A Drunk Casanova is No Casanova
There was a court martial at Fort Loudoun.
One of how many?
Oh probably just under 50 court martials in a 2 year period.
Most of the court martials were concerning desertion.
But this one? This one was held 19 June 1757.
This wasn't about deserting.
This was about some Corporal impersonating an officer invading this woman's home at 2am.
The woman said she knew the rules that he had to be in his quarters at this time.
The soldier said he was an officer and had liberty to do as he pleases.
The woman. knew that was bull.
Her name was Mary Hinch.
She knew his voice and knew he was not an officer.
So his claiming liberty from not following the rule to be in quarters way before this hour was a lie.
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He said he still wasn't going to leave.
Mary Hinch called out for help to remove him.
Her friend Mary Haney came to help.
But he abused her, saying he was going to stay.
So then Mary reached out to the Quartermaster of the troops at Fort Loudoun.
That was Quartermaster Hamilton.
Quartermaster Hamilton got him removed and instituted court martial proceedings.
The Corporal's defense?
"The Prisoner in his Defence says that he was drun⟨k⟩ & did not know what he was doing."
His punishment?
"It is the Opinion of the Court that the Prisr Corpl Cofflin be reduced & receive five hundred Lashes."
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Founders Online footnote says that five hundred lashes was crossed out with possible Colonel George Washington's handwriting of 250 lashes beneath the sentence.
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Founders Online footnote claims the prisoner may have been, "a 36–year-old Irishman, 5′ 11¾″ tall, “pockpitted” and with “a thin visage,” but also “very likely strong robust.”"
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See the full court proceeding here on this link.
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Other side lights:
Hinch Question:
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We wonder if Mary Hinch was related to the "Hintch" who was a pilot of a wagon who got killed by the Indians who then also pursued the other other wagon pilot, Daniel Morgan?
In that incident a bullet tore through the back of Daniel Morgan's neck out just under the left side of his nose as he was high tailing it on horse back to Fort Edwards (Capon Bridge WV). The next day the Battle of the Great Cacapon a mile outside that fort occurred.
See Mary Hinch reference in the 19 June 1757 Court Martial trial.
See "Hintch" referenced by letter writer Captain John Fenton Mercer on 17 April 1756 who was to die the next day in that Battle of the Great Cacapon, a mile outside that Fort Edwards.
Another side light.
Casanova Connection
The man in the court martial was no Casanova.
But let's look at the real Casanova. He was living at this time.
He was Giacomo Girolamo Casanova 2 April 1725 – 4 June 1798.
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Although he travelled in high elite circles, he was not widely known until long after his journals were published.
The connection other than living during these times?
He allegedly met a celebrity girl , Kitty Fisher,
She was also dating Augustus Keppel who was the fleet commander for the Braddock Expedition leaving Cork Ireland for Hampton Roads Virginia.
Augustus Keppel was the 2nd son of the absentee Governor of Virginia, William Ann Keppel, 2nd Earl of Albemarle.
Lt Gov Dinwiddie at this time was really the acting Governor of Virginia.
Casanova's journals were saved from a WWII bombing raid.
For years, Casanova's memoirs languished. Then, in 1820, one of his descendants offered them to F. A. Brockhaus, the German publisher, and Brockhaus published an edited version in German.
During World War II, Brockhaus hid the manuscript in 12 cartons under the Brockhaus office in Leipzig. But the building was hit by an Allied bomb. Casanova's writings were rescued and taken by bicycle to a bank vault. In 1960, Brockhaus published the memoirs in their full form.
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Blog compiled and authored by Jim Moyer 6/20/2021
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Court-Martial, 19 June 1757
Court-Martial June the 19th 1757 At a Regimental Court martial held at Fort Loudoun June the 19th 1757 Capt. Thos Waggener Presidt Lieut. Steenbergen Members Lieut. Campbell Ensn Crawford Ensn Thompson
Prisoners Wm Coffland Corpl of Capt. Lewis’s Company1 confin’d by Quarter Master Hamilton for laying out of Camp & disturbing the Inhabitants at an unreasonable Hour.
