Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1865-12-23

ana sOldlors OF inc army IN inc
property Of the country, but IL is
my high privilege to say that in six
wocks or two months that We were
cngagcdin this campaign upon Red
River, not II single officer or soldier
Of the army entered upon any spec
ulation directly or indirectly, or had
any share, or advantage, or interest
whatever in the property Of the
country, No parties but the officers
Of the navy and men Of the navy
wcro'cngagcd in this business. They
organized transport trains, manned
by marines; they went into tho in
terror, six eight and ten miles; where
the cotton was bNggcd they took it'
where it was loose they bagged it;
where it was. unginncd they put in
operation, with their mechanics, tho
cotton-gins, and cleanscd the cotton
for the purpose Of making the seiz-
urc. in passing our lines they
threatened to shoot our mon who Oh.
structed their movements, and du-
ring the whole time they were upon
the river they were engaged in these
operations,
The Supreme Court will tell you
whether this course was in consis.
tcncy with law and duty or not
OF that have nothing to say, for
there is nothing in my carecrwhich
requires me to defend myself or the
men associated with mcby criticism
or condemnation Of others. We
stand upon our own merits or de-
merits, and not ut all upon the fail
ings or default Of those with whom
we have been associated. Before
entering upon this expedition l not
flied, by written communication
every officer connected with the or
ganization of the army-thc quar-
tormaster and the commissary, the
treasury officers of the United States
and Provost Marshal General of the
State of Louisiana-that under no
circumstances would any person be
permitted to accompany the army
for the purpose of trade, that under
no circumstances would single dol
lars worth Of property be allowed
to 60 ont Of the country except it
were in the custody Of the Quarter
master, to be by him turned over to
the Treasury Agents, and be ac-
counted for to the Treasury of the
United States; and I have the pleas
urc of saying, at this late day, after
much misunderstanding and more
misrepresentation upon tho subject,
that during this campaign there was
not a dollars worth of property of
any sort or kind that came into pos
session Of the army, its officers or
its soldiers, that was not applied to
the use of the army, in kind, or was
not, in accordance with my instruc-
tious, turned over to the Quarter
master, and by him turned over to
the Treasury officers of tho United
States, who gave receipts for it; that
there is not an officer of the army
high or low, or anybody connected
with the expedition, so far as the
land force was concerned, that were
not as free, and are to-day as free,
from any complication with any
speculation or any share of this
property, as auy individual, lady or
gentleman, in this assembly. i say
it for the honor of the army, for the
honor Of the Government, and in
vindication of my own career. I
should regret if l were obliged to
stand here before you and confess or
admit for q moment that | had been
engaged in any operation of this
kind, or that the men of my com
mand had been so engaged
On the contrary it gratifes me to
say that in that campaign, while we
lost as little as was possible under
the circumstances, while we encoun
tered the enemy at every point with
resolution and success, never evad-
ing fight if fight was possible,
we gave to the support of the coun-
try everything that could be drawn
from that country which was the
property of the enemy. Thisstate-
ment will be indicated by the his
tory Of the expedition, and in be-
half OF the men engaged in it l say,
that while was unsuccessful, and
therefore unfortunate; and while il
was as unwise as it was unsuccess-
full, there is not man living who
has engaged in it who will MOTTO the
end of his life, have reason to be
proud, not only Of the condition OF
the army, but Of the reputation
which it bore at thS close of that
memorable campaign.
BRowNLowIsM.-From the Match
ez Courier, we clip the following:l
If he (Parson-Governor BrPfR,
low,) were to be seized by qtfSlS
collie, which would render him in.
ocuous, the country would have
reason TO be pleased.-Mobie 7rib.
une.
Pleased, no doubt of it. But we