The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1866-08-24

suites, WHEN the bONGiillISlll, through
each Congress, is giving away millions
of acres of public lands to corpora
tions.
Major General Absolom Baird is the
Assistant Commissioner Of Louisiana,
and was also in military command of
the department when we visited it
He has undoubtedly improved upon
the administration of Mr.. Conway.
TEXAS.
The facilities for travelling in Texas
being gsolirnited, and the State so large,
we found it impossible to make such
an investigation as would enable us to
report fully upon thecondition ofaifairs
/ in that department.. The headquarters
/ Of the Bureau are located at Galveston,
and few agents are stationed in the
most accessible and populous parts Of
! the State. As to the condition of af-
! fairs in the interior, we were unable to
/ obtain accurate infOrmation, either
4 from the agents Ofthe Bureau or from
any other sources. We visited Rich
mond and Houston, where we met sey-
eral Of the agents. from other districts,
who were there in attendance on a
/ c0urt-mUtial.
At Richmond, Captain Sloan, the a.
gent Of the Bureau, Is engagedin plant
ing, in connection with his former
clerk, Captain Porter, and an eX-oflicer
of the Rebel army, Captain Mitchell.
Captain Sloan denied under oath, that
he was or ever had been interested in
the plantation Of Messrs. Porter and
Mitchell, but Major Pearson, comman-
dant Of the troops Il, this post, and Dr..
Boyd, Post Surgeon, both subsequent
~ SW0re before Us that Captain Sloan
told them repeatedly he was interested
in the farm, and had mentioned to
them the amount he expected to real
izeby it. Complaints were made to Us
by other persons that Captain Sloan
had employed the power Of the Bureau
to take negroes from their plantations
and place them on his own. We APP
pend the testimony taken in this case,
marked &C."
Among the agents we met at fIous-
ton was Lieut.. c. +. Hardenbrook,
First V. R. c., agent at Beaumont, JEFF
ferson county, who ostated to Us that the
freedmen were doing well in his dis
trict, and that the disposition of the
people was very fair. Most of the
freedmen We're engaged in herding
stock, and were paid from so to SO a
month in coin. He subsequently, men
toned that he had recently arrested
DR.. Houston, citizen in his district,
on the report of a freedman that the
Doctor had said he did not regard his
parole; but finding it was impossible to
obtain evidence against his prisoahrs
he had been obliged to release him.,
This officer reported to Us other actions
of his own equally absurd as this, sat
isfying Us he was utterly incompetent
for his posi- ion.
Having heard unfavorable reports
from the Brennan district, we exam
ined the agent, Captain :. \. Craig,
seventeenth veteran reserve corps,
whom we-als0 met at Houston. He
stated that his predecessor, Lieut.. -Ar
mold, Of the 18th Illinois cavalry, had
kept no records, and left nothing in the
Office but a lis, of contracts and a file
of orders, and he could give Us no il-
formation Of his official acts. We are
satisfied that most Of the complaints
made against Captain Craigare ground
less.
AIl the Bureau agents in Texas eXcr-
else judicial powers in both civil and
criminal cases, and in the discharge of
these arbitrary and dangerous func-
tions frequently arrest and imprlson
respectable citizens upon mere rumor.
Captain Sloan, the Bureau officer at
Richmond, before alluded to, while at
Galveston, out Of his district, arrested
Il respectable citizen and pui him in
prison, on the plea thuthc wanted him
as ii witnes, in case which he only
knew from rumor would be brought
before him.
Ten Of the thirty-fEc agents in this
State are citizen planters. one OF them,
Col. McConnaghe, agent in Thornton
county, was formerly Il Colonel in the
Rebel army, and was appointed an a
gent OF the Bureau by General Grego-
~. then Assistant Commissioned the
State, while still unpardoned.
We heard many rumors with respect
to Gen. Gregory himself being engag-
cd in planting, but on investigaiionwe
concluded that these statements were
unfounded. While we believe Gen.
Gregory to have been honest in his adj
ministratjon, we think his extreme
views and policy produced iji-fe4iing
and bitterness between the whites and
blacks.
So far Is we saw or were able to get
information in Texas, the freedmen
were working well and the crops were
very promising. The wages paid-aIl
the payments being made in specie
were better than in any ether depart
Eent.
Brevet Major Gen. J. B. Kiddoo is
a. ,,rar,rt 4 k,c;c+aot I,op,,y,;..;,,,aY