The Norfolk post. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1865-1866, 1866-02-07
CONDITION OF THE SOUTH.
REPORT OF GENERAL sHERMAl

HEfOkI Of tENEbAL cHEhMAN.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 2. The President
sent to the Senate to-day the following
message:
To the Senate ofthe United Syates:--In
answer to the resolution of the Senate,
of the 30th ultimo, requesting the Presi-
dent, If not incompatible with the pub
lie interest, to communicate to the
Senate, q copy of the late report of Major
General Sherman upon the condition of
the states in his Department, jim which
he has lately made tour of inspection,
l transmit herewith, copy of COM
munication, dated December %, 1865,
addressed to the Headquarters of the
Army by Major General Sherman, com
handing the Military Division of the
Mississippi.
(Signedl ANDREW JOHNSON.
Washington, February 2, 1866.
HgaDo'Rs MILITARY DIVISION OF TIE MISSISSIPPI
ST.. LOUIS. No.. December %, 1865. !
To Gen. j. II. Ra,olins, Chefcf-saf, Wdshngton d. c.
GENERAL: have just returned from
partial inspection of the Department
of Arkansas. 1t was my purpose to
have extended my visit up to Fort
| Smith, but the Arkansas river was too
low, and l limited it to Little Rock.
The route usually travelled remain SUBJ
stantially as it was during the war, by
| way or White river to DuvaIIs Bluff,
and hence forty-eight miles of railroad
to Little Rock. The Arkansas river is
/ at all seasons to preeariOus to be relied
on, but the White river, lying in the
albion of the Mississippi, retains at all
seasons depth of water Of three and q
half feet as far up as Duvall's Bluff. The
railroad hence to Little Rock Is as good
enough in condition for all present pur-
poses, and has been restored to the pos
session OF the company who built 1t, and
| Is operated to the satisfaction of General
Reynolds and his chief quartermaster,
Colonel Noble. It would contribute
much to our military convenience, as
well as to the general interests of the
State of Arkansas, If the railroad could
be finished to Memphis.
saw Mr.. r. G. Brinkley, ofMemphis.
President of the railroad company, VINO
seemed very anxious to finish 1t, but
said the company had lost SO much by
the war that, unless he could receive
help from the Govern .nent, lie feared
he could not undertake it. Tie road was
| once in operation from Memphis to Mad
ison, on the st Frances river, with a
fine bridge completed over that stream,
and at the time of the Federal army oc.,
cupying Memphis, i'm 1862, he had one
thousand tons of railroad iron on hand.
ready to be applied ON the unfinished
section between Madison and Duvall,s
Bluff, but this iron was taken by us and
carried away to Columbus, Kentucky.
and used in repairs on the Mobile and
Ohio railroad, then in our military pos
session from Columbus to Corinth. The
costly bridge over the st. Frances was
burned by the Rebel General Hindman.
Mr.. Brinkley agreed if we could help
him to grade the road from Madison to
DuvalPs Bluff, and to cut in the woods
along the line the necessary number of
ties, lie would undertake to purchase on
credit the necessary quantity of iron, and
to construct the bridges necessary to
make continuous railroad from Mem
phis to Little Rock. General Reynolds
has now at Helena three colored repi-
ments, at Pine Bluff one and at Little
Rock another. He could easily apply
the labor of two or more regiments to
the grading of this road and in getting
out the ties, and Mr.. Brinkley agrees to
pay for this labor in land belonging to
the company lying adjacent to the road.
Generals Reynolds, commanding the de-
partment, and Sprague, commissioner
for freedmen in Arkansas, approve
heartily of this plan, and 1 think we
are sufficiently interested in this mat
ter to encourage it by all means: ac-
cordingly l ask that, unless it be pro-
posed to muster out the colored repi-
ments, that the War Department will
sanction the plan SO far as to authorize
General Reynolds to order the execu-
ton of the work during the present. win
ter and spring months. found all the
troops in Arkansas in good condition
and well commanded, General Reynolds
being admirably qualified and adapted
to their command. General Sprague
has the respect of the civil and military
authorities.
The negroes in Arkansas can all find
profitable and lucrative employment.
and are protected in all their rights and
property by the civil authorities. I met
no one, citizen or soldier, who Question:
ed or doubted that their freedom WAC no
assured in Arkansas as in Ohio. Gov.
Murphy told me that negroes could &c.
quire title to real estate or any kind of
property, and that the courts, both Fed.
eral ana state, could and would protect
them. There was an universal expres.
sion OF confidence In the present cond;-
ton OF affairs, except on the mart ~
some former rebels, who thought the
present test oath prescribed for than
was too stringent and severe. A conven.
ton OF them, convened know not how
we in aennlnp - skkr~ =