The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1867-02-04
The Fort Phil Kearney Massacre.
FREEDMEN's AFFAIRS.

WASHINGTON. Feb.

WASHINGTON, teD. z.
Official publication is made of an act to re-
peal the 18th section OF the law of July, 1862
which section is as follows:
Be ii further enacted, that the President is
hereby authorized at any time hereafter, by
proclamation, to extend to persons who NAV
have participated in the late rebellion in any
State or part thereof, pardon and amnesty with
such exceptions and at such times and on such
conditions as he may deem expedient for the
public welfare.
providing that from and after its passage there
shall be no denials of the elective franchise in
any of the Territories of the United States
now or hereafter to be organized, to any citizen
thereof, on account of race or color or Drevious
condition of servitude. I
The amount of fractional currency printed
during the week ending to-day, was $l561SO;
forwarded to the Assistant Treasurers at New
Orleans and St Louis 100000 to each; to
Assistant Treasurer at Charleston $4,000; to
United States Repositories I$13O,OO0; to Ma
tional Banks $685. 39; total $47, 319, 49,
During the week ending to-day, there had
been issued from the Treasury Department
$11 1924 900 in National Bank currency; maxi
ing the total amount issued up to date @3Ol-
or, 1885, From this is to be deducted the cur
rency returned, including worn out notes
amounting to $2,2S7 632, leaving in actual cir
culation at this date 1926, 749, 504
The following amounts of mouey were dis
bursed at the Treasury Department during
the week ending to-day: To War Depart
ment $2160,023; Navy Department $335 22g.
Interior Department. $179291; totol amount
War Department $S,5l9,O12; Navy Depart
ment $3,781 027; Interior Department 81 251,-
500. Amount of fractional currency redeem
ed and destroyed at the Treasury Depart
ment during the past week was 500, 100.
The receipts from Internal revenue to day
were vi ,622,255.45; making the total amount
of receipts for the week ending to-day So
828,58790.
The amount of securities held by the Unit
ed States Treasurer, in trust for National
Banks, reported to day, are as follows: For
circulating notes 1910 100; for deposits of
public monies $3.50 ,45O.
The Secretary of Warsto-day communicates
to the Senate kilograms and letters relative
to the massacre at Fort Philip Kearney-
The report of Gen Crook shows that three Of
ficers, Col. Felteman, Capt. Brown and Lieut.
Greenwood, and ninety men, were killed on
the 18th of January. r- EE
Gen. Sherman has forwarded to Gen. Grant
an extract from private letter received at
his Office from Sergeant Therfort, describing
the massacre. 1t represents that no one es-
capped, that all We're butchered and scalped
and their bodies gashed and chopped with
knives and tomahawks, and stripped of every
article of dress. Eleven were shot through
and through with arrows. The writer COM
plains of the conduct of the Indian Commits
sioners, and says they are furnishing the In
dams with guns and ammunition to hunt
with, but which they are using to murder
white men. The official report estimates the
number of Indians attacking the massacred
party at three thousand +.
The United States steamer Lancaster was
at Barbados on January LIST. The United
States steamer Lockawana was to leave Val
paraiso Bee. 18th for Honolulu
Gen. Ely reports that fifty four contracts
were made by freedmen in Kentucky last
month, and that the average wages paid per
month was sixteen dollars to males and EIGHT
to females, including rations and quarters He
states that the outrage on Rev. A Schotield.
and the breaking up of the freedmen's school
at Camp Nelson, KY, by regulators, has been
thoroughly investigated but none of the mar
ties concerned have been arrested owing tothe
inability of Mr.. Schofed to identify them
The school has not yet been reopened. The
number of paupers had increased during the
month, and cases OF extreme restitution have
been reported.
DR.. John Russell, of Winchendon. Mass. has
been appointed surgeon by the Commissioner
of Pensions.
The Board of Examiners will commence
their regular sessions at Hartford next Mon
day.
The Secretary of War has addressed a COM
munication to the Chairman of the House
Committee on Military Affairs, enclosing a
copy of a letter from Maj Douglass Command
ing Fort Dodge, dated January 18th, relative
to the issue of arms and munitions to the Kio-
was and other Indians, and expressing appre-
tensions of