Charles City intelligencer. [volume] (Charles City, Floyd County, Iowa) 1864-1866, 1865-05-25
Alb. r. HILDRETH Editor.
Charles City, Iowa, May 25, 1865.
The u. s. Christian Commission.

II the statement OF letter in the
Worcester Spy be correct. the officers
and managers Of the United States
Christian Commission owe a public
apology to the American people for
the conduct of body of their agents
The letter OF which we speak asserts
that "a detachment of the United
States Christian Commission consist.
ing of seven" called to pay their "res.
pects" to Gen. Robert +. Lee. 1t was
unfortunate for these gentlemen that
President Jefferson Davis, and
Secretary" Benjamin, and "Sena.
tor" Wigfall had left Richmond Had
they remained. this detachment of scv.
Ell might have completed their hom-
age to abortive and bloody treason by
paying their respects" to the other
chief traitors-or as the New York
Tribune politely calls the rebel agents
in Canada, these distinguished Amer.
leans of the other party in our civil
war."-Harper's Heeh1y. g.
The loyal fathers, mothers, sisters,
wives, husbands, and sons in this
country have generously contributed
thousands and thousands of dollars to
the United States Christian Commits
sion for the purpose Of binding the
wounds, soothing the agony, aud
smoothing the dying pillows of brave
aud innocent men done To death by the
command of Robert T.. Lee. These
contributors have hoped also that they
might assuage some of the incunceiv-
able sufferings Of the poor victims at
Andersonville and Belle Isle. The
faithful hand and heart Of the country
have been opened at the cntreaiy of
the Christian Commission yet, if this
story be true, some of the agents of
this great beneficence have been eager
to lick the boots of the man who caus-
ed so much Of the sorrow which the
charity was intended to relieve. The
farmer in Vermont and Iowa who has
lost his brave boy before Richmond
did not give his hard-earued money 10
send men into that city to "pay their
respects Ia General Robert +. Lee :"
and the farmers and the contributors
everywhere are entitled to an expla-
nation of this extraordinary act.
The respects rendered to Robert L.
Lee by these seven Christian Commits
sioners might be somewhat modified
Ivy knowledge Of the testimony of,
fered before committee Of the War
Department by the late slaves of that
Generalissimo. They were formerly
held by Custis. who freed them at his
death, after which Lee insisted that
they should work for him FIVE years to
pay debt owed him by Custis, his
father.inlaw. The emancipa,cd
slaves were mutinous and several ran
away North, but were retaken aud re-
turned. and whipped terribly by the
overseer in the presence of Lee. This
cultivated gentleman ordered the
clothes of the men and women to be
cut off, in their refusal to take them
off to be hogged. and after the fog
ging ordered the gashes washed with
brine and rubbed down with corn
husks. This is what the General
probably did not tell the seven mem.
bers Of the Christian Commission, who
called to pay their respects. ...
p. S. Since the foregoing was put
in type We have the report that the
Christian Commission have rcpudia,
ted the misconduct of their agents
at Richmond. and the sycophantit
agents have been discharged