Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1865-05-12

about the commencement of the rebellion leay-
Ing his family to be supported BY the charits-
BILE citizens, returned to Boonsboro' on Tues.
day, when he was waited upon, by the COM
mittee and ordered to leave in fifteen minute,
which he did in half that time.
- THE HARRIS COURT MARTIAL.
At the close of our report of the Harris case
yesterday, General Sharpe, member OF the
General lfQae9m sgly Assistant Provost Marshai
headquarters for the rolls Of the sd Virginia
regiment, to which Sergeant Chapman and
private Read, witnesses for the prosecution,
professed TO belong, and the court had taken
recess until one O'Clock. -'''
Sharpe having returned with the rolls, was
sworn as witness, and in reply to the ques-
items OF the Judge Advocate and the counsel
by General Grant to receive the duplicate rolls
OF General Lees army. He did receive them
so. ,aros ~ Gnqse,s brinsSe of Picnsi,l Siv
SION. to which the 32d Virginia regiment be-
icnged. He did not find the names Of either
Sergeant Chapman or private Read on the
role, and from the evidence Of those papers he
could not say whether the two men referred
TO were paIOled or not. he had other evidence,
however, which he believed would show that
Chapman was parOled.
The latter statement was objected to as being
introduced aS evidence by the counsel for the
: Witness resuynins said that the rolls fur
nishsd the names OK only go men Of Corse's
brigade, DC of whice were of the 32d regiment,
representing companies A, q, f, f, H, and
K. Go. K, to which Chapman and Read pro.
fessed to belong, had only the names OF a cor
poral and two privates The rolls were fur
army, bat many OF the Commands were 50 dis
integrared. as to render it tmpossible to specify
the different commands, as tor instance, the
surrender, was commanded By l.. Colonel
An attempt had also been made about that
time TO reorganize Lees army, and this had
produced 30 much confusion that many OF the
officers did not know to what commands they
belonged. A. 2. Hills corps had been merged
into other commands, and at the time OF the
. to the surrender large number of men had
left Lees army for various reasons, some to
procure food and others to escape, and after
the terms We're signed these men came back In
large numbers 20 avail themselves Of the lib
erai terms offered. On returning they would
end that their own particular commands had
left Appoma ttox Court House. Some of the
troops were also abandoned by theiT General
officers almost immediately after tie surren-
Der, Lea wing their men to shift tor themselves,
merely compelling us to adopt the principle
.of permitting men to be taken up by any COM
manding officer and baparoled. -.
,a1d e1 ae Lees Provost Marshal, Major Brit
ioto, tock up a great many, and General Fftz
Lee, upon coming In, detailed his Assistant
AdIutant General, Captain Coke. with our
ma nds and parole them. Before that, in very
numerous instances, when men had reported
70 oe Phloleo, stating that they had no ofhcer,
t1ey were cent back to the lines OF the enemy,
VIII note authorizing any commanding
officer to take them mp ana parole them. 4
al Appomattox Court House, but at fyncn-
burg and along the Southside railrcad The
original papers were signed by the convention
On ootn sides, and included IL the terms OF
surrender all troops operating with the army
CT Virginia on the sth ulE. ~
rnaa g name need not necessarily be found on
che rolls OF his regiment, brigade, or division,
If paroled. The IDEA was that If afterwards
man desired to obtain any favor as paroled
prisoner he must make reference himself as to
Q where his name is to be found. There were
men paroled at Appomattox Court House
Wnose names were not on the rolls, because the
rolfs had been forw arded to Gen. Lee. Several
Gays previous to the surrender, q large portion
OF Picketfs division was captured, Including
ten. Corse. commanding the brigade TO
-vSa.c1 the s2d Va. regiment belonged, and at
1.-The surrender there were found remaining In
-ede division only i've officers, one Surgeon,
Of effcers were intended to be made by brig.
AIDES. but the disintegration was so great that
these i've were all the officers of the division
left, including the brigade stats. Gen Fields
division was the only one Of Longstreet's corps
that was found in decent shape. The faciii-
ties afforded by the Confederate Off GERS to carry
oct the system OF parole were very deficient
The fact that the names Of Chapman and Read
were not on the rolls OF their regiment was no
proof that they were not p rolled. II the men
were present be would no doubt soon find
their names on other rolls.
The Judge Advocate claimed that the exam
lcntion Of the rolls showed that they could not
De regarded as competent testimony. The wit
ness had shown that it was not only unneces-
safy FIR the names OF Chapman and BEAD TO
DC OF the rolls of their regiment if paroled but
tnat II was very probable that they were on
other rolls. As the rolls were introduced by
the defence to discYedit the testimony OF the
witnesses Chapman and Read, after the ex.
smnation he feit impeIied to reject them as
evidence.
4, The counsel for the accused insisted tina. II
the men mad been wi their command at the
date of the surrender their names would ap.
pear On the rolls. ST.
The witness resuming, said that the rolls OF
fieket's division were made out a week after
SSe surrender There was q great desire on
the part Of the Confederates to get away st
once; ana many started without waiting for
paroles, in order to be the first to pass through
the sections where forage and subsistence
might be obtained. When the commissioners
hrst went to Picketts division they could do
nothtng, as there was no one left to look az
The counsel held that the court should de.
eide whether the witnesses Chapman aad
n re, were paIoled soldiers or not. The rolls
did not show 1t, and he challenged the court
The court was cleared for deliberason. On
re.opening, the Judge Advocate stated that
the court had decided 70 admit a COW Of the
rolls as evidence.
.. Harris then proceeded TO read his defence
nected with the land or naval forces Of the
United States, and that he bad not committed
any offence He had not harbored the pris.
onefs, and Ii had been proven that they did not
lodge at the house in which they stated they
mad. He said that they stated to him they were
paioied prisoners, and asked for lodging. He
oeing actuased by desire to gat rid OF them,
snd knowing their poverty, gave each OF them
81 70 pay LOT q lodging at the hotel, to which
% he told them to return
The Judge Advocate Than -asa HE aeon
Ment, and at 5 O'Clock the court adjourned.
tbs morning the court met ,or Tho nnrncaa
OF hearing me evidence read over. preparatory
TO teetr decision, which will be made in sScrS,
session and published in general orders A.
some future date. ~