Grandson of the famous Revolutionary War hero Paul Revere

Court-martialed for his actions at the battle of Chancellorsville, Virginia

2 pages, 4 1/4 x 6 1/2, imprint.

War Department,
Adjutant General's Office,
Washington, August 11, 1863

General Orders,
No.282

I..Before a General Court Martial, which convened at the Headquarters, 3d Corps, May 13, 1863, pursuant to Special Orders, No. 128, dated Headquarters, Army of the Potomac, camp near Falmouth, Virginia, May 12, 1863, and of which Major General W.S. Hancock, U.S. Volunteers, is President, was arraigned and tried-

Brigadier General Joseph W. Revere, U.S. Volunteers,

Charge I- "Misbehavior before the enemy."

Specification- "In this; that Brigadier General J.W. Revere, U.S. Volunteers, commanding Excelsior (2d) Brigade, 2d Division, 3d Corps, while said Division was engaged with the enemy at Chancellorsville, Virginia, did march his command an unnecessary distance to the rear to reform it, and did then march with his Brigade, and such fragments of other Regiments of the said Division as he could assemble, to United States Ford, about five miles from the scene of action. All this without orders from his superior officers, about 8 o'clock on the morning of May 3d, 1863."

Charge II- "Neglect of duty to the prejudice of good order and military discipline."

Specifications- "In this; that Brigadier General J.W. Revere, U.S. Volunteers, commanding Excelsior (2d) Brigade, 2d Division, 3d Corps, did allow public property, to the amount of 189 muskets, 178 sets of accoutrements, 259 bayonets, 28,440 rounds of small arm ammunition, 1,779 knapsacks, 836 haversacks, 494 canteens, 2,000 shelter tents, and 55 pioneer tools, in the service of his command, to be abandoned, and to fall into the hands of the enemy. All this without orders from his superior officers, at Chancellorsville, Virginia, on or about May 3d, 1863."

To which charges and specifications the accused, Brigadier General J.W. Revere, U.S. Volunteers, pleaded, "Not Guilty."

The Court, having maturely considered the evidence adduced, finds the accused, Brigadier General J.W. Revere, U.S. Volunteers, as follows:

Charge I- Of the Specification, "Guilty, except the words, "while said Division was engaged with the enemy at Chancellorsville, Virginia, did march his command an unnecessary distance to the rear to reform it, and" "then," and to "United States Ford, about five miles from the scene of action," substituting for the latter clause, "To about three miles from the scene of action, towards United States Ford."

Of the Charge, "Not Guilty; but guilty of conduct to the prejudice of good order and military discipline."

Charge II- Of the Specification, "Not Guilty."

Of the Charge, "Not Guilty."

Sentence- And the Court does therefore sentence him, Brigadier General J.W. Revere, U.S. Volunteers, "To be dismissed from the military service of the United States."

II..The proceedings of the Court in the case of Brigadier General J.W. Revere, U.S. Volunteers, have been submitted to the President of the United States, who approves the sentence, and directs that it be carried into execution from the 10th day of August 1863.

BY ORDER OF THE SECRETARY OF WAR:

E.D. TOWNSEND,
Assistant Adjutant General

Excellent. Very desirable Civil War document regarding the court-martial of a famous Union general.

General Joseph W. Revere: Born in Boston in 1812, he was named for one of his grandfather's friends, the patriot, Dr. Joseph Warren, who was killed at the battle of Bunker Hill, during the American Revolution. From 1852-61, he resided in Morristown, New Jersey, and entered the Union army as Colonel of the 7th New Jersey Infantry, on September 19, 1861. Commissioned brigadier general on October 25, 1862, he commanded a brigade in General Daniel E. Sickles, 3rd Corps, Army of the Potomac. At the battle of Chancellorsville, Va., on May 3, 1863, after General Oliver O. Howard's, 11th Corps, was overrun by the famous flank attack of Confederate General Stonewall Jackson, General Hiram G. Berry's division of the 3rd Corps, was ordered forward to prevent total disaster. However, General Berry was mortally wounded, so the command of his division went to the senior brigadier general, Joseph W. Revere, who instead of throwing everything against the charging Confederates, marched that portion of his command to the rear for the purpose of reorganizing and bringing them back to the battlefield relatively fresh. This ultimately led to his court-martial and dismissal from the U.S. service. President Abraham Lincoln most likely sympathetic to Revere's heritage, mitigated his sentence and instead allowed him to resign his command effective immediately. After the war Revere travelled abroad and wrote his memoirs. He died in Hoboken, New Jersey, in 1880, and is buried in Morristown.