In the War of 1812 General William Hull was court-martialed and sentenced to death for cowardice. He was pardoned by James Madison. In the same war, James Wilkinson was defeated in Montreal and was court-martialed for cowardice and received an acquittal.
2007-11-23 01:31:44 · 2 answers · asked by genaddt 7 in Arts & Humanities ➔ History
Since they were alive (and free) to be court-martialed, they must have commanded a retreat, it's possible that in those days that could be seen as cowardice. I haven't studied those particular cases, but I'm basing my guess on the system of warfare used at the time. Massed armies advancing at eachother in walking pace, usually ending in total destruction of the losing force (minus the ones that broke rank and run away).
2007-11-23 01:40:53 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
Just because you lost a battle doesn't mean you're a coward.
It usually takes the braver man to realize he's in over his head, losing others life's unnecessarily and it's time to get out. Sometimes, the bloody upper echelon and/or government will brand such a man a traitor - for show.
Yes, there are traitors. There are cowards. Cutting and running often leads to the conclusion that the guy MUST be a coward. Usually it's the total opposite.
The men who were hanged for plotting against Hitler were hanged for treason. They were HEROES!
2007-11-23 12:08:00 · answer #2 · answered by Sprouts Mom 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