The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1866-08-20
THE FREEDMENs BUREAU IN LOUISIANA.
Statement of Ex-Assisiant Commissioner Com |



SIR beg leave to respectfully reply 10 SO much OF
the report OF tho Presidents Commissioners. Messrs
Of the Freodmen's Bureau in the state Of Louisiana
The Bureau has had three Commissioners In Louisiana,
one Of whom Is still acting Why my administration
tga,on while nothing is said Of General Fullerton's
conduct Assistant Commissioner and but bare men
ton made OF General Baird can only be accounted for
by the fact that the Commissioners we'll that
have been, from the outset opposed TO what is CON-
monty known as the Presidents policvn One OF the
Commiss oners whose is signed to this report
nv successor. He was the second Assistant Commits
soner Of the Bureau In Louisiana but has taken good
authority. General Fullerton well knew that he, not
was General Bairds predecessor, SO that, instead
or reporting that the administration OF the lat
ter officer was an improvement on mine. he should
have reported It az Improvement on his own: His
silence as himself and ms r, e
soner in that State render II necessary that SHOULD n
the gap In the report and thus enable the pubic 70 nave
true statement of the have no fears as TO the
verdict OF the people, wen after having read the state
ment OF the Commissioner they shall have also examined
II may have occurred to fair minded persons, since
these Commissioners have made their various reports
CONCERNING the as conduc!ea IN Inc
has been OF gross injustice. Their examinations nave
ali been en- pae and were it not that we nave aIrce
press In this country which, In large degree ready
to act mpartally between dlspuants, these Commits.
soncrs would have retired from Their Held feeing tnat
y naS os % 60 ' as guilty. Of
crimes charged against them In their Reports, anu
that they could "plant the banner Of victor victory
undsturbed" They reported against General Whitt'e-
sey in North Carolina, but were not willing 70 meet
the charges when brought up for investigation
in a military tribunal To have remained In North Car
olina longer than they did would have given too much
opportunity for exposing their conduct while IN ta
State and their unwillingness to meet General Wh.se
tho fact that they that papers on the suect
have been placed in the hands Of General Howard.
They made a report against the administration OF Gen.
era saxon in South Carolina, a time when General
sayton was lying III at his residence IN Phadelpn,a
Could they faced the General and have had the
charges fairly tried in proper conrt' They reported
against the conduct of General Gregory in Texas and
against that of General Thomas in Mississippi when both
these officers far away In like manner they pro-
cscdcd New Orleans and gathered around Them such
as had DISCHARGED from tho Bureau for conduct
too disrraceful to be mentioned. From these they
eagerly drew such highly coored and malicious
as they wanted for their report Could they not
just as well have taken the testimony OF re-
spectacle persons? No; they sought out only those
filed with malice because Of their dismissal. u. Rush
Plumley and Matthew whildcn would never have made
the statements reported having come from their lips
had they been permitted to live in ideness while
engaged with tho Bureau to have continued bringing
disgrace upon it by their daily conduct.
We do not hear OF their having takcn the testimony OF
Gene al Canbv General Sheridan Both OF these dis
tinguished officers were familiar with my conduct dur.
ing all the time that Assistant Commissioner OF
the Bureau. Neither did they take tho testimony oil
either General Panks General Hurlbut or General Shcr
man. each of whom knew all about my administration
General Superintendent Of Freedmen 10 the Depart
oil the Gulf long before my appointment as Assist
ant Commissioner OF the Bureau at present organ
lied The testimony Of all these officers was within
reach OF these Commissioners, and why did they not
avail themselves OF it, Ia 1t not clear that they did not
want testimony calculated to strengthen me or to aid the
Bureau they went forth TO destroy?
