General Orders, 14 September 1779
General Orders
Head-Quarters Moore’s-House [West Point]
Tuesday Septr 14th 1779.
Parole Savoy— C. Signs Mago Munster.
The North Carolina brigade to be held in readiness to march on the shortest notice; The routine of fatigue, guards &c. to be continued as usual ’till further orders.
At a Brigade General Court-Martial the 4th instant Lieutenant Colonel Davidson President, Jeremiah Beaman of the 2nd North-Carolina regiment was tried 1st “For repeated desertion” and secondly, “For speaking words tending to sedition prejudicial to good order and military discipline” found guilty of a breach of the 1st Article, 6th Section, and 3rd Article of the 2nd Section of the Articles of War and sentenced (two thirds of the Court agreeing thereto) to suffer death.1
The Commander in Chief confirms the sentence of the Court.
Varick transcript, DLC:GW.
1. Jeremiah Beaman (1757–1836), who had served as a private in the 2d North Carolina Regiment since 1777, was pardoned by GW on 18 Sept. (see General Orders, that date). For the first article of the sixth section of the articles of war, see General Orders, 21 August. The third article of the second section of the articles of war reads: “Any officer or soldier who shall begin, excite, cause or join, in any mutiny or sedition, in the troop, company or regiment to which he belongs, or in any other troop or company in the service of the United States, or in any party, post, detachment or guard, on any pretence whatsoever, shall suffer death, or such other punishment as by a court-martial shall be inflicted” ( 5:789).