Jacob "Howling Wilderness" Smith-- Part 6: Appointments Revoked, Legal Problems and a Court Martial

Jacob Smith then wrote a letter to the secretary of  war painting himself as a gullible dupe, explaining the recruiting ploy in detail and saying the only thing he was guilty of was using other people's money for his own profit.  All of his creditors, though, had been repaid and no recruits had not received their bounties.

But, unfortunately, all of the witnesses to his story were either dead or had left the country.  Also, he had destroyed or lost all of his bank accounts for the period in question.

The secretary of war did not buy Smith's story and Smith's temporary  appointment as judge advocate was revoked.

There were other Smith-related problems throughout the rest of the century, including a run-in with a colonel and several legal problems with creditors.  He was court martialed in  in 1885 "for conduct unbecoming an officer" for deeds done at the "Mint Saloon" in Texas.

Then came the Spanish-American War and occupation of the Philippines.  For this story go to my May Cooter's History Thing blog.

Quite a Character.  --Old Secesh