The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1863-11-26

A
has been largely interested, BY way o.
partnership, or through his agents, ia
cotton speculations. Here is . matte,
of opinion based upon hearsay. Wha,
would We think of 4 witness who should
declare. heard John Brown say tha,
John Smith said that John Jon es told
him Peter PEBBLES was q rasca f'-
Steele's testimony is no better. He
bases his opinion upon what others said.
Among his informants were Col. w. F.
Moore and one H. P. Coolidge. Col5nel
Moore. being called to the stand, knows
of oaly oas Transaction With which Gen.
Curtis had anything to do-and wba. he
had to do With that, Was Just this: He
ordered the money Tor the "whits cotton
to be paid to his Qaartermsster bat I
question Of taxes arising in the case, hs
rsceipsed for the money himself, and
turned it over, substituting gresnbacks
for gold, (of which presently to bis
Quartermastsr-in other words, 10 the
Government That is the way Colonel
Moore sustaiDs Gen. Steele. That is not
doing very. we'll. Coolidge is brought 90
the stand, and swears that of the only two
officers who, to his knowledge. trsfliced
in cotton, one t'is dead" and the other
"out Of the service' And that 10 the
way Coolidge sustained Gen. Steele
Steele, himself, afterwards protests to
Major John w. Noble, Sd Iowa Cavalry,
that at least q portion Of his testimony
~as misunderstood, and then goes on TO
say, /" from the convivnlity Of tie eve
ming, be had bat = slight remem bnnce
of his testimony" What ! drusk, and
talk parrot, when the reputation Of CON-
rade-and that connds the hero Of Pea
Ridges At stake! Yet such - have
stated is the character OF the testiu ony i,
such the character of the man, VI bo was
chiefly relied upon 70 prove the q harges
against Gen. Curtis. l need not speak
particularly Of other witnesses. Their
testimony was Of the same chars 1cter-
opinion. merely, and founded upot hear.
say, at that. In truth, General Curl.
incurred the enmity Of unscrupulous spec.
ulators and Of "sympathissrs" by prsven-
ting :ndiscriminaie traffic in cot,d On, and
his Humanity TO the negroes. Hence the
elsmor against him. the reports Of hi.
enemies. and all the gossip from which
the "testimany" vas at last made up.
But. though spies we're watching dg him
for months though the rules Of evidence
Tor the just protection Of the accused
were utterly set at naught though the
court searched the country for i" Wiling
sitne. ses" from 81. Louis to Lake Provi.
dence, yet could j, find only four lots oi
cotton with which he was in any way,
even the most indirectly. connee eted.-
These were: the "Piliow cotton. !" the
Saunders cotton" the white cotton" F."
and the "Mat. Wari cotton"
DR. G. B. Guthrie was, according tc
rumors At Helena, the "partncr of Gen
Curtis" He vas an old resident of Mem
phis, an old citizen Of Ohio whom Gen
Curtis had favorably known, and 90 ami
slrvery man. He had been ruined b
the war, and went to Helena to q rade in
cotton. recommended by such men as DR.
Lsavitt, Of the N. Y. Independent, Hi,
ram barney. and others no less distin.
gui'hed. He had . permit. to trade, from
the Secretary of the Treasury, G puuter-
signed by the Secretary Of War lie
bought the PILLOW cotton, and paid fo,
it, handing the money over to the right
ful owners. the negroes who had raised it
the Pillows being buth "big rebels.'-
The negroes we're in destitute circum
stances, the country bad baen stripped ty
foraging parties (by the .'pillage Of ou
troops" As the great vanquished Of Bul
Run is pleased to call i) aud the negroe'
had to be supported. l think candid mer
will agree that Gen. Curtis did right il
allowing them to support themselre
from the produce Of their own labor
The only thing he had to do with tn
Pillow cotton, was to be the umpire be
tween DR.. Guthrie aad the negroes whel
there was dispute. The "Saunders
cotton. DR.. Guthrie testi6ies, was pur
chased BY Capt. Clay, of the steame
"Polar STAR" It Vas not pretended tha
Gen. Curtishad anything to do with tn
"White Cotton" save to transfer the gol
into greenbacks. It is iaterred hence
that he made : premium. But D.
Guthrie swears that be often exchange
gold for Gresnbacks .. par while - Hele
"a, and Col. Chipman states to the Pres
Al l.