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A MANUAL
FOR ,COURTS-MARTIAL
COURTS OF INQUIRY
AND OF OTHER PROCEDURE UNDER
MILITARY LAW
REVISED IN THE JUDGE ADVOCATE GENERAL'S OFFICE
AND PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY OF THE SECRETARY 0F WA"A
CORRECTED TO AUGUST 1, 1918
(CHANGES, NOS. 1 TO 4)
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WASHINGTON
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
1918
WAR DEPARTMENT,
Document No. 560.
Ojf.ce of the Judge Advocate Generalo
n, of 8.
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WAR DEPARTMENT,
OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF STAFF,
Washington, N ove1nber' 139, 1916.
The Manual for Courts-Martial, Courts of Inquiry, and of other
Procedure under Military Law, prepared by direction of the Secre-
tary of War in the Office of the Judge Advocate General for use in
the Army of the United States, is approved, and will be published
for the information and gilidance of all concerned, including all
courts-martial in the National Guard of the several States and Ter-
ritories and the District of Columbia not in the service of the United
States, in so far as applicable, under section 102 of the national-
defense act, approved June 3, 1916. The provisions of this Manual
will be in force and effect on andarfter March 1, 1917.
By "Order of the Secretary of War:
H. L. SCOTT,
Major' General, Ohief of Staff.
III
TABLE OF CONTENTS.
Page.
Introduction " . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix
Chapter. I. Military jurisdiction. 1
Section I. Source and kinds of military jurisdiction. 1
Section II. Exercise of military jurisdiction " . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Section III. Persons subject to military law........... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 2
Chapter II. Courts-martial-Classification-Composition.................... 5
Section. I. Classification............................................... 5
Section II. Composition............................................... 6
Chapter III. Courts-martial-By whom appointed.................. 9
Section I. General courts-martial.. .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Section II. Special courts-martial. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Section III. Summary courts-martiaL............ . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Section IV. Judge advocate :... 15
Chapter IV. Courts-martial-Jurisdiction................................... 17
Section I. Jurisdiction in generaL '.' . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Section II. Jurisdiction of general courts-martiaL....................... 21
Section III. Jurisdiction of special cOUl'ts-martial. ..... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Section IV. Jurisdiction of summary courts-martiaL..................... 22
Section V. JuPsdiction of other military tribunals........................ 23
Chapter V. Courts-martial-Procedure prior to trial.............. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Section I. Arrest and confinement...... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Section II. Arrest of deserters by civil authorities........... . .. . . . . . . . . . . 28
Chapter VI. Courts-martial-Procedure prior to trial (continued).............. 31
Section I. Preparation of charges.... . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Section II. Action upon charges. 40
Chapter VII. Courts-martial-Organization r •..•. 43
Section I. The members.... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Section II. The judge advocate....... 47
Section III. Assistant judge advocate. 51
Section IV. CounseL................................................... 51
Section V. R.eporter.................................................... 52
Section VI. Interpreter ;........... 55
Chapter VIII. Courts-martial-Organization (continued)..................... 57
Section I. Challenges.................................................. 57
Section II. Oaths...................................................... 61
Section III. Continuances............................................. 63
Section IV. Completion of organization............ . .. .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Chapter IX. Courts-martial-Procedure during triaL _.. .. . 65
Section I. Arraignment............................................... 65
Section II. Pleas _ " . . . 66
Scction III. Refusal to plead.......................................... 73
Section IV. Motions · ;...... . . 74
Chapter X. Courts-martial-Witnesses and depositions........................ 77
Section I. Attendance of witnesses...................................... 78
Scction II. Depositions _......... 84
Section III. Fees, mileage, and expenses of witnesses.................... 88
v
VI CONTENTS.
Page.
