North, William (1755-1836) to Major Jackson

Duanesburgh 20th Feby. 1813
Dear Sir,
I see by the Gazette, that Genl Hull is to be tried in Your City, by a court martial on a charge of Treason & Cowardice, Could I as fully disprove those charges as, [strikeout] I fully disbelieve them, I should wait no Summons from the court no request from an unfortunate Old Soldier, to appear before the tribunal which is to decide on his innocence or guilt.
To what extent Genl Hull may have been unskillful, or imprudent, if unskillfull, or imprudent he was, I have no other documents to Judge from, than those contained in the News papers of the day in how many of which, crimes are extenuated, & have [struck: much] [inserted: many charges] set down in Malice! It is however, clear to my mind, that unless some damning proof of the crime, the purchase money, the compensation, for this ruin of his reputation; This suicide of all his hope of happiness, can be brought before the world, touched, felt, & seen in all its vile deformity, the decision of every honorable man, will be, that Hull is not a traitor. Traitor! Compensation! What compensation, could be offered, What on such terms could be recieved by one in whom the principles of honor, were strengthened, & matured, by long service in an army, where the love of country, was almost the only incitement to action; the applause of honorable men almost the only solace under deprivations, wretched penury and wounds. What could the Enemy give to a man so cherished, estimated & honored by the rulers of his country; who had numerous friends to share, and children to inherit, his [2] his fame, or infamy? How is it posseble that a man of Genl Hulls age, and standing in society. So surrounded with motives for worthy conduct; so hedged in on every side from treason, could sell his country, his companions, and himself! It is not possible. His appearance before a tribunal by whose decession an ignominious death may be awarded, is evidence beyond suspicion, that this man, is not a traiter, is unconscious of having been a coward.
If fear caused the surrender, I trust it was not a base, selfish fear, but for the impending fate of others; a fear that such a moment, and in such circumstance, might well become a man, charged with the [struck: defence] protection [struck: of the lives], of numbers of defenceless citizens from a savage foe; who had thier alies proved victorious in battle, would have rioted in the blood of mothers, & thier offspring; and have swept the wretched inhabitants of the territory, with thier habitations from the earth. In opposing untaught, unskillfull citizens, to Veteran Troops, and when such dread full consequences hung upon defeat, it might have been wise to pause; and brave and virtuous, to risk eternal obloquy, that his People might be saved; A People numerous, scallered through the wilderness, and unprepared to fight or fly! What a weight had this man to support! How apparently inadequate his means; with what [inserted: caution and] tenderness should his conduct be viewed! Serving in [3] another corps of the army, it is not probable that Genl. Hull was particularly known to you; My situation with the Inspector General, gave me to know the military reputation, of every officer of rank in the northern army, & certainly the character of this Gentleman was among the molt respectable; He well knew his duty nor did I ever hear even a whisper against his courage, or his conduct. Fortunately for him & for the army, The court is composed of Officers of high rank, & as far as I am acquainted, of great respectability of character, or for whose Opinions neither the loud clamor of [inserted: party; Mob] [struck: the Vulgar;] nor the [struck: powerful] arts, of [inserted: interested, individuals] [struck: men] [struck: high in Office], can operate. If such a court convict the conviction will undoubtedly stand on such strong ground, that posterity, as in the case of Byng, can not reverse the sentence.
I am, Dear Sir,
With great regard
hireling patriots Your friend & Serv
W. North
neither the insidious [inserted: arts] of interest individuals nor the loud clamor of the hireling, Patriots of the Day who will Judge [inserted: alone,] from fair [inserted: &] honest evidence disregarding alike, the insidious [inserted: silent] arts of interested individuals and the loud clamor of the hireling party patriots of the day --

[address leaf]
To Major Jackson ---
To be published as a private letter
[docket]
To & from Gen Hull