The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1865-05-13
The Harris Court Martial.
(Press Dispatch.]


The Harris Court Martial.
(Press Dspatch.l
WASHINGTON, May 12-The court mar
tial for the trial of Benjamin Harris,
charged with violating the 56th article
of war, in harboring rebel soldiers, re-
sumed proceedings to-day.
General Sharpe was sworn as a wit
ness, and in reply to the questions OF the
Judge Advocate and counsel for the &c
cused said that he was designated by
General Grant to receive the rolls OF
Lees army, which he did, and had with
him the rolls OF the men reported for pa
role of Corse's brigade of Ricketts, divis-
ion, to which the Sd Virginia regiment
belonged. He didn't find the names OF
either Chapman or Read on the rolls, and
from the evidence of these he could not
saw whether the two men referred to
were paroled or not. He had evidence,
however, which he believed would show
that Chapman was paroled.
The latter statement was objected to
by the counsel of the accused.
The witness resuming, said the rolls
furnished the names of only 260 men OF
Corse's brigade, 40 of whom were of the
32d regiment, representing Companies A,
|C.E. +, n, I and NJ. Company I, TO-
which Chapman and Read professed to
belong, had only names of corporal and
two privates. The rolls we're furnished
by commanding officers of Lees army,
bat many of the commands were SO en-
tangled as to renderit impossible to spec
ify the differeut commands, as for in
stance the corps of Gen Early, at the
time of its surrender, was commanded
by Lieut.. Colonel. A. P. Hills corps
had been added to other commands, and
at the time of it's surrender did not ex-
ist. Besides, Just previous to the sur
render, a large number of men had left
Lees army for various reasons, some to
procure food, others to escape, and after
the terms were signed these men came
back in large numbers, to avail
themselves of the terms offered
Some of the troops were also abandoned
by their general officers, who left their
men to shift for themselves, thereby
compelling us to adopt the principle OF
permitting men to be taken up by any
commanding officer and paroled. Gen.
Lees Provost Marshal, Major Bradford,
took up great many, and General F1tz
Lee. commanding, directed his Adjutant
General, Capt Cox, with our permission
| to take up men of all commands and pa
| role them Before that in very many
| instances, when men had reported to be
| paroled, stating that they had no otil-
| GERS, they were sent back to the line Oh
| the enemy, with note authorizing any
officer to take them up and parole them
A large number of Lees army were not
paroled at Appomattox Court House,
He made these statements to show that
a mans name need not necessarily be
found Oh the rolls of his regiment, bri
gade or division, if parOled. The idea
was that if afterwards man desired to
obtain any favor rs paroled prisoner he
| must show as to who he is, &c The IA
cilities afforded by the Confederate off
GERS to carry out a system of parOling
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 paroled, II the
men we're present he would no doubt
soon find their names on other rolls
The Judge Advocate claimed the
examination of the rolls showed they
could not be regarded as testimony
The witness had shown that it was not
only not necessary for the names Of
Chapman and Reed to be on the rolls of
| the regiment rs paroled, but that it was
| very probable they we're on other rolls.
As the rolls were introduced by the de
| fence to discredit the testimony OF the
| witnesses after examination, he felt I'M
nelIed TO reject them as evidence. The
| counsel for the accused insisted it the
| men had been with their commands at
| the date of their surrender their names
wsnld appear on the rolls
The witness assuming, said that the
| rolls of Pickett's division were made out
| a week after the surrender. There was
| a great desire on the part of the Confed-
crates to get away at once, aud many
started without waiting for paroles, IN
| order to be first to pass through the sec
| tions where forage and subsistence might
he obtained When commissioners first
| went to Pickett's division they could do
nothing, as there was no one left to look
after it.
Counsel held that the Conrt should de.
eide whether witnesses, Chapman and
Read, were paroled soldiers or not: The
rolls did not show it, and he challenged
the Court to prove it. The Court was
cleared for elaboration On opening the
Judge Advocate stated that the Court
had decided to admit copy Of the rolls
as evidence.
Mr.. Harris then proceeded with his
defence to the court, stating that he was
in no way connected with the Mnd OF
naval forces of the United States, and
thst he had NOT committed suy odense