The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-06-16

In the issue of the PhHaie, yester-
day morning, we published IL special
despatch to the Charleston Cotrier.
In reference to the report of Gems.
Steedman and Fullerton as to the
management of the Freedmen's Bu-
reau in this State. Tue New York
Herald, of Wednesday. brings us the
official report Of these officers, from
which, in justice to all parties, we
make the subjoined extracts The
report is very elaborate and the re-
commentators as to the Sea Island
!..nds have been correctly reported
by telegraph. We quote:
The first point in South Carolina
where we commenced our investiga.
tions was Columbia. Here We found
Bgevet Brigntlicr- General Ely, sub
Assistant Commissioner Of the Bu-
ren1', who has charge of district
which embraces IN indefinite num-
ber of counties. We were unable to
obtain from him (, statement of the
extent of territory over which he pre-
sided, for the reason that he himself
did not know the limits of his juris-
dlctl"n. This officer is quite extern
slvcly engaged in the cultivation of
plantations. His planting interests
i'll the vicinity of Columbia required
so much of his time that. in one in
stance Mt least, we found he had seri-
ously neglected his duties General
Ely stated to us that he was cult
vatinG two plantations on Govern
ment account, leased by himself rs
bureau agent, at c;tsn rent of
900 year. On three other plan
tatlons, hc stated that he had put
freedmen to work, and furnished
them with Cover, .mcnt raticns, Which
were to be paid for ont Of their crops
One OF these plantations, he after
wards said, had been rented by VIM.
B. Shepley, of the 23th Ohio infan-
try, who had been u clerk in his
office. He General Ely had put
the freedmen to work on the planta-
ton while Shepley was away az his
home, and had promised to give
them onc-half of the crop.
\ delegation OF freedmen subsc-
qucntly called on us and stated that.
III addition to the two plantations
which General Ely was cultivatinc on
Government account, he was also
planting on his own account the
farms Of Robert Joiner and A. NJ.
Hunt. This delegation further stated
that twenty-nine colored persons,
men, women and children, suffering
from smallpox, were crowded into
one room about twenty feet by TWEEN
ty-four in size. and placed on the bare
floor, with no bedding, While their
only covering WAS the blankets thcv
had brought with them. These poor
creatures We're left in this condition
several days, some Of them dclirious.
with only one black woman to attend
them, and without any nourishment
but meat and meal. \ number OF
respectable old rolored people. at
tackled with smallpox, wero thus
taken from their comfortable homes
and placed i'll this room to die of ne-
glect. One of this delegation as
snre'l us that he called to see General
Ely ON several different days to inform
hlm o! the suffering condition of The
freedm - II thc smallpox hospital,
o1id WAS told on each occasion that
the General could not be seen. as lie
Was absent attending to his plunta-
tlon>. This neglect Of duty by Gen
er:'l Ely was complained OF in n,
letter written Ivy Beverly NASH, a CO.
lored man, and published in a
Charleston paper devoted to the III
tcrests of the freedmen After the
publication Of the letter, General E.lv
told Nash he did not like such state
ments made about him, and wished
the freedmen t" get up some rcsolu-
tons denying the truth of the aileeu-
tlonS preferred. which they refused
to uu.
From Columbia We proceeded to
Charleston, the headquarters of the
Bureau for South Carolina, where
W" met Brig. Cen Il. X. Scott, the
Assistant Commissioner We found
him t" bean energetic ana competent
officer, iahorlnS to correct the mis-
takes aud blunders of his preueccs-
sor. Although he h:ts been on duty
N th!s department but short time.
he has produced :, marked change for
til" better IN tEc administration OF
the affair ui the Hnrr.:I We
callcd =, his Office for the pur-
pose of examining thc records
OF the Bureau. but were informed
that I'LL books. papers. records
and documents, pertaining to the