The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1866-05-23
RALEIGH, N G., WEDNESDAY, NAY %, 1866

even an approximate idea of the amount of
money collected. In answer to question as
to what justification there was for the op-
pressive burdens he had imposed upon these
people, Superintendent Fitz replied that
Captain Seeley told him, II must have
thousand dollars month from that settle
ment.n He also furnished us with sworn
statement, herewith forwarded. marked " E,n
IN which he attempts to defend his conduct |
by stating that he acted in obedience to the |
orders of his superior officers in the Bureau. |
CAPT. sEELEY SCREENING HIS SUBORDINATE.
: In an interview we had with Capt Seeley
that officer evinced desire to shield Super
intendent Fitz by stating that great deal |
of what was said against him resulted from
prejudice, notwithstanding he had the sworn
testimony before him that the charges against
Fitz were true. sifs'
BUREAU OFFICERS SHOOTING DOWN A FREED
fF- MAN. s--t.
While at Newbern. investigating the con-
duct of the officers of the Bureau, and the
reported expressions of the freedmen by this
class of persons, our attention was called to
the alleged killing of freedman by white
employee of Colonel Whittlesey. Assistant
Commissioner of the Bureau of North-Caro-
lina and the Rev. Horace James, formerly
assistant quartermaster, on their plantation
in Pitt County. Mr.. James, while in the
United States service, was Superintendent of
the Bureau for the district now under charge
OF Captain Seeley, and is now an agent of
the Bureau, without pay, for the County in
which he is planting. The circumstances
under which this freedman was killed, as
stated by Mr.. James himself, were as follows:
The freedman was accused of stealing pro-
visions from the store of Col Whittlesey
and Mr.. James, was arrested, tried and con-
victed by Mr.. James, as agent of the Bureau,
and was sentenced to dig bitches on their
plantation. While working out this SEN
tence he ran away, and was pursued by
James and his clerk, Boyden, who arrived at
the bank of river while the freedman was
attempting to cross in canoe Boyden Or
| dered him to return, telling him that if he
| did not he would shoot, and the freedman
disregarding this order, Boyden fired. Boy
| den states himself that he thinks he hit him,
and as nothing has ever ever been heard of
the freedman since it is generally believed in
the ncigh5orhoOd that he was killed and
fell from the canoe into the river These
facts were stated in letter forwarded to
Colonel Whittlesey, who returned it to Cap
tain Seeley, with the following endorsement:
RALEIGH, March %, 1866.
Respectfully returned, as the affair seems
to have occurred at night. and, as the body
of the negro has not been discovered. it does
not appear certain that the shot took effect.
No further action in the case seems to be
called for. By order of
| Col WHJTTT ESEv Aoot Cop,,r
BEEcHER, Asst Adj't General. i.'
A number of the freedmen at Newbern ex-
pressed dissatisfaction at the manner in
which this case had been passed over with
out investigation: but as the plantation is
qnite remote from any public line of COM
munication, we were unable, owing to want
! of time, to inquire into the matter.
l. AFFAIRS AT KINsToN.
On the 2d instant we left Newbern for
Goldsboro,' and on the way stopped at Kin
ston long enough to learn that Capt. Wheel
er, agent for the Bureau at that point, is en-
: gagged in working large plantation on his
own account, and employs thereon quite
number of freedmen
MORE Fl.RMING.
At Goldsboro' the Superintendent, G. o.
! CLAWS, Chaplain United States Army, is cul-
: tivating one farm on government account,
and is interested in cultivating two farms on
his own account This officer stated in his
/ examination before us that he was not inter
ested in the cultivation of plantations except
indirectly by loaning money to Mr.. Brooks.
friend of his from the North, who was en-
gagged in planting but we ascertained from
!. Mr.. Carr and Mr.. Lane citizens of the vicin-
4 IS no11 ,I.v~ kIa% h. .,,%, ,&,l
joined with them in contracts for the cult
(, vation of their plantations. He and his
friend Mr.. Brooks entered into contract
with Mr.. Lane to furnish rations and pay for
2 forty laborers, and to provide eight good
mules. Mr.. Lane offered to furnish the land
and to superintend in person the cultivation
thereof, the crops to he equally divided, one
half to Mr. Lane and the other half to Mr..
Brooks and CLAWS. Mr.. Lane states that
the enterprise failed after the freedmen had
worked over two months; they then left,
Brooks and CLAWS having failed to pay
them according to contract. The freedmen
received for their labor a little clothing,
such as coats, pants, shoes, &C., furnished by
I Chaplain Claws and but little or no money.
A similar contract was made by CLAWS and
Brooks with Mr. Carr, who stated to us that
/ OHdpleiu 0ltViS 10 paying tuC udAeao IL q
little of everything, but chiefly in clothing" J"
/ SELLING FREEDMEN's CLOTHES.
/ We ascertained by the testimony of Messrs.
Barham & Ballard, auctioneers at Colds
boro,' that they had sold at auction for Chap
lain CLAWS forty blankets marked U. s.
and quantity of clothing that had been
sent to Goldsboro' for gratuitous distribu-
ton to the needy by Freedmen's Aid Soci
ETY. at or in the vicinity of Rochester, N. Y.
We learned also that he had disposed of a
large amount of such clothing at private sale.
The chaplain stated himself that he had re-
ceived from such sales two hundred and
sixty dollars ($2600 though subsequently, he
asserted that the total cash receipts OF his
Office from all sources amounted to one hun
dred and twenty-six dollars and fifty cents
l$126 5O) He kept no books or even mem
oranda of moneys received and expended.
THE WILMINGTON AGENTS
| On the 4th instant we arrived at Whining
ton the headquarters of the Bureau for the
Southern district of North Carolina, of which
| Col. Rutherford is the Superintendent. The
| Colonel has been here but short time, and
is not yet fully acquainted with the opera
tions of the Bureau in his district. He was
so unwell that he was obliged to retire
while we were engaged in examining his Of
flee, and we have not since conferred with
him. - -.
Major j. G. Mann, Assistant Quartermaster,
/ and financial agent Of the Southern district,
is engaged in the cultivation of a rice plant
jlfation a short distance from Wilmington, on