Chapter XI. Courts-martial-Evidence _ 91
Section I. Introductory provisions _ _.. _ _ _.. 93
Section II. Circumstantial evidence _ _ _ . 99
Section III. Testimonial evidence . 101
Section IV. Documents _ . 119
Section V. Examination of witnesses . 122
Section VI. Cr~dibilityof witnesses _ _ . 125
Section VII. Depositions and for;mer testimony _ _.. _ . 127
Section VIII. Presumptions . 130
Section IX. Judicial notice.. _. _ . 137
Chapter XII. Courts-martial-Concluding incidents of the triaL . 139
Section I. Statements and arguments . 140
Section II. Findings _ ' . 141
Section III. Previous convictions . 144
Section IV. Sentences . 145
Chapter XIII. Courts-martial-Punishments . 151
Section I. Disciplinary power of commanding officer . 151
Section II. Confinement in a penitentiary _ __ . 153
Section III. War Department policy regarding punishments _ . 156
Section IV. Prohibited punishments . 159
Section V. Death-Cowardice-Fraud . 160
Section VI. Maximum limits _ _ . 161
Chapter XIV. Courts-martial-Procedure of special and summary courts and
procedure on revision . __ . _ . 171
Section I. Special courts-martial.. . 171
Section II. Summary courts-martiaL _ _ . 171
Section III. Procedure on revision ' . 172
Chapter XV. Courts-martial-Records of triaL . 173
Section I. General courts-martial.. __ ......................•... 173
Section II. Special courts-martiaL _ . 177
Section III. Summary courts-martiaL _ . 178
Section IV. Correction of records of triaL ' . 178
Section V. Disposition of records of trial.. _ _ . 179
Section VI. Loss of records of trial. . 180
Chapter XVI. COUl'ts-martial-Action by appointing or superior authority . 181
Section I. Action on the proceedings _ . 182
Section II. Action after promulgation of sentence . 190
Chapter XVII. Punitive articles _ . 193
Section I. Enlistment-Muster-Returns . 196
Section II. Desertion-Absence without leave . 201
Section III: Disrespect-Insubordination-Mutiny . 206
Section IV. Anest-Confinement _ _ . 218
Section V. War offenses _ . 225
Section VI. Miscellaneous crimes and offenses: . 237
Chapter XVIII. Courts of inquiry _ . 287
Section I. Constitution. _., _ _. __ _ . 287
Section II. Jurisdiction _ ' _ _ _ . 288
Section III. Composition _ . 288
Section IV. Powers _ _ . 289
Section V. Procedure. _ - _ . 290
Section VI. Records _ _ _ . 292
CONTE"NTS. VII
Page.
EJhapter XIX. Habeas corpus .•................••••••••••••••••••••.••..•. 293
Section!. P1ll'pose of the writ .................••.••••••••••••......... 293
Section II. Where restraint is by the United States ......•.............. 293
Section III. Return to writ issued by State court ......•................ 294
Section IV. Return to writ issued by United States court . 295
Section V. Writ issued in the Philippine Islands . 295
Chapter XX. Miscellaneous and transitory provisions . 297
Section I. Miscellaneous provisions . 297
Section II. Transitory provision . 301
Appendices:
1. The Articles of War ..................•.......•.................. , 305
2. System of courts-martial for National Guard not in the service of the
United States . 331
2a. Form of order appointing a General court-martial.. _ . 332a
2b. Form of order appointing a Special court-martial . 332b
3. Charge sheet . 333
4. Forms for charges . 335
4a. Forms for synopses of convictions by comt-martial (for entry in
service record) .. " . 352b
5. Suggestions for trial judge advocates . 353
6. Form for record-General court-martial and revision proceedings . 357
7. Form for record-Special court-martial _ . 365
8. Form for record-Summary court-martiaL ...........•... _ . 367
9. Forms for sentences _ _ _ . 369
9a. Forms for synopses of sentences . 370a
10. Forms for action by reviewing authority . 371
11. Court-martial orders _ __ . 375
(a) General court-martiaL . 375
(b) Special court-martiaL _ . 376
12. Form for interrogatories and deposition . 379
13. Subp(Bna for civilian witness . 383
14. -Warrant of attachment . 387
15. Returns and briefs in habeas corpus proceedings . 389
16. Voucher (Form 338): Civilian witness not in Government employ . 397
17. Voucher (Form 350A): Civilian witness in Government employ . 401
18. Voucher (Form 339): Personal services, l~eporter. __ ,. 405
19. Report of inquest. . 409
20. General Orders, No.7, War Department, 1918, and procedure there-
under. ........••............•................................. 411
INTRODUCTION TO THE FIRST EDITION.
