Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1866-05-17
The Freedmen's Bureau.

Colonel Whittlesey, the Assistant Commissioner,
in charge of the Freedmen's Bureau in this State,
has thought proper to defend himself against an
attack contained in letter from the correspon-
dent of the New York Herald, travelling with Gen
erals Steedman and Fullerton. It will be seen by
the letter of Col. Whittlesey, which we copy from
the Raleigh Sentinel, that this official answers the
many serious charges contained in the Herdld's
letter against the Bureau officers in this State,
by the very convenient and ready appeal to the
notorious bad character Of the paper in question.
We are fully sensible of this fact and would feel
disinclined to take for granted the uncorroborted
charges of that paper, but with its assertions
1irlned fully by the official report of the two
distinguished officers appointed by the President
to investigate the affairs of the Bureau in the
South, Col Whittlesey'e special pleading will
have as much effect in covering the bad conduct
Of many of his officials, and in hiding his own short
comings in the painful occurrence, which hap
pened on his plantation, as the guilty Macbeths
pitiable appeal to the. ghost of the murdered
Banquo to vanish.
Unwilling to do Col. Whittlesey any injustice
we give his letter in full, as follows:
BUREAU OF REFUGEES,
FREEDMEN AND ABANDONED LANDS,
Headquarters Asst Com, State of N c.,
RALEIGH, n. c.. May II, 1866.
NESSRS EDITORS Il have no time to answer the
newspaper attacks on the Freedmens Bureau, and
those connected with it, nor do I suppose that
any gentleman would think of attempting to exon
crate himself from charges preferred in the New
York Herald
toned IN the article quoted in your paper of this
mornings date, of which, for the sake of truth
and Justice, | wish to give a correct version.
1t is true that colored man convicted by
amt of koh
labor at ditching. The man escaped from the
guard, and in attempting to arrest him, white
man employed by Capt. James fired upon him as
he was swimming the river, having first ordered
linn to return to the shore and surrender. The
whole transaction was reported to me, and I,
hoping that the shot had not taken. effect, return
ed the papers to await further evidence. Such
evidence was afterwards obtained and lust at the
time these Herald correspondents were in North
Carolina l received the information that the ne
gro man actually killed, and officer was or
dered at once to Investigate the whole matter and
report upon it for further action Such is the sit
nation of the case. Proper steps have been taken
to secure justice to all parties.
As to the other false charges contained in the
article above alluded to, will only say that no
officer has, to my knowledge, neglected his duties,
to engage IN any private business, and If some
have invested their money to assist those who are
trying to revive the industrial interests of the
State, probably the land owners who profit most
by such use of capital will not be very eager to
condemn them.
Very Respectfully,
E. WHITTLESEY,
Asst. 'Comm'r.
Col Whittlesey has thus appealed to the public
through the newspapers for his justification, in re-
gard to this transaction. Without referring there
fore to the unfortunate misunderstanding on his
part of the question propounded to him by Gen.
when asked if he knew of any person
n tho military service now on dutv with tha