, 1866-05-09

laced by any action Of The Department, at the t
eou.st Or tor the b. nett OF returning rebels.
The Secretary OF War. In hts communication q
10 The President, encloses several reports
Among them, ore from the Adjusant Gener- I
Ia pertaining 10 the restoration Of property,
as defined ii the resolution Of inquiry. Quar-
termasteaVGe1erl Melga es7s the railroads
captured and held Is military necessity Es-o
been returned to he companies under Exeen-
Of October, 1865, md those in the Atlantic
States under orders Of the War Department.
all on condition Of reorgzn1zjng and elect.
Ing loyal hoarda oi directors and giving
bonds satisfactory to tho Government that
they would, within a reasonable time, pay VI
fair valuation for the Government property
turned over to said companies and sold to
them on credit.
<sMajor General Dslafleld, Chief Of the En-
Eeer Department, says that the department
sa5 e91ssa 10 70 be sssd on nnas1 he
has been taken from the officers Of the Corps |
Of Engineers and returned to the enemies Of |
the Government who claimed 10 be the orig1-
nal owncrs. The Department has, however,
taken possession Of large tracts Of lands and
military necessity and occupied tho same With
temporary works, which, ceasing to be need
cd OF used for offensive and defensive prr-
poses, have been dlsmantled aud the movable
parts sold On account Of the United States,
except In cases where the loyal owners agree
to receive the usual buildings as discharge
Of all claims on their part ssainst the
United States for use, damage, DC, In which
case their property Wns returned to them On
this understanding.
his Office show only one case where captured
property received BIZ the Department has been
returned to any one. This was machinery
captured at Macon, Ga, which has been re-
turned to the former owners on the applica-
ton Of RriEadieE. General ]; D. Webster re-
General Howard, Of the Freedmen's Bu-
rcau, gives list Of the property seized IN
der the act Of July II, 1862, aud subsequently
restored to former owners. The greater por-
tion Of the property OF this character Is situ-
ated in Virginia, and was formally set apart
for the use Of refugees and freedmen By CIR
4 cular. It became apparent, however, that
| much OF It bud been improperly seized, aud
10 avoid injustice action under the circular
was temporarily suspended. Part Of this
pari the proceedings had reached decree Of
ever, was actually sold. On september IL,
1865, circular one, series OF 1855, was Issued
to govern the action OF the Bureau respect.
Ing property. This circular. originally draft
cd by the commissioner, WAS submitted to
the President, who materially amended 1t,
and It as promulgated rs received from him
With respect to property seized under the
act Of July II, 1sGo, this circular declares
that 1t shall be regarded as confscated only
nltcr IN aetual sale has taken place, ane
directs Assistant Commissioners Of the Bn
rcau to restorelt when 1t appears sattstacto
ri1y that 1t has not been confscated. Sucl
property has, therefore, been restored upol
proof that proceedings sgainst @ Il nna eee, ss,,,
, records Of the Office do not show whethc
| parties to whom such property has been re
stored were connected with the army Of til
, so-called Confederate States, or Whethe
they ,,,n Eays nla ,,sss, ana namasd s0mfo5t sas
hs esa,s 5ssseS 81 a Gsns5a Aea in soa st
Carolina, was restored by order of Majo
+ General sicklcs, commanding the depart
8 | mcnt. Three estates were surrendered IL
!. The reason that they were nQt actually ab AZ
. doncd. Or the remainder, some were give
$ because very few freedmen were rcsiden
: upon them, and those conld be more adva1
{ tagcously located elsewhere: The othel
: were restored after mutually satistnctor
5 agreements had been entered into betwce
); the freedmen md the former owner
!. embraced en- &c IN n General sherman's i'el
!, for the action taken By The Bures
in respect to them was derived from the |
struettons Of the President, contained N Ge
Orders No. .t 49, an1on from the Wsr yl Deps51
= property held under the act Of July 1S62, al
The abandoned property actually alloItcd
= resident freedmen, comprising but snl:
& portion Of tltc entire amount which, the B
i. rcau has held In It's possession. In Angu:
N 1865, m application was received from 3.
p, Lake, Of Tennessee, foreign soldier Of t
ee rebel army, rho had received . special p.
= don. His property was clearly abandone
if and his application was not granted. An q
!, pcal was made 10 the President, and On t
10th OF August, was received at the Bure
cs with the following endorsement:
~ EXECUTIVE OFFICE, Anc. 16. 1867
10, hs Respectfully returned 10 the ComrulssioneEs
no The records Of this otl]cc ahoH thst D. 2. l:
n Was specially pasdoned by the President en- the
er ui., nd thereby resto:ed to al renis q pr
isst % he Possession Of Us aieperi!
A., wllhheld from him. have therefore to direct
Gen. Flsse. As.tstant comm1ssionss 9. a. Na:nsi
The Bureau OF Freedmen. &c.. TO reltnap'sh pos:
rion oithe propeF.y q Nj; Lake; held BY MIN
,r. ANDREW JonNsoN, Prea't of the 9.
In complying with these definite instr
lev Nons, tho Bureau has been compelled to 2
ne. der Its control, except In the very tow. CT
lty / where the property has been actually 8
.ss- under the act OF July 10, 1852; and in t
, Of ! portion Of South Carolina and Georgia
.se- lraced 10 the PROVISIONS oA uen. cHelAa
kct field order, No. %, lis tennfe OF pfoperty
nv. been tco uncertain to justify allotment
IL. freedmen. In addition to the property sic
inr under tte act of 1872, aud abandoned pro-
oye " allotted to freedmen, four hundred tht
us and acres Of abandoned lands mol allotted
Ial, freedmen have been restored 10 tofmef 0
son crs.
an REcAprruLAr1os.-Pro seized III
otel | the act OF July, 1861, and restored by the
Dcr. reau, 14.l5e acres; abandoned property
uer, | lottcd to freedmen aud restored by the
to | reau, 3,G52 acres; abandoned property
per, al.otled 10 1teeaineI, 1sst0Isu o uy tne bul
past | 4O0.OUU acres. lo!ol a1o, lo4 acEes'
the The message aud accompanying acean
nc, we're !ald on Inc taoie ano olocaeu u
and [ printed,