Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1863-02-10
WORCESTER:

with whom l conversed at being thus en-
ployed, their lives imperilled, their comrades
sacrlhced, for such mean, mercenary pur-
poses, was intense, amounting almost to mu-
uny. 1t may be proper to state, general, that
l have no motive whatever in making this
statement to you but the good of my country,
and have not purchased nor sought to pur-
chase any cotton since the occupation of
Memphis by the Union forces on the 9th of
June last. Respectfully,
L. M. ToURENY, Memphis, Tenn.
| certify that the above is a correct COPY of
the original letter received at headquarters
army southwest, on Sept. 80, 1862, and en-
tered in the letter book, page 1903, (No. 34S2.)
JOHN G. LowBowER, Clerk.
Headquarters, army southwest, Helena, Ark,
Sept. 80, 1862.
STATEMENT OF ROBERT W. KENDALL.
Dec. 5, 18G2.-Name Robert " Kendall,
aged 81; occupation river pilot. was en-
ployed on steamer Iatan in the United States
employ during September and October, 1862.
| was paid by the United States, Rations for
all hands of the boat were drawn from the
United States commissary department every
ten days B. j. B. Weaver was captain OF
the boat, Mike Williams was mate, Nicholas
Burns was chief engineer, Adolphus was see
ond engineer, George Hobbs was assistant
and John Pasey assistant. On or about the
9TH OF April, 1862, an expedition went down
the river of which the Iatan formed a part
think the 18th Wisconsin and the 33d Hi
nois regiments were on board the Iatan. l
think Col. Hovey was on board the Iatan,
and it was understood that Col. Hovey was
commanding the expedition. We landed at
McGee's plantation, on the Mississippi shore.
know there was some fifteen negroes taken
on board from that plantation, and Captain
Weaver told me in few days after that Col
Hovey gave the overseer, Brown, a receipt
for them, and that they were to be returned
as soon as he could get others to take their
places.
1t was about two or three weeks after that
they were returned. In themean time cloth
ing was drawn for them from the United States
quartermaster's department. AT the time that
we took the negroes back, it was in the night
we landed, and there was a detachment of
United States soldiers on board. | do not
know what regiment they were from. We
took on board some cotton. Capt. Weaver
told me that there were twenty-six bales they
expected to get thirty bales at that time. |
know that the negroes were put ashore dur
ing the night Capt Weaver told me that they
tied them to ropes and delivered them to the
CNSioNNI. w llOb hHON NllOIl lHc CUilOH
belonged to. But the talk among the hands
on board was that it belonged to Capt Weaver
and Col. Hovey. | heard Mr.. Cooper, the
carpenter of the boat, say that he was witness
to bill Of sale to Capt. Weaver; and / after
ward heard Capt. Weaver say that he made
$50, 900 off of the cotton. Some time after,
was acting as captain on the terry-boat Linel-
la, when Col. Hoveys command was engaged
in getting a large amount of cotton from Mis-
sissippi, at the Delta, on the bank of the
river
saw Colonel Hovey at the Delta; he had
about 100 bales of cotton taken on board
there. We went across to Colonel Hoveys
camp, and at evening started up to Helena
with it. Mr.. c. Avery told me the gentle
man who got the cotton said to him that he
paid Col. c. E. Hovey $40, 900 for getting this
lot Of cotton. Mr.. Avery is now sutler in the
9th Iowa infantry. A Mr.. Grant understood
to be one of the owners OF this cotton. He
lie told me one day at Helena he was afraid
he would lose his cotton that it had been
seized.by the government, but afterward that
it was released, and he would ship it to Mem
phis. 1t was not Mr.. Grant who was reported
to have paid Col. Hovey the $4,000, but a
man whom l do not recCllect.
This statement is, to the best of my recol-
lection, correct. ROBERT V. KENDALL,
AT present pilot on Key West.