Wharton's Last Legacy
When the British advanced on Washington, D.C. during the War of 1812, Commandant Franklin Wharton assembled a battalion of Marines to defend the capital. Instead of leading the men to battle himself, Wharton turned over the command to his adjutant, Captain Samuel Miller. The Commandant would stay in Frederick, MD, while his Marines faced the British.
In cooperation with the Navy, Miller, and his battalion of Marines, did a phenomenal job holding back the British, and he would receive the title, “Hero of Bladensburg.” Despite the success of the Marines, other U.S. forces failed, and the British marched into the U.S. capital. Miller was awarded a brevet promotion to Major for his performance and would become the first Adjutant and Inspector in the Marine Corps. Many of his peers were jealous of Miller’s success and accused him of being more bark than bite, but Miller always defended his honor through duels, and he always came out victorious.
Commandant Wharton wouldn’t receive praise for his decision. He was accused of cowardice and fleeing Washington for the sake of his safety. Unlike Miller, Wharton didn’t believe in dueling and never defended his honor against his accusers. A young, Major Archibald Henderson, thought that an insult to the Commandant was an insult to the Marine Corps. He lost a lot of respect for Wharton and decided to take matters into his own hands.
Henderson requested the Commandant court-martialed and accused him of “neglect of duty” for failing to lead his Marines into battle and “conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman” for refusing to defend the accusations against him and the Corps. Miller would add another charge and accuse Wharton of failing to inspect his Marines. The Commandant was acquitted of all charges. He continued to receive insults throughout the rest of his tenure, and many people demanded his resignation. Wharton died in office on September 1, 1818, never clearing his honor.
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