This Manual introduces and interprets to the Military Establish-
ment the revised Articles of War which become effective March 1,
1917. The revision supersedes the existing articles, sometimes desig-
nated the Code of 1874, and repeals all other laws and parts of laws
inconsistent therewith. It will facilitate an understanding of the
scope and effect of the revision to refer to the history and develop-
ment of the amended Code of 1874, indicate briefly its most serious
defects, and summarize the principal changes introduced by the
reVISIon.
HISTORY OF UNITED STATES ARTICLES OF WAR PRIOR TO 1916.
Passing over the earlier enactments of the American Colonies of
Articles of "Val' for the government of their respective forces, ex-
amples of which are found in the articles adopted by the Provisional
Congress of Massachusetts Bay, April 5, 1775 (Am. Archives, 4th
series, vol. 1, p. 1350), and the similar articles adopted in May and
June of that year by the Provincial Assemblies of Connecticut and
Rhode Island and the Congress of New Hampshire (idem, vol. 2,
pp. 565, 1153, 1180), we come (a) to the first American articles
enacted by the Second Continental Congress June 30, 1775, and
copied largely from the British Code of 1765 and the Massachusetts
Code; (b) the Code of 1776, an enlargement and modification of the
Code of 1775; and (c) the supplemental Code of 1786, regulating
the composition of courts-martial and generally the administration
of military justice. The articles in force on the adoption of the
Constitution of the United States'were, by act of the First Congress,
made to apply to the then existing Army" so far as the same are ap-
plicable" and were continued in force by successive enactments
until April 10, 1806, when, by act of Congress of that date, revised
articles, adapted to the changed form of government, were enacted,
superseding all other enactments on the same subject. Thus the
Code of 1806 was, in effect, a reenactment of the articles in force
during and iInmediately following the period of the Revolutionary
War, with only such modifications as were necessary to adapt them
to the Constitution of the United States. It comprised 101 articles,
with an additional provision relating to spies. During the War of
1812 four of the articles of this code were amended, during the
Seminole wars three articles were amended and one new article added,
and during the Civil War seventeen articles were amended and eight
• IX
MANUAL FOR COURTS-MARTIAL.
new articles added. All of these new a,rticles and amendments weNj
gathered into the restatement of the articles which appears in the
Revised Statutes of 1874, making a code of 128 articles, with the
additional provision relating to spies. Between that year and 1912~
when this revision was submitted to Congress, the more important
amendments have been the summary court and maximum punishment
acts of 1890; the repeal of articles 80 and 110 in 1898; the repeal of
article 123 and the amendment of articles 122 and 124 in 1910.
DEFECTS OF ARTICLES PRIOR TO 1916 REVISION.
The more serious defects of the Code of 1874 were those incident to
its development by compilation from a now obsolete and replaced
foreign code, and by piecemeal amendment made during periods of
wal' and under the stress of war conditions. Eighty-seven articles
of the Code of 1806 survived in the amended Code of 1874 without
change or with only minor changes of style, and most of the remain~
ing articles of that code without substantial change, with the result
that the latter code was unscientific in its arrangement and contained
many provisions either wholly obsolete or illy adapted to present
service conditions. We may cite as examples illustrating its archaic
character the following of its provisions:
The fifty-fourth and fifty-fifth articles prohibited any kind of riot
to the disquieting of " citizens of the United States," and article 59
made mandatory the turning over to a civil 'magistrate of officers
and soldiers accused of an offense against the person or property of
any" citizen of the United States," but only" upon application duly
made by or in behalf of thepar.ty injured," ignoring the more
modern doctrine that all persons Tesiding within the United States
are entitled to the equal protection of the laws, and that crimes are
now punished, not at the instance of an individual but at the instance
of the public. Article 126 regulated administration upon the effects
of deceased soldiers and devolved the duties incident thereto upon
the commanding officer of the troop, battery, or company to which
the deceased soldier belonged, but made no provision for similar
cases arising among the large class of soldiers who, under the present-
day organization, do not belong to troops, batteries, or companies;
and similar instances might be multiplied indefinitely.
IMPORTANT CHANGES IN REVISION.
The limits assignable to this introduction permit only the follow-
ing brief summary of the more important changes introduced by the
'revised articles:
1. Certain provisions of the Revised Statutes and of the StatuteS!
at Large in,the nature of Articles of War, and proper for this reason
to be incorporated in a military code, are reenacted in their proper
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