Proceedings of a general court martial of the line, held at Raritan, in the state of New-Jersey, by order of His Excellency George Washington, Esq. general and commander in chief of the Army of the United States of America, for the trial of Major General Arnold, June 1, 1779. Major General Howe, president. : Published by order of Congress.

Title: Proceedings of a general court martial of the line, held at Raritan, in the state of New-Jersey, by order of His Excellency George Washington, Esq. general and commander in chief of the Army of the United States of America, for the trial of Major General Arnold, June 1, 1779. Major General Howe, president. : Published by order of Congress.

Author: Arnold, Benedict, 1741-1801.

Collection: Evans Early American Imprint Collection

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will, I trust, impute it to the nature of the accusations against me; many of which, though not imme∣diately before you as charges, were alledged as facts, and were of such a complexion as to render it neces∣sary to make some observations upon them; because they were evidently calculated to raise a prejudice against me, not only among the people at large, but in the minds of those who were to be judges.I have looked forward with pleasing anxiety to the present day, when, by the judgment of my fellow soldiers, I shall (I doubt not) stand honourably acquitted of all the charges brought against me, and again share with them the glory and danger of this just war.JANUARY 22.The court met agreeable to adjournment. The judge advocate having stated the evidence relative to the several charges exhibited against the general, the court adjourned until Wednesday eleven o'clock.JANUARY 26.The court met agreeable to adjournment, and having considered the several charges exhibited against general Arnold, the evidence produced on the trial, and his defence, are of opinion, with respect to the first charge, that he gave permission for a vessel to leave a port in possession of the enemy, to enter into a port in the united states, which permission, circumstanced as he was, they are clearly of opinion he had no right to give, being a breach of article 5th, section 18th of the rules and articles of war. Respecting the second charge, that although it has been fully proved, that the shops and stores were shut by general Arnold's orders on his arrival in Philadelphia, they are of opinion, that he was justifiable in the order by the reso∣lution of congress of the 5th of June, 1778, and his excellency the commander in chief's instructions of the 18th of June, 1778: and with respect to the latter part of the same charge, the making considerable purchases while the shops and stores were shut, they clearly of opinion, that it is entirely unsupport∣ed, and they do fully acquit general Arnold of it. They do acquit general Arnold of the third charge, Respecting the fourth charge, it appears to the court, that General Arnold made application to the deputy quarter master general, to supply him with waggons to receive property then in imminent danger from the enemy; that waggons were supplied him by the deputy quarter master general on this application, which had been drawn from the state of Pennsylvania for the public service; and it also appears, that ge∣neral Arnold intended this application as a private request, and that he had no design of employing the waggons otherwise than at his private expence, nor of defrauding the public, nor injuring or imping the public service; but considering the delicacy attending the high station in which the general acted, and that requests from him might operate as commands, they are of opinion, the request was imprudent and improper, and that, therefore, it ought not to have been made. The court, in consequence of their determinations respecting the first and last charges exhibited against major general Arnold, do sentence him to a reprimand from his excellency the commander in chief.ROBERT HOWE, major general, president.JOHN LAURANCE, judge advocate.The court adjourned without day.0