, 1864-07-23

tSined the thsfz sgd refused to listen to tho
complainant, Tic writer of this hA re4a
the testimony, signed md sWorn to. concern
ing this sffair. / remark, En- .patsa-t, that
there Wclc other ad,}zs Of d Similar nature
FRAUDS N 1nASJIo.
The operations Of trade along the Mlssis-
6ippt not OILY served to defraud citizens aud
supply the the rebels, but they made con.
stunt fraud upon the Government. It was
cur ofsessioB, that VIC Wonld obtai4 there.
from large amounts Of rebel c,tton. The
cotton that has really be.n turned over to
the Government ia not d twentieth part of
what hss really been liable to cou6scatlon.
Frequently rebel cotton has been discovered
and brought into the lines By military escort.
According to tho regulations, 1t Is then to be
tnrrec over to the Treasury agent, and BY
BIN properly disposed Of As soon as 1t gets
into his bslds, 1t Is invariably tho case Ih It
IN owner turns up, who 8wrars to the pur-
cbaEe OF the cottUn long time pzcvioas.
Els cl'iDs arc listened to, and finally the
cotton Is turoea over to bin. The profits Of
tue n1a'T arc supposed to be divided between
the ot1icials Who manipulate the matter, and
the c!aI1usnt, Who lB IN reality : E1Rn of
straw. It is capable OF proof that there have
been mani Ruch cases aloug the Mississippi
The Government furnishes the opportunity
for its officials to make money, but obtains
very little itself. The proceeds of reboi
property that should belong to the Govern
pent rally 70 INTO the hanus Of men alxays
without moral principal, and sometimes
thoroughly disloJaL
SUPPLYING THE REBzLs-REDEL TKsr1hoNT.
The vhole system Of trade Is reelsing with
corruption. The management Of the East
Indian government, iu its worst days, was
respectable comp11ed With that at present
undcr consideration The officials OF the
Government, and other dishonest men, are
making fortunes out Of The war while the ex-
istence OF the nation IL in peril. One Of the
worst features Of tho affair ia that the rebels
Themselves aro reapiug the harvest Of our
dishonesty. We are cerrupting our own peo-
pie ut the same ti.p tnat we are giving the
rebels much thkt they need for the prolonga-
tion Of the var. lind We at the outset rcso-
lutely shut own upon ali traffic below Cairo
there is little doubt that VIC should at pres
ent be in urdfsputed control Of the whole
Mississippi Valey. Our mistaken policy has
forces acattt red along in the vicinity Of our
lines to aid in the smuggling through those
lines and the escort Of goods to the rebel
armies. Such forces are easily clothed aad
shod by ourselves, while they draw their
heavy lati0us from the country where they
operate. To give rebel testimony on thus
point insert paragraph from recent let.
Ter to- the Atlantis Con}ederdey.
CLINTON, La June 20, 1851.
This district, suffering the ina1ctlon OF new
commandant. within learly every change OF the
moon, fs at last under the admtniatratfon o! Col.
John :. Scott, Of the 1et regiment Louisiana cav
and assuming something liks order and system il
~ jnss s now Ap ane trsde regulations" arc rather
supplies being refused and ali persons coming from
The eneny's lines beng rteioly searched by Yankee
The patriotic Indies evcn, who have been en-
neccssaries for soldiers and citizens, are ordered
to he t1Anlned BY committee Of colored females
Baton Rouge. This arrangement, howeYer is By
no ncan& efficient, az some Of tte more decent
sf1s on ,d TO SM ae to ,a
lested.
1t Is reasonable to suppose that It there
were no permission granted for trading in
the insnrrectionary districts, there would be
10 reason Tor those rebel posts SO near our
lines. II is pretty certain that We should be
rid Of much Of the disturbance along tue
forces.
THE PLANTATION SCHEME.
Early last year, when General Grant com
menced the siege Of Vicksburg, Adjutant
General Thomas Was sent from Washington
to organize negro troops, and to make ar
rangcments for cu1tiy8ting abandoned plan
tat}ons. The management Of the mntter was
given into the hands Of Nj. George Field,
Of St. Louis, who proceeded to lease such
plantations as were lying near onr lines.
some OF these placcs were successfully cultl-
vated, though the rebels made repeated raids
in exposed localities. During the latter part
Of '63, and the early portion Of '84 General
Thomas and Mr. Field held out great induce.
ments for Northern men to 60 South to cul-
tayste these plantations. It was set forth
that the Government wished to provide for
neg1oes in our lines, and could not do so as
cheaply In any other way. They. wished to
Dor, and to p1ant a loyal popu-
1atIon along the banks Of the river. In
der this state OF affairs Gen. Thomas said the
Government WIS willing to give protection
to all who would embark IN the enterprise.
Twenty thousand negro infantry and ten
thousand cavalry we're to be raised for this
purpose, and SO distributed as to form COM
plete protection to the plantations. General
Thomas was taken at Ms word, and the plan
tatlons were occupied in large numbers.
Somehow the promised protection Vas al-
ways "ju5t coming" but 1t ueyer. came. 1
few points were garrisoned with infantry in
small numbers, less rtau two thousand In
all + but there was never single company Of
cavalry raised for the purpose. The result
Was as might be expected, without protection
the plantations were plundered by gueril1as,
and the 1esees either driven of or killed.
Not one-twentieth Of the plantations leased
are now under full cultivation, and not onc-
fifth Of them are even occupied at I'LL
It will naturally be asked what Was said By
the agents Of the Government after the fall
ure OF all these promises! Gen. Thomas and
the other per6ons having the charge Of the
matter, were profase In their promises Of
~ Taun
to re-stock their places after they had been
once broken up: After the final raid several
gentlemen, who bad been sufferers By it, call.
cd upon Gen. Thomas, and briefly stated
what had. occurred. Tour correspondent
vas present at this interview. The General
listened to their recital and then said, tGen-
tlemen. Why do you come to me; what have
Control over .thcm.'f He was then asked
when the promised protection was
coming, and replied that he did not know as
he had no control over the troops In tho dis
trict. Nothing more was to be said, and the
were leaving one Of them asked, with touch
Of sarcasm, "wonld you advise US to re stock
our places again, General ~ Strange to say
the response WAS Ia the affirmative, but nc
one seemed inclined to act in accordance
with 1t.
OFFICIAL INTEREST N PLANTATIONS.
The attempt at eultivating plantations va!
premature to say the least. It seems untor
tunate that a high official speaking on beha1
Of the Government should make such profnst
promises TINT never were carried out, ant
probably never were designed to be. This i
not all. Gen. Thomas' relatives and friend
were interested in few plantations which
have been well protected. They arc inter
ested at Mlllikel's Bend where post ha!
been constantly kept. Gen. Thomas eot
has half interest in II Arnuidia'' plantation
near Vidalla, and 4 fourth interest tn "Whtte
hall" Mr. Field, who is an intimate frient
Of Gen. Thomas, has an interest in severn
plantations in tie vicinity, and also at Nh
iikeu's Bend. All these localities were vel
protected, while others were compelled Il
take care Of themselves. Whether any o
these favored places were visited in the re
cent raids nm unable to sat, but at the tim
I left the Lower Mississippi they had beel
but slightly disturbed Near Wa
terproof were several leased plantations
End fnr1y In MAY nGat Nas established there