, 1863-03-26
lQbifa9o Qribnnt.
THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 1868.
CASE OF GEN. @. e. TIoyEr

CASE OF GEN. @. E. a0vET.
Sometime in the carly part Of the winter,
the Governor Of Iowa, movedby the reports
coming to him from the army, Of the way
1n-whlch the soldiers OF his State, whom he
had commissioned to fight for the Union,
were being used to further the purposes Of
cotton spectators, sent IN agent, 10 usper-
sonally unknown, to Helena, empowered,
50 far as he could be by the Governors a,,-
thority, to inquire into the alleged abuses,
This gentleman, who now appears in the
Light Of a credu1ous dupe, went on his way,
and, after his own bungling and unsatis-
factory manner, executed the trust reposed
in his hands. His report made to the Coy
ernor Was thought to be important; and
copy Of it was sent to Washington, where
an abstract, containing at length the state
ments Of certain Witnesses, was forwarded
to us. Two Of these statements made
by D. E. Haselt:ne, Asst. Engineer on the
Iatan, and the other one by Robt. Y Ken
dali, Pilot on the Hey 1Fest, charged,
1. That Gen. c. E. Hovey took ftom the
plantation Of one MCGEE, below Helena,
fifteen negroes, and,
2. Tint he subsequently, returned these
negroes for compensation, receiving, up
on their delivery, twenty-six bales Of cot
ton, which he appropriated to his own use
and benefit.
And third statement. made by T. N,
Tomney, then Of Memphis, further charged
that Gen. Hovcy sent an expedition
from Helena, five miles from camp-an
expedition composed Of two hundred
men, its object being cotton raid; that
after the loss Of a few killed, wounded and
prisoners, three hundred and fifty bales Of
cotton were seized, which cotton was not
turned over to the Government, but in
some way, the witness knows not how,
uas disposed Of for the advantage Of those
Nho took it.
Upon these statements, semi-of3cial in
their character, and apparently from re-
liable source, the TRIBUNE denounced
Gen. Hovey and his alleged offences in
strong anu "@ngnant 'erlns-no' " ol1
stronger OF more 'nolsnant lnan Tue
charges would have warranted had they
proved to oe true hnt we arc no" saus-
fed that the allegations were false in every
particular; that the agent who collected the
testimony upon which they were based,
contented hlmseu WIN Inc 1umof ana gos-
ap OF INC camp tas 1haAee o. at1espon-
slole anu Interested PERSONS anu INC scan
oa4ous nsen.'ons u 'ne nh'neless cosson-
: ceale1s' VINO nao oeen ln"a11eo III 1nea1
specu'anohs' "hen me eT'a1h nlghs nave
oeen easily asce1 'a1neo ano tna1 den'
sioVey' In 80 lar as tness ena,ses .ouc!l
Ill., IL 0i lnnoeen' anu ueepis 'n1aleo
1na'i, "ao ~ en''neu ~ oui u"nos 1no tne
hanas o1 1nose WHO may nave oeen oe'
1uded py lne statements taa' 'nlS Iowa
asentSathered, 10 the most completefepa
lion that can De made.
We have before US atf1daVlts from re-
sronslbie and reputable officers IN Gen
Hovey's command, who were cognlzant o1
all the particulars OF the alleged sale o.
negroes to McGee, for twenty-six bales o.
cotton; and the story, which, as originally
told, was 80 damaging to the General, is
reduced to this: NlcGee, 1t not a thor
oughly loyal man, is more than half Union
ist. While be was under arrest by the
rebel authorities 1or aiding and comforting
The Union forces, party OF Ills slaves were
seized upon military requisition, for
Special service, and receipt was gwen
therefor. At the expiration Of that service
in our camp, Gen Steele authorized thei1
return to the plantation whence they came
provided the men were willing to go. As
they had families there, and as they were
nearly all the while under the cover o1
Federal guns, they elected to so home
They were accordingly landed from tht
1atan, and while the boat was there, he
Captain, who is not in the service saw
71nder charter, bought, on his own &C
count, twenty~six bales Of cotton, and go