New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-05-23

Sickles and Hancock wounded. and Gen. Me.ds mai.
IS commander Of tho army That since thu TINA tina
corps commanders have not boon all equJ N tbsi,
position. and consequently the army had besnlsss eeO
:, tive in its operations
no Committee also give tho results OF their norr,,f
OF ne Red River expedition. saying in conclusio,,
YCSs committee would state that while the ob,.o,
had in view b, Gen Halleck in urging this expedite,
was military one with tho expectation perhaps A..
comprising some important political result by til, &C.
cupation OF some point in Texa< the General command
ing the expedition (Bank) appear to have had in viw
the two objects Of carrying out Vres for the est.
lishment Of State Government in Texs and Of aor.
ing egess for cotton and other produ, of that
gi0n OF country and many Of the witnesses express
opinion, in which the Committee concur that the
tenon directed to the Accomplishment Of those objects
exerted most unfay influence upon the expe
dtion.
This expedition presented many remarkable features
1t undertaken without the direction Of any one 80
fat az the evidence shows. The authorities at
Washington did not furnish the troops which the
General commanding the expedition considered
necessary for the purpose but suggested that they
might be obtained q matter of favor from Gems.
Grant, Sherman and Steele; and it appears from the
evidence that Gen. Sherman loaned" for tao expedi.
tion 10000 men for 30 days. under the command Of
j. Smith. The only orders cmanating from Washing.
ton In relation to the expedition. developed by the
evidence. were those Of the President contained in
permit be gave 10 Casey and Butler Ito go up Red
River aud purchase cotton" In which he directs tho
officers Of tie army and navy to furnish such assistance
might be desirable. In tho absence Of all orders
curing this expedition to be undertaken and after the
refusal Of the authorities at ashington to furnish the
troops asked for it entered upon by the Command
ing General, as shown by the evidence, against his
judgment and in the belief that it must necessarily fall
and prosecuted at an immense sacrifice OF prop
ery If life and of valuable time after tho development
Of "a that utterly precludod o.! hopes Of success 1t
did not seek to accomplish any distinctly
avowed military object, aud military
move nent 1t seems to have been conducted without
capacity discretion Its only results in addition to
the digrscofn military disasters that attended it, were
Of a commercial aud political character. The CON-
nercial transactions conducted BY those who
,scended Red River. by authority Of the Presidents
PERMIT as before stated. and In part by spectators
Who without any permit or other authority 80 fir as Is
shown By the evidence Of the Commanding General
came Up on tie headquarters boat Of the army bringing
with them baggng and rope for the cotton they might
secure. The political transactions were shown by the
ho,cog OF elections in the camps of tho army whhe
engaged in the expedition WITH the view Of reorgsnk-
ing civil government in Louisiana. The attempt to
do this was clearly a uslrpation on the part
OF the military authorities, the execution VI
which was as weak aad inefficient as the
attempt improper and illegal TIE report Is
signed BY b. f. Wade, Chairman, 2. Chandler Geo.W.
Jullar and b. +. Loan. ID. ". Gooch dissents from
the views Of the majority Guiding his report as fol-
lows: Whatever there may have been oil feeling be-
twee the army and the hayy in relation to the seizure
OF cotton, Examination ali the testiil) ny VIII slow
that The military operations we're not Dc ,ei or inter;
fered with by aAy operations in cotton. The delays at
the points where these opeyat ons carried out
occasone wholly by other Durng the progress
OF the expedition meetings we're held at two places
Alexandria aah Grand Ecorc. for the election OF dele
gates 20 convention then ebctt meet for the organ
cation Of u State Government Louisiana. 1t does
not appear that any offs or lr etc. anybody con-
neccd with the expedition any way. 'r.eriered with
or participated in these eeoto-, that they caused
IL. slightest delay to tho ,ments Of the army or
navy or Influenced or con,rlel tn expedition in ths
slightest degree.
III, Committee. in their ruort on the Fort Fisher
expedition, Soy; Prom all thetesngrv before them.
that the determination of Gen. Butler Not assault
the fer. have been fully stied by al the facts
and then known aterward ascertaned
Tho Committee On the subject ofLight Draft Mon.
ito-s say: When !. was found thai hesc vessels
failures a. originally designed and constructed Mr.
Sinners was removed from the position he had held ia
relation to them. and they were PLACED IN charge 81
other officers and altered recommended By the Com
nlltee pointed to examine them. The five changed
into irl do DO It's altered at cost run $50 0O0 To
SO GO ch. The other 10 altered at from
$50 600 e. sl00 900 EACH With these alterations they
would appear to be very servceable class vessels.
,Lopgh no soryiceabc they should be- considering
the cxpcntire - time and money upon their cnstruc
ton. Excsp, i.osc fitted up torpedo boats, which
lre Of but Atle GtAv your Committee cannot .efrln
rom the expression the opinion that 1t ungse
order the construction oi many vessels upon pre-
cisely the same plan without first testing the
questions involved by the construction OF one
or two at least carving them so far forward 10
completion 10 enable the department to understand
and remedy the defects which hare been shown to or
list In those light.draii monitors.
The Committee having examined the subject OF tho
massacre of the Cheyenne indians, say Is difficult 10
believe that beings in the form Of men and dsgraeins
the uniform OF United States soldiers could commit or
the commission Of such acts OF cruelty or
barbarity as arc detailed in the testimony There
were hostile Indians not far distant against whom Col
Chrington could have led the force under his CON-
mand. They conclude as foowV
"Your Committee most sincerely trust that the result
O! their inquiry will be the adoption Of measures which
will render impossible the employment Of officers civil
and military such as have Heretofore made the admin
stration of Indian affairs in this country byword and
reproach and your Committee are OF opinion that for
the purpose Of indicating the cause Of justice and up
holding tho honor Of the nation prompt and energetic
measures should be at once taken t. remove from oco