John Wilson petition to SECNAV

To Hon. Gideon Welles, Secretary of the Navy

The petition of John Wilson, Acting First Assistant Engineer of the US Steamer Winnebago, respectfully shows:

That your petitioner on the 3rd day of May, AD 1864 received an appointment from Rear Admiral D. D. Porter commanding Mississippi Squadron as Acting First Assistant Engineer which said appointment was on the 18th day of October 1864 duly confirmed by the Navy Department; that your petitioner continued on such duty on board the USS Winnebago from the said 3rd day of May 1864, that on or about the 12th day of January 1865, your petitioner was tried before a naval court martial upon some frivolous charge to which your petitioner believes resulted in his acquittal; that since the said trial and finding your petitioner has received no notice of said findings and he believes that there is nothing in the said finding which affects the incompetency of your petitioner; that on the 14th day of February instant (1865) your petitioner received a notice of which the annexed is a copy in which it appears your petitioner has been disrated from a First Assistant Engineer to a Second Assistant Engineer, without the same being done by a Court Martial pursuant Article 10 of an Act of Congress entitled "An Act for the Better Government of the Navy of the United States" passed July 17th 1862.

Your petitioner further shows that he has served faithfully in his duty as said First Assistant Engineer in his officer and towards his Government since his appointment, and that he has done no act to justify his being disrated for any cause, and that the said disrating if done is not done in accordance with the laws and rules in such cases made and provided, that in consequence of such disrating your petitioner will suffer an unjust reduction of his salary which your petitioner seeing would be an act of injustice towards him.

Your petitioner therefore prays that he may be restored to his former position of First Assistant Engineer; that the proceedings of said Court Martial is so far as they affect your petitioner in his position as aforesaid may be not confirmed and that your petitioner may have such others and further relief as he may be entitled to in the process.

New Orleans, Feby 17th, 1865
John Wilson

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