seemed to say much about it. There was no doctor there at the time I was absent from inspection, to excuse me. I was not very well when I was put­­­ on post as a sentinel­. I was not exactly well. There was no doctor there at that time –

 

The Judge Advocate, having no reply to make the Case was then submitted to the Court and the –Court was then cleared for deliberation, and after mature deliberation whom the evidence adduced, find the accused, Private James Henson, Company “A.” 102d. U.S.C. Troops as follows:-

Of the specification of the first charge “Guilty”

Of the first charge                  “Guilty”

Of the specification of the second charge “Guilty”

Of the second charge -                    “Guilty”

Of the specification of the third charge  “Guilty”

Of the third charge -                     “Guilty”

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And the Court do therefore sentence him, Private James Henson, Company “A” 102d. U.S.C. Troops, to be confined at hard ­­­­labor at Fort Marion St. Augustine Florida,[15] or such place as the commanding General shall direct, for the unexpired portion of his term of enlistment, and to forfeit to the United States ten dollars($10) per month of his monthly pay during The period of his confinement.

Henry L. Chipman

Col 102d Regt U.S.C.T

President 

A.P. Ketcheum                               

1st Lieut 56th N.Y. Vols + A.D.C.           

Judge Advocate                                    

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As 1.30 P.M. the Court adjourned, to meet again at 9 A.M. tomorrow Nov 11th

Henry L. Chipman 

102d Regt U.S.C.T 

President 

A.P. Ketcheum                                  

1st Lieut 56th N.Y. Vols + A.D.C.Col             

Judge Advocate                                    

 

 

Head Quarters Dist of Beaufort 

Beaufort So Ca 

Nov 12th 1864 

The proceedings finding and sentence of the Genl. Court Martial in the case of Pvt J Henson Co “A” 102 U.S.C.T are approved The sentence will be carried into effect accrdingly at Fort Marion

St Augustine Fla.

R Saxton

Brig: Genl

Comdg

 

 

Prceeding of a General                      

Court Martial convened by                  

virtue of Par III. S.O. No 185,            

dated U.S. Forces District                

of Beaufort. Head Qrs, Second               

Separate Brigade, Beaufort.                 

S.C. October 25th 1864                                          

Judge Advocate Gen’ls Office 

Prisoner tried                               

Private James Henson 

Co A. 102d U.S.C.T                          

President 

Col Henry L. Chipman               

102d U.S.C.T                                   

Judge Advocate 

1st Lieut A. P. Ketchum 

A.D.C. 

56th N.Y.S.Vols 

Head Quarters U.S. Forces

District of Beaufort S.C. 

November 12th 1864 

Approved 

R Saxton 

Brig: Genl 

Comdg

No. 5 

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[1] a judicial court that tries members of the armed services for any offense against military law.

[2] is a city on Port Royal Island, South Carolina. During the Civil War, this was the first southern city conquered by Union forces after the U.S. Navy victory in Port Royal Sound on November 7, 1861. Beaufort became the headquarters of the U.S. Army, Department of the South, and the base of operations for the 102nd U.S.C.T.

[3] United States Colored Troops – these were regiments in the United States Army composed of mostly African American soldiers. By the end of the Civil War, the 175 regiments made up one- tenth of the manpower in the Union Army.

[4] The following list of names present for the court martial.

[5] Originally called The First Michigan Colored Infantry, it was made up of black soldiers and white officers. Created in July of 1863, this regiment served on picket duty, built fortifications, destroyed railroads, and engaged the enemy.

[6] an officer of the Court who provides legal advice (lawyer of the military).

[7] Rufus Saxton

[8] He enlisted on October 22, 1863 in Detroit. He was a private in Company A, 102nd U.S. C. Troops and was free. He mustered in on October 23, 1863 in Detroit at age 18. He mustered out on September 30th, 1865 in Charleston, South Carolina.

[9] Fall asleep or purposefully going to sleep while given a specific job such as guard duty or while on patrol.

[10] a soldier or guard whose job is to stand and keep watch.

[11] an outpost position or guard for a larger force, usually within distance for deterring enemies or supporting the main encampment that they are protecting. In case of enemy attack, warnings would be sounded by the picket.

[12] is an island in Beaufort County, South Carolina. At one point this island housed several indigo plantations. Its original name was Combahee Island until it was renamed in 1698 by Governor Joseph Blake. He renamed it after his wife Elizabeth Axtell Blake. Shrimping and fishing are now big industries on this island.

[13] Theft of an item with a value lower than a legally set amount

[14] absent without leave; Desertion

[15] This fort is the oldest in the continental United States as it was constructed by the Spanish beginning in 1672. Its original name is Castillo de San Marcos. It was transferred to the United States from Spain in 1821 after the signing of the Adams-OnÍs treaty and its name was changed to Fort Marion after the American Revolution hero Francis Marion.