am glad 10 nf0Dm you, however. that the testimony
Of these officers has been taken and that u Is on record
Each and nil Of them gave me the highest credit for
having faithfully executed both TIE Office OF Assistant
Commissioner and that Of General superintendent OF
Freedmen (scc appendix 10 this lctterl
The Commissioners state that testimony was taken
under oath To the effect that in September forty schools
wero reported By my superintendent, when but TWO
in existence,
This statement, though taken under oath, is false
yo cen ureso tie tasch"oa Of hs testimony by
nearly three hundred teachers employed at the imoAn
my school department. can also prove u by nearly
have construed the vocation which the scholars were
then having as q dsbandment OF the school estab-
lishment As we'll might they enter New York during
| tho season Of school, vacation in the summer and
pronounce the schools entirely discontinued, aud
Fucr Knows as woli as DO that these schools were
not broken up, but that during his own
ton as my successor all tho teachers werc borne nron
Department. mo Executive Mansion or clsewherc who
desire 10 have The truth Of this statement conferred may
visit General Towards Office and there find duplicate
pay and receipt rolls for the month Of September.
The Commission ~ inform you that as much money
the South why were theY not honest enough TO have
also Informed you that about much had been done f
the freedmen OF that state as was done for them n The
three adjoining states and perhaps much a. had been
why did they inform you that for nearly three year.
establishment which Of itself cost from $4,000 Z
10000 per month, why did they not report
5 &c in sae q snDsa
! helpless freedmen and that the support OF these
establishments had to come from the funds Of the Bureau
except the raons and th sc a one time had 10 bs
purchased for cash In like manner all our mcdica
stores for thousands of wounded sick freedmen had
| for time, 10 be purchased We could not have sur
gcons detailed from the military service and had for
long time 10 employ them, and pay their salaries out o.
the funds in our hands Horses, mules, hoes ploughs
spades, shovcs sccds clothing, and everything elsI
needed by the Bureau for It's proper conduct had 70 be
secured BY the payment of cash whereas in other States
nearly NIL these articles were drawn from The govern
ment wha. could have been the object q The Com
mssoners In Withholding these facis' Certainly len
Tae.en was as 80 familiar WY ZEE YS
necessity, cxpend the funds OF the Bureau differently
from those In the hands OF other In Other
| staics2 Louisiana had te.n In part occupied by oui
army IN 1904 and almost from the date Of occupation the
Bureau had 10 spend money in tho care Of the freedmen
There were forty thousand ccl.red people IN Ne, New
w.Ls-nci ~ q course, but a great proportion OF Them
they withheld one aspect OF The case and gave only
that which helped their object was this falr2 Was u
honorabef Another feature IN connection with Iouis
| ana omitted by the Commissioners General Fu
GnsT IN N. ala %S s1 bs IRON e
ing summer had tho entire control OF the freedmen in
ihe Military Division Of the West Mississippi embracing
nearly all tho Gulf sia,cs The money needed TO carry
on the work in oil this vast territory had out Of
my Louisiana funds Tho amount exrepded r. any one
point nsy rot have been gfsl lai n The sssresse !.
facts in this matter and could have stated them he
were not determined TO conceal Acm fora purpose nc
had for long time been General Hards Chief OF stsn
and must have NIL my reports 10 that officer
That General s,ecdman, II alone, might have erred
ted these biunders, published the falschoods c6x.
tanned In the report be accounted Tor In other
way than that he was msed by his associate, who
better informed.
General Fullerton must have known that he giving
fasehood 70 the public when lac made these
concerning Louisiana and the public should kncs iha
much OF tho matter 10 which General S:oed an ~
from hc 30 ~ 49, v..s have cqn
4 I, vwas ,rs sa~s.r.. 81.
~ "ou'9 sve bad great occasion TO rejoice at The
good achieved py e bsrcau " that good had been faith.
| fully set forth and 80 .ews. withhold
50 far as am Concerned An willing that three hun.
drcd thousand freedmen and al tn, loyn whites OF that
tate IN Louisiana shall bear n thc, hearts the tes'l
mony c nv services, apd am ssns,y ~, ny 'hs the
PUP snail draw their Own estimate q ulelr clia ter