NAVY DEPARTMENT, Washington, October 7, 1864. SIR: A marine board, of which you are appointed a member, has been ordered to convene on Thursday next, the 13th instant, at the marine barracks, Brooklyn, New York, for the purpose of investigating and reporting on such cases as may be referred to it under the 16th and 17th sections of the act providing for the better organization of the military establishments, approved August 3, 1861. You will report, at the time and place appointed, to the president of the board. I am, respectfully, your obedient servant, Surgeon DELAVAN BLOODGOOD, GIDEON WELLES, Secretary of the Navy. U. S. Navy, U. S. Steamer Vermont, New York. NAVY DEPARTMENT, Washington, October 7, 1864. SIR: A marine board, of which you are appointed judge advocate, has been ordered to convene on Thursday next, the 13th instant, at the marine barracks, Brooklyn, New York, for the purpose of investigating and reporting on such cases as may be referred to it under the 16th and 17th sections of the act providing for the better organization of the military establishments, approved August 3, 1861. You will report, at the time and place appointed, to the president of the board. I am, respectfully, your obedient servant, Lieutenant JNO. C. HARRIS, GIDEON WELLES, United States Marine Corps, Philadelphia, Penn. Present: Lieutenant Colonel Ward Marston, United States marines, president of board; Surgeon Charles Eversfield, United States navy, Lieutenant Colonel James H. Jones, United States marines, Surgeon Delavan Bloodgood, United States navy, Major George R. Graham, United States marines, members; and Lieutenant John C. Harris, United States marines, judge advocate. Captain E. McD. Reynolds, United States marines, the officer whose case is about to be investigated and reported upon by the board, was also present. The orders of the president, members, and judge advocate were then read aloud by the judge advocate, and entered upon the record. The judge advocate here asked Captain Reynolds if he had cause of objection to any members of the board, to which he replied he had not. The president here inquired of Captain Reynolds if he desired to employ counsel, to which he replied he did not. Captain Reynolds's orders to report to the board were then read aloud by the judge advocate, and entered on the record, and were as follows: NAVY DEPARTMENT, Washington, October 7, 1864. SIR: A marine board which is ordered to convene at the marine barracks, Brooklyn, New York, on Thursday next, the 13th instant, has been directed to investigate and report on your case under the 16th and 17th sections of the "act providing for the better organization of the military establishments," approved August 3, 1861. I am, respectfully, your obedient servant, Captain E. McD. REYNOLDS, United States Marine Corps, New York. GIDEON WELLES, Secretary of the Navy. There being no copy of the law, under which the board acts in its possession, the board was adjourned until 10.30 a. m. to-morrow, to enable the judge advocate to procure one. MARINE BARRACKS, BROOKLYN, N. Y., October 14, 1864. The board at 10 30 a. m. met pursuant to adjournment of yesterday. Present: Lieutenant Colonel Ward Marston, United States marines, president; Surgeon Charles Eversfield, United States navy, Lieutenant Colonel J. H. Jones, United States marines, Surgeon Delavan Bloodgood, United States navy, Major George R. Graham, members; and Lieutenant John C. Harris, United States marines, judge advocate. Captain Reynolds, the officer whose case is under investigation, was also present. The proceedings of the preceding day were read aloud and found to be correctly recorded. Captain Jones here presented his orders, which were read aloud by the judge advocate, entered on the record, and were as follows: NAVY DEPARTMENT, Washington, October 7, 1864. SIR: A marine board of which you are appointed a member has been ordered to convene on Thursday next, the 13th instant, at the marine barracks, Brooklyn, New York, for the purpose of investigating and reporting on such cases as may be referred to it under the 16th and 17th sections of the act providing for the better organization of the military establishments, approved August 3, 1861. You will report, at the time and place appointed, to the president of the board. I am, respectfully, your obedient servant, Lieut. Col. JAS. H. JONES, GIDEON WELLES, United States Marine Corps, Portsmouth, N. II. The board was then sworn by the judge advocate, and the judge advocate by the president of the board, in the presence of Captain Reynolds. The following letter from Captain Reynolds to the Secretary of the Navy, forwarded by the department for the information of the board, was then read aloud by the judge advocate: UNITED STATES NAVAL HOSPITAL, Brooklyn, N. Y., September 29, 1864. SIR: On my arrival at Boston as passenger in the United States steamer Mahaska, I reported, as ordered by Captain De Camp of the Wabash, to Admiral Stringham; also to the department; likewise to the colonel commandant of the corps. After so reporting, I obtained leave of absence for one week to visit my friends and to consult Surgeon Smith of naval hospital at this station as to the nature of the complaint from which I was suffering, and had been some months. The opinion of Surgeon Smith determined me to place myself under his treatment, which, with the sanction of Admiral Paulding, I have done. At the expiration of the leave granted by Admiral Stringham, I addressed him a letter asking further indulgence, or until such time as I could hear from the department. He referred by return mail to the Hon. Secretary of the Navy, saying, I was not under his command nor on his station; consequently I again report myself as at the New York station, temporarily an invalid in naval hospital. I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant, E. McD. REYNOLDS, Captain Marines. Hon. GIDEON WELLES, Secretary of the Navy, Navy Department, Washington, D. C. THOMAS L. SMITH, surgeon United States navy, was then called and sworn, and the preceding letter was read to him. By JUDGE ADVOCATE : Q. Please state what you know of this case. A. About two weeks since Captain Reynolds came to the hospital and stated to me in a general way that he was ill, and asked the propriety of his coming to the hospital for treatment. I told him if he would get authority to come there, I would take him in charge. He came with authority from Admiral Paulding