Serie 4 - Court Martial Records

Series consists of court martial proceedings for various soldiers in the First Battalion Incorporated Militia. The first record pertains to Sergeant William W. Dawson of No. 4 Company, who pleaded not guilty to the charge of “irregular and unsoldierlike conduct in having been drunk and unfit for duty,” on Saturday, February 9, 1839. The document records the proceedings and the witness testimony, as well as the guilty verdict and the punishment, which was Sergeant Dawson’s reduction of rank and pay to that of a private sentinel, dated at Hamilton, February 13, 1839. The second record pertains to Private Joseph Forster of No. 8 Company, who was ordered by Major Gourlay, commanding officer of the 1st Battalion Incorporated Militia, to stand trial for being absent without leave for a period of 10 days from June 7 to June 17, 1839. Private Forster pled guilty and was subsequently sentenced to 10 days in solitary confinement, dated at Hamilton on June 20th, 1839. The third record pertains to a proceeding to investigate a complaint from a civilian tavern keeper against three soldiers from the militia, accused of stealing logs of wood on December 27, 1841. The final few records, which are undated and incomplete, pertain to Lance Sergeant Robert Thompson, charged with threatening and assaulting Sergeant Gilbert. Some of the records in this series are original and some are photocopies.