Re: discipline
Eric D Johnson (ejohnso8@mason1.gmu.edu)
Thu, 7 Oct 1993 22:33:55 ECT
I'd like to thank Peter Knupfer for his thoughtful answer to my questions.
At one point, he reminded me of another scene in -Glory- about which I've
wondered since I saw the film. At one point, Shaw is ordered to have his
men set torches to a town, and his response is something like this: "No,
I will not. It is an immoral order, and by articles of war I am not bound
to obey." Two things arise from this. First, has anyone found any corrab-
eration of this in the historical record (i.e. refusing "immoral orders")
during the War? And secondly, what were the actual articles of war under
which the War Between the States was fought? In other words, were they
written somewhere so that officers might refer to them? I suspected that
there was no actual UCMJ per se in effect, but perhaps its precursor?
Eric Johnson