James Stockett Jouett – Captain, United States Army

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James Stockett Jouett of Kentucky

  • Appointed from Maryland, Second Lieutenant, 10th Infantry, 20 January 1875
  • Transferred to 10th Cavalry, 6 February 1877
  • First Lieutenant, 17 February 1883
  • Dismissed 30 April 1885
  • First Lieutenant, 10th Cavalry, 12 May 1888 to rank from 17 February 1883 (Act of 26 April 1888)
  • Resigned 15 January 1889

UNINTENTIONAL EMBEZZLEMENT

A queer Case Brought Before The Attention of Congress
April 22, 1888

Mr. Ford of Michigan, speaking on the bill to restore James S. Jouett to military service said: “Lieutenant James S. Jouett was appointed from civil life as First Lieutenant in the Tenth Cavalry.  In 1884 his regiment was stationed at Fort Davis, Texas.  He was there court martialed for certain delinquencies, for not attending dress parade, etc., which I shall pass over as too trivial to consider here, although the report considers them, but the main charge was that he was guilty of embezzlement under the following circumstances:

Fort Davis was situated some 200 to 300 miles from San Antonio, Texas, the headquarters of the Paymaster.  It was customary for the officers of the regiment to deposit their pay accounts in a San Antonio bank and check against them.

It seems that the practice for the Lieutenants to take charge turn about in acting as Commissary of the post.  Lieutenant Jouett’s turn occurred in August 1884.  At the conclusion of his time of acting as post commissary, August 30, in turning over his accounts to his successor, he was found to be $68 and some odd cents short, and he gave his check on the San Antonio bank for the amount.  At that time he had $146 to his credit. If the check had been presented in due course by mail it would have been paid by the bank.  It was given the 30th of August 1884.  It was not presented for payment at the bank until the 27th of September, nearly thirty days afterwards, and when it was presented the funds to his credit lacked $12 of satisfying the check.

The check went to protest.  On his attention being called to it he at once made it good.  On that state of facts he was court martialed and dismissed from the United States Army.  The court said that they “find him guilty of embezzlement with no intent to embezzle (laughter).  They were something like the Irishman I once knew who said to the court and jury: ‘Gentlemen, I am innocent of the crime that I committed.’  So the court found Lieutenant Jouett guilty of an offense which they say he was innocent of.”

CAPTAIN J. S. JOUETT

ORLANDO, Florida, December 11, 1915 – Captain James S. Jouett, United States Army, retired, is dead here.  His body will be taken to Washington for burial in Arlington National Cemetery beside that of his father, Admiral James Jouett, according to present plans.

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