Journal of freedom. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1865-186?, 1865-10-28
WASHINGTON, Wednesday,
Oct. IS, 1866.

WASHINGTON, Wednesday,
Oct. IS, 1865.
j. M. Broadhead, Second Controller of
the Treasury, has addressed to the Pay
master General communication embrao-
ing a very important decision of the
Attorney General, disposing of the mat
ter of bounties to colored soldiers, which
involves the disposition of an immense
amount of money. The following is the
communication:
FSIR: This Office, on the Goth ultimo,
submitted to the Secretary of the Treasu-
ry the views entertained here upon GER
tain questions relating to the bounties to
which colored soldiers heretofore em-
ployed in the service of the United States
were entitled by law, and requested that
the opinion of the Attorney General
might be obtained thereon. The Attor-
ney-General, in very able and elabo-
rate opinion, concurs with this Office, sub
stantially affirming that ,colored soldiers,
entering the military service, were In all
cases to be treated as freemen at the date
Of their acceptance into the service, and
that there was upon the statute books no
law either forbidding their employment
in the army, or, with the exception of
the brief period of 10 days, intervening
between the passage of the act of June
Is and that Of July 4, 1864, creating, on
account of color, any distinction in the
pay, allowances or bounty to which SOL
diers were entitled. From the most
trustworthy information, it is believed
that few if any colored volunteers en-
listed during the interval of 19 days
above alluded to, and the anomalous le-
gislation of section 2, act of June Is,
1864, will, therefore, deprive few if any
soldiers of bounty. The Attorney Gene
raj sums up his argument in the follow
ing conclusions. -
l. That persons of color who may haye
acquired their freedom by the provisions
Of the act of July II, 1862, and who
were mustered into the military service
prior to the 18th of June, 1864, are en-
titled to receive the bounty allowed by
law for volunteers.
2. That parsons Of color who may have
escaped from Slavery after the passage of
the act uf July II, 1862, and who may
have been mustered into the military SER
vice before the 18th of June, 1864, and
the time of their enlistment, are entitled
to receive the bounty payable by law to
volunteers.
3. That all persoas of color emancipated
by the Presidents proclamation of Janu-
ary l, 1868, who, after the date of that
proclamation, and before the 18th of June,
1864, enlisted and were mustered into the
service as volunteers, are entitled to like
bounty,
4. That all persons of color mustered
into the service, after 18th June, 1864, are
entitled to receive respectively, such sums
in bounty as the Presidentmayha have ordered
in the different States, not exceeding $1OO.
5. That all volunteers received into the
service after July 4, 1864, are entitled to
receive the same bounty for term Of enlist
ment without regard to color.
1t will be perceived that in these i've
points, which were in reply to specific
questions from this Office, the rights of
colored soldiers who may not have been
free on the 10Th of April, 1861, and yet
volunteered between that date and the
passage of the act of July II, 1862, are
not embraced. The Attorney General,
however, says elsewhere in his opinion, in
treating of the second section, act of June
Is, 1864, which had been thought by some
to have deprived colored soldiers of boun.
ty, that :" the letter of that provision does
not affect the rights vested under the laws
in force at the time of their enlistments
which, as has been seen, gave the same
bounty to colored troops rightfully received
into the service, as was accorded to white
troops;" and furthermore still, his opinion
states unhesitatingly that enlistment in the
Union army makes the slave qmo-iestant
freeman forever, entitling him to be
placed on footing with white volunteers
You are therefore respectfully requested K
direct payments of bounties hereafter il
conformity with the foregoing decision
! allowing to eolored soldiers wherever, ant