Mary Hinch an Evidence against the Prisoner informs the Court that he came into her House whilst she was asleep & came to her Bed & waked her & said that he must have Part of her Bed—the Evidence then asked him what Business he had at that Time of Night (about 2 oClock) from his Quarters, that she thought there were Orders to the contrary. he replied he was a Gentleman Officer & had Liberty to go where he pleas’d & when he pleas’d but she knew his Voice & told him he was but a Corpl & after he found that she knew him he confess’d who he was but insisted still for Part of her Bed which being refus’d he abus’d her very much, refus’d to quit the House & said that he wou’d abususe her much more tomorrow Night. upon which she called out & two of her Neighbours came to her Assistance but when she found that he persisted in his Design & abused them as well as herself she went to Qarter Master Hamilton (who has confin’d him) & begged his Assistance.
Mary Hany one of the Persons that came to assist Mary Hinch says that when she came he was in the House & very abusive. The Prisoner confesses himself guilty, says that it was thro’ the Effects of Liquor that he did & begs the Clemency of the Court. It is the Opinion of the Court that the Prisr Corpl Cofflin be reduced & receive five hundred Lashes.2 Thos Brown of Colo. Washingtons Company confin’d by Serjt Carson on a Suspicion of his intending to desert. Serjt Carson says that he saw the Prisoner with one of the Indian Guns & his Hair cut in the Indian Manner & that he asked him why he had cut his Hair in that Manner & he said he was going with the Indians, he asked him then whether he had Colo. Washington’s or any other Officers Liberty to go, the Prisoner answer’d no, he then told him that without Leave he shou’d not go, but that he (the Prisr) replied, It was his Pleasur⟨e⟩ to go & he wou’d go, upon which he, the Serjt, confin’d him.3 The Prisoner in his Defence says that he was drun⟨k⟩ & did not know what he was doing. It the Opinion of the Court that the Prisoner receive five hundred Lashes.4 Jas Turner of Capt. Spotswoods Company confin’d by Capt. Josa Lewis for Desertion. Copl Pope says that the Prisoner left his Command about one Mile on the other Side Neelys Fort as he was going to Maidstone & that he himself & another Man went after him but ’tho. they search’d the Road & the Woods on both Sides of the Road they cou’d not find him. It appears to the Court from the Deposition of Elisha Perkins taken at Maidstone before Capt. Lewis Lieut. Lomax & others that the Prisoner had left his Command & had no Intention of returning to it again for that he was going towards Snigger’s Gap.5 The Prisoner denies that he deserted but says that he was sick & drunk & lost his Way. It is to be observ’d that the Prisoner has deserted before this Time & recd 1000 Lashes. It is the Opinion of the Court that the Prisoner receive fifteen hundred Lashes.6
Thos Waggener Approv’d by Sir Yr Hble Sert Go: Washington D, DLC:GW.
1. No Coffland has been found on Joshua Lewis’s company rolls in 1756 or 1757, but if this is the William Coffland who was in Adam Stephen’s company on 13 July 1756 and in Robert Stewart’s company on 1 Aug. 1757, then Mary Hinch was driving from her bedchamber a 36–year-old Irishman, 5′ 11¾″ tall, “pockpitted” and with “a thin visage,” but also “very likely strong robust.” He had been in the Virginia Regiment since the fall of 1755 (DLC:GW).
2. Written beneath “five hundred Lashes” in another hand, perhaps in GW’s, are the words “two hundred & fifty.”
3. Thomas Brown, who had been in the Virginia Regiment since October 1755 when he enlisted in Charles City County, was 29 years old and born in Ireland. James Carson is listed in a memorandum of 30 June–1 July 1757 in GW’s letter book as one of the sergeants at Fort Loudoun who was not employed “upon the public works.”
5. No Turner is listed on the size roll of Robert Spotswood’s company, 4 Oct. 1757, but there were two James Turners in David Bell’s company on 13 July 1756 (size roll, DLC:GW), one of whom was in Robert McKenzie’s company in 1757. Pope may have been 22–year-old Ephraim Pope of Joshua Lewis’s company but more likely he was the 18–year-old Cpl. John Pope of GW’s company who joined the Virginia Regiment from Prince William County in November 1754. Elisha Perkins (Parkins), a Frederick County resident, died in 1759.
6. The number “750” is written below “fifteen-hundred.”
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