to be received at the hospital. I directed Surgeon Freeland to take charge of his case. Since then he has been under his care. I did not investigate his case myself. Captain Reynolds has been there since, with the exception of two days' leave. By the BOARD: Q. Can you state whether the physical condition and health of Captain Reynolds at this time, is such as to render him unfit to perform his duties as an officer? A. I am not prepared to give an opinion as to that. The board having no further questions for this witness, he was turned over to Captain Reynolds, who did not question him. The testimony was then read over to the witness and by him pronounced to be correctly recorded. Surgeon BENJAMIN VREELAND, United States navy, was then called and sworn. By the JUDGE ADVOCATE : Q. What is your name, and rank in the United States navy? A. Benjamin Vreeland, surgeon. (Captain Reynolds's letter to the honorable Secretary of the Navy was then read to him.) Q. Please state all you know in regard to this case. A. Captain Reynolds is a patient at the naval hospital; was admitted on the 26th of September, 1864. He had symptoms of dyspepsia, which I attributed to the excessive use of tobacco; he had also "ureteritis." Q. Can you state whether the physical condition and health of Captain Reynolds at this time is such as to render him unfit to perform his duties as an officer? A. I think he is not physically unfit to perform his duties as an officer. A. He is. Q. How comes it then, if he is fit for service, he is retained on the sick list by you? A. A man may be indisposed and still fit for service; I mean he is not permanently disabled. Q. You then think that, except a temporary indisposition, he is wholly fit to perform his duties as an officer of the marine corps? A. I do. By the BOARD: Q. How long will Captain Reynolds probably be unfit for duty? Q. Is the "ureteritis" which you say Captain Reynolds is laboring under caused by excessive use of tobacco ? A. No, sir; I think not. Q. Did the disease you mention originate in the line of duty? A. No, sir. Q. What was probably the cause of the "ureteritis?" A. I think the probability is that it was sexual intercourse, though I never asked him the direct question. Q. Cannot "ureteritis" be produced by other causes besides sexual intercourse? A. Yes, sir. Q. Why then do you think in the case of Captain Reynolds that it was caused by sexual intercourse? A. Because in the majority of cases of that affection that is the cause. A. Foreign bodies in the urethra; injuries or wounds of the urethra ; affections of the kidneys and bladder; affections of the rectum, and medicines. The board having no further questions to put to this witness, Captain Reynolds asked him as follows: By CAPTAIN REYNOLDS: Q. Would not a prolonged residence in a southern climate, debarred from exercise, produce my debility? Do you suppose that it aggravated, in fact, almost wholly produced, it. A. This no doubt was one great cause of debility. Q. Is there any organic derangement of my system? A. None that I can detect. Q Can "ureteritis" be produced by many disorders in the human system? A. Yes, sir, it can be. Q. Could not "ureteritis" exist as a chronic affection for a long time? A. Certainly it could. Q. In what form was the tobacco used to which you refer? A. Smoking. Q. Have I not an irritation of the bladder? A. Yes. By the BOARD: Q. Do you think an officer having an irritation of the bladder can be in a fit state to perform all his duties? A. If it is a permanent affection he cannot; but I do not consider this a permanent affection. Q. Is the "ureteritis," for which you have treated Captain Reynolds, acute or chronic? A. It is an acute ureteritis, supervening upon a chronic one. By JUDGE ADVOCATE: Q. Has this disease been produced by any of the causes you have last mentioned, such as injuries, &c.? A. I think not. There being no further questions put, the testimony was read over to the witness and by him pronounced correctly recorded. The court was then closed and after some deliberation reopened and adjourned until to-morrow at 19.30 a. m., to await the arrival of medical examining officers. MARINE BARRACKS, Brooklyn, N. Y., October 15, 1864. The board met pursuant to the adjournment of yesterday, at 10.30 a. m. Present: Lieutenant Colonel Ward Marston, United States marines, president; Surgeon Charles Eversfield, United States navy, Lieutenant Colonel James H. Jones, United States marines, Surgeon Delavan Bloodgood, United States navy, Major G. R. Graham, United States marines, members; and First Lieutenant John C. Harris, United States marines, judge advocate. Captain E. McD. Reynolds, the officer whose case is under investigation, was also present. The record of the preceding day was read aloud by the judge advocate and found to be correct. The medical officers telegraphed for by the board not having arrived, the board, after waiting until 1 p. m., adjourned until Monday, October 17, at 10.30 a. m. MARINE BARRACKS, Brooklyn, N. Y., October 17, 1864. The board met pursuant to the adjournment of Saturday, at 10.30 a. m. Present: Lieutenant Colonel Ward Marston, United States marines, president: Surgeon Charles Eversfield, United States navy, Lieutenant Colonel J. H. Jones, United States navy, Surgeon Delavan Bloodgood, United States navy, Major G. R. Graham, United States marines, members; and First Lieutenant John C. Harris, United States marines, judge advocate. Captain E. McD. Reynolds, United States marines, the officer whose case is under investigation, was also present. The record of the proceedings of Saturday was read aloud by the judge advocate and found to be correct. The board not having heard from the Navy Department, in reply to their telegraph for medical examining officers, and it coming to their knowledge that a precedent for directing the medical officers sitting on the board to make the examination required by the board, and to testify thereto, had occurred, it was so ordered; and Surgeons Eversfield and Bloodgood retired with Captain Reynolds to examine into his physical condition. The surgeons, with Captain Reynolds, having re-entered and signified their readiness to testify Surgeon DELAVAN BLOODGOOD, United States navy, (a member of the board,) was called and sworn. By the JUDGE ADVOCATE: Q. What is your name, and rank in the United States navy? A. Delavan Bloodgood, surgeon. Q. Have you made a physical examination of Captain Reynolds? |