Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1866-05-17

from prejudice notwithstanding he had the testi
mony before him that the charges against Ftz were true
BUREAU OFFICERS SHOOTING DOWN A FREEDMAN
While at Newbern investigating the conduct of the Of
of the Bureau and the reported expressions OF e
freedmen by this class of PERSONS our attention was call
ed to the alleged killing Of freedman by white employe
of Colonel Whtlesey Assistant Commissioner of the Bu-
for North Carolina and the Rev Horace James, for
assistant quartermaster their plantation In t
county. Mr. James, while in the United States service,
superintendent of the Bureau for the district now
der charge Captain Seeley and is agent OF the
Bureau without pay for the county IN which he Is plant
% Inc M Me- smes bmse Wer s as follows
The freedman accused of stealing provisions from the
tired and convicted by Mr. James agent the Bureau
and sentenced dig bitches their plantation.
pursued by james his clerk Boyden who arrived at
the bank Of while the freedman was attempting to
cross in canoe Boyden ordered him to return, telling
he did not he would shoot and the freedman
dsregarng this ORDER Boyden fired Boyden states him
been heard of the freedman it is generally believed
in the neghborhood that he was killed and fell from the
forwarded to Col Whittlesey who returned it to Captain
Seeley, with the following endorsement =
RALEIGH March 49, 1866.
Resi- ectfuv returned as affair to have
CURED at night and the body of the negro has not
been discovered it does not appear certain that the shot
Colonel WHTTTLEsEY,
Assist Com'r.
BEEcHER, Assistant Adjutant General.
A number of freedmen at Newbern expressed
dissatisfaction at the manner in which this case
had been passed over without investigation but
as the plantation is quite remote from any public
line of communication, we are unable owing to
want of time, to inquire into the matter.
AFFAIRS AT KINsToN.
On the I'd inst. we left Newbern for Goldsboro,
and the way stopped at Kinston long enough
to learn that Captain Wheeler, agent for the Blu
reau at that point, is engaged in working a large
plantation on his own account, and employs there
ON quite number of freedmen.
MORE FARMING.
At Goldsboro' the Superintendent G. o. CLAWS, Chap
lain United States Army is cultivating farm Gov
eminent account, and is interested in cutivatng two
farms on his own account This officer stated in his
animation before that he not interested in the cul
vaon of plantations except indirectly city, by lSann
who engaged in planting, but ascertained from
Mr.. Carr and Mr. Lane citizens of the vicinity of Colds
the cultivation of their plantations He and his
friend Mr.. Brooks entered into contract with Mr. Lane
vide eight good mules MIR. offered to furnish the
land and to supenend in person the cultivation thereof
the other half to Mr. Brooks and CLAWS MI Lane states
that the enterprise failed after the freedmen had worked
ing failed to them according to contract The freed
soe %c BY
little or no money similar contract was made by CHA
lain CLAWS paying the hands in "a little of everything,
but chiefly in clothing
SELLING FREEDMEN's CLOTHES.
We ascertaned by the testimony of Messrs. Barham &
Ballard, auconeers at Godsboro that they had sold at
-
s.. and quantity of clothing that had been sent to
GoldsDoro for Sratuous distribution to the needy by
e learned asS that he i had dpSsed Of
amount Of such clothing at private sale Tue Chaplain
hundred and sixty dollars ($2GO though subsequently he
asserted that the total cash receipts of his office from all
and fifty cents (sl2G 500 He kept no books
oranda of moneys received and expended
WILMINGTON AGENTS.
On the 4tt inst we arrived at Wilmington, the head
quarters of the Bureau for the Southern district of North
oil is SUI
emit The Colonel has been here but short time and is
rea in his district He 50 nnwe that he was obliged
to retire while we we're engaged IN examining his ohce
and we have not since conferred with him.
cal agent of the Southern district engaged in the Gu
mngton, which employed ifty-fve freedmen. The
Major stated that while he would not object to making
money he engaged this business to convince the South
ern people that the negro would work.
ONE WAY OF INDUCING INDUSTRY.
Major Charles l. WCkershan sub of the Bureau
whose headquarters Wilmington is also interested
in the cultivation of rice plantation within his sub-ds
same for compelling the freedmen employed on said plan
tH h" to work hH He 70 explained the ha in
tracts by stating that he put them to worn with ball and
chain on the streets of Wilmington.
THE SYSTEM
WITHOUT attempting to discuss the PrEprety Of officers
who paid by the for the performance of
their duties engaging in private business and employing
their official positions that class Of labor deem it our
duty to state of the effects produced both the
sham in contracting to furnish forty aborers to work
rice plantation becomes at once interested against the la
borers whom he compes to labor perhaps unusty when
unfairly dealt with by the person working them the
plantation and their refusing to work, he nficts
upon them unlawful, and, for breach of contract
heard of punshments putting them on chain gangs
they convicted criminals. Col Whttlesey, any
other officer of less rank and influence in the Bureau, who
are engaged in working plantations rented for cash or on
shares becomes Interested securing lOwrae of
and i'm making the most stringent labor regulations to
the gIeat detrment of the freedmen They thereby give
of 40 of
wages far below what the labor is really worth Officers
thus engaged subjected to the temptation of
propriang to ter own qnartermasters stores and
have been made by the planters that these agents
of the Bureau the power of their positions to obtain
that of the ifeeng manifested toward the
the part Of the planters is attributable to this fact
ARBITRARY BUREAU.
The arbitrary exercised by of the officers
and agents of the Bureau in making arrests ir1posing
laws and especially the statute Of limitations Creates
udce against the government. If the officers all
honest and intelligent with limited legal nfOrma-
on it might be safe to trust them with this extraordi
possess the slightest knowledge of law. At Goldsboro
the agent, Captain Claws imposed fine of s25
his life and when nerrogaed by relative to this case
he stated that he did not know enough about law to dis
tinguish a civil from q criminal case.
RECOMMENDATION.
We satisfied that the recommendation which we
made in reference to the withdrawal of the officers of the
Bureau in Virginia. and the transference to the officers
commanding the troops of such duties it may still be
necessary to perform in connection with the freedmen
eqnally applicable to North Carolina.
Very respectfully, your obedient servants,
JAS. B. STEEDMAN, Maj Gen. Volunteers.
J. S. FULLERTON, Brig. Gen. Volunteers.
&c.,. The Trial OF Mr. Davis.
The action of the Grand Jury of the United
States District Court lately in session at Norfolk