Alexandria Daily Advertiser

FROM THE RICHMOND ENQUIRER

TRIAL
OF
COLONEL A. BURR.

MOTION FOR COMMITMENT.

EXAMINATION OF EVIDENCE

Monday, October 5.

Commodore Shaw was called by the prosecution.

Mr. Hay. Did you travel in the stage with major Bruff as he was coming to this place? A. I did. Mr. Hay. Will you state the conversation which passed in the stage? Commodore Shaw. The conversation was lengthy, and not particularly addressed to me. I understood, as major Bruff stated, that a conspiracy had been organized in the Western country, at the head of which was Burr, and that general Wilkinson and several others were implicated; that he had kept a watchful eye on them; had been on the alert; and that he had a just right to know that such a conspiracy existed. He said that general Wilkinson had done him a serious injury, and that he had come on from some information that Mr. Martin had given him, to tell a long story. Q. What was the drift of the conversation; that he intended to injure general Wilkinson? A. The impression on my mind was, that general Wilkinson had done him a serious injury, and he was coming to retaliate; but that I cannot recollect the very words.

The Chief Justice declared that impressions were not evidence. Witnesses must always depose to facts.

Mr. McRae to major Bruff. I understood you to say that you were summoned from Queen Anne's county in Maryland: did you ever see the subpoena there? A. No. Q. What induced you to think then that you were summoned there? A. I own property in Queen Anne's county, where I had been making arrangements for my return from the Western country. I went to Baltimore to transact some business, where I met with Mr. Martin. He told me that if I had not come to Baltimore, he should have gone to see me. I asked him if the letter post marked 13 of May would be produced. He said he believed it would, and informed me that I might consider myself summoned; for that he should order a subpoena for me.

Captain Daniel Bissell called by the prosecution.

General Wilkinson. Were you a member of the court martial which sat on the trial of major Bruff? A. I was. Q. By whom was major Bruff arrested? A. By capt. Richmond. He preferred the charges and solicited the arrest. Q. How many members composed the court: their names and rank? A. Colonel Thomas Hunt president; colonels Cushing and Kingsbury; captains Lockwood, Bissell, Strong and Many; lieutenants Peters, Mulford, Carson, Whitlock, Richardson and Kimball. Q. Was the court unanimous in their sentence?

Some doubt arose about the propriety of answering this question consistently with the articles of war. It was waived for the present.

Mr. Martin. Was it not some short time before the court-martial, that an address to the president was handed about, which was signed by most of the officers? A. I believe it was. Q. Did major Bruff sign it? A. I do not know that he did. I did not see his name to it. Q. Did not the circular impugn the honor of any member who refused to sign it? A. It has been more than two years since the address was circulated; and I cannot recollect what were the impressions of the moment.

Major Bruff said he had seen a mutilated copy of the address published in the newspapers. The address was to the president, the object of which was, to continue general Wilkinson in the office of general in chief while he was governor of Louisiana. It says a great many handsome things about his services from Canada to Florida, and the sufferings which he had undergone in the cause of his country.

[Refer to Note (C). True copy.]

To his Excellency
THOMAS JEFFERSON,
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.

SIR,

It does not comport with the pride of a soldier, tacitly to behold his general assailed by unmerited slanders; or to suffer the veteran with whom we have run a long course of hardships and perils, to fall a victim to undeserved calumnies. The spirit of a soldier revolts against such apathy and every man of sensibility would condemn such cold-heartedness.

We mean not to offend by this offering of a just tribute to merit; nor to derogate from the worth of the living or the dead by those expressions of our sentiments.

We have seen with horror, and have felt with indignation, the various attempts which have been made to blast the character of general James Wilkinson some of us have served under his command twelve years, and have followed him from Canada to Florida: and all have been habituated to his command for many years, during which period, we have seen him encountering almost every vicissitude to which active military life is incident - generous, benevolent and humane-his heart, his hand and his purse are ever open, and ready to succor distress and relieve misfortune: hardy, enterprising, daring and brave, he encounters obstacles with alacrity: and is most exalted when pressed with difficulties. The ice, snow and wintry blasts of the north, the arid sands and burning sun of the south, wild mountains and morasses, present no impediments to his course, where duty calls: ready to brave the lead in every extremity, he never exacts from others what he is not willing himself to perform -daring, yet vigilant and cautious, he is provident in warding dangers & resourceful in mastering them.

Let him be judged by his orders and arrangements, and military men will honor his principles and practices; rigid in his discipline, exact in his police, and indefatigable in every branch of service. He delights to comfort and cherish the sick soldier, and pays a secret respect to the laws of his country, and the rights of his fellow citizens, of which numerous instances could be quoted.

With him for a leader, we shall neither fear danger nor foresee difficulties, but shall march to battle with the assurance of victory.

The subscribers, composing the whole of the officers present at the cantonment and St. Louis, would suffer martyrdom sooner than profess what they do not believe; or proffer homage where it is not due: and with these sentiments, they hesitate not to declare that they have offered the opinions of every man of honor who carries the sword of the U. S.

Signed by
Thomas Hunt, colonel 1st U. S. reg. infy.
Thomas Cushing, Lt. col. adj. & ins. army.
Jacob Kingsbury, Lt. col. 1st reg. infry.
B. Lockwood, captain 1st reg inry.
Elijah Strong, captain 1st reg. infry.
Daniel Bissell, captain 1st reg. infry.
James Richmond, captain 1st reg. infry.
James B. Many, captain artillerists.
George Peters, 1st Lt. reg. artillery.
Clarence Mulford, Lt, artillery.
William Carson, Lt. 1st reg. infry.
A. Whitlock, Lt. reg. infry.
William Richardson, 2d Lt. & adjt. 1st reg. infy.
Joseph Kimble, Lt. adjt.
William King, surgeon's mate.
A. Sangrain, surgeon's mate.
John H. Robinson, acting surgeons mate.

[Evidence to be continued.]