The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1842-05-26

S1OSlSt ttle iuui10S from tHS Jay uesiSuaiSH
BY the Superintendent, for their departure;
the transportation to be by land, at the rate
Of one FIVE horse wagon and fifteen hundred
pounds of baggage for every 20 or so Ind.
ans the daily travel not TO exceed twelve
or fifteen miles; the sick, or those enieebled,
to be transported by wagons or on horse
back the Indian ponies to receive daily
ration of one half gallon Of corn, and TO be
used BY the company in transportation the
company TO receive SIS 80, per capita, for
each person. including men, women and
children; the agent shall "decide whether
40 or SO persons, or any intermediate nun.
Der of Indians ought, consistently with the
health aud comfort OF them, be assigned to
each wagon"
Under this contract, the Alabama Eml.
grating Company professed 10 remove to
the place designated 1888 indians, and
received therefore, at the price contracted,
Of S2S 80 per capita, the sum Of si69, 761
33, including pro rata allowance for 567
Indians who died or deserted on the way.
portion of these Indians we're not trans.
ported from Alabama, but from Pass Chris
tian, a much diminished distance. 10 1886,
the Government raised a regiment Of Creek
warriors for Florida and, ~ the terms Of
the contract, i, was agreed that The families
Of those who should enlist should remain 10
Alabama until their return from, Florida
who amounted in the aggregate to 1882,
They were carried by the Government to
Mobile Point thence to Pass Christian, aud
from this point we're removed to the west
OF the Mississippi river by the Alabana
ENGRAVING Company. At the tint OF
their departure, 1t became the interest Of
the company as well as the Government, on
account of The great Sickness then prevail.
ing among the Indians, 10 remove them by
boats rather than by wagons but the com.
pany refused TO carry them by water, un
less from 500 to 900 Indians were placed
in each boat of from 100 TO $50 tons bur
den. This would have caused the death Of
an immense number; and, as an &C, of hu.
nanIty, Lieutenant Reynolds, who was in
charge Of the Indians, agreed to pay addl-
uonaliy, 10 the company, S24 for each In.
dian removed by water. On the 9th May.
! 1888, an account having previously been
i presented to the War Department for this
additional compensation, Mr.. S. Cooper,
then acting Secretary, under Instructions,
rejected It promptly, as unreasonable, 10.
Just, and extravagani. The Secretary of
War, then being temporarily absent from
his Office, before leaving, appeared 10 have
notIhed TO Mr. Cooper his opinion for up
on returning the papers to the Auditor, be
says: "and by The Secretary of War to
make the following decision That agree.
non, cannot be approved. That portion Of
the journey performed by water ought not
to be comprised within the demand by the
agent for double transportation. when i,
was agreed, for the convenience Of the par.
ties, 10 substitute water for land carriage,
It must have been understood that such &C.
conmodatIons as humanity demanded would
| be furnished BY The company; and the agent
ought at once 10 haze repealed the PROPOSE
lion Of placing from 500 to 1000 human
beings on board steamboat Of from $50 10
250 tons burden. Sick or we'll, 500 Indi.
aus we're as many as ought to have been
carried in each boat. The charge for dou.
bio transportation for water conveyance
canno, therefore be allowed"
o. 20th May, 1898, Nr. Ponseu, Sec
I, rotary OF War, changed his opinion; and
notwithstanding the substitution Of water
Tor land transportation, on account Of the
reduction Of the time of subsistence, The
number Of agents employed, and other caus-
J es had rendered the contract more vaiua.
bic n pecuniary point Of view to the com.
PAM and Notwithstanding the Government
had already paid them, for Transporting
these Indians from Alabama to The West,
the large sum Of 500 ,532, when they had,
IN truth, aud 10 fact, NOT -ea,onol 80 =
.l--,.. the whole or any part OF the
distance, It paid them, additionally, for
transporting the same Indians from Pass
Christian to the point Of destination, the en-.
ormous SUN Of $751; 9S 43. The commit.
tee will not stop 10 comment on this wanton
vast OF the public treasury BY high FIX.
ecutlge officer Of the Government, but leave
II as oue Of the monuments Of that fidelity
TO the public interests which has too long
marked tho conduct Of many Of those to
whom are confled the control of the Gov.
erancnt. 10 these amounts are TO be add.
ed the sum Of SIS, ASA II, allowed for ex
ira compensation, likewise, to this compa-
ny, and paid to their agent, Alfred lyerson,
Eco, upon this contraci--and making, in
/ all, the enormous sum of S500,440 IS.
The Government has likewise paid 10
this company for furnishing 7IG,5ss ratlons
to the party of Indians, while at Mobile
Point and Pass Christian, at the extrava.
CANT sum Of seventeen and half cents per
ration, under contract made with Captain
} John Page, dated II March 1897, amount.
ing to Si2J,40 90.
Ia reviewing the history of this transac.
ton, the committee are forcibly struck with
the utter recklessness and prodigalry Of lhe
officers of the Government in the expend.
lure of the public money here made
, They have entered into calculations, 10
view Of a5cerlaining what nigh, have been
saved to the public treasury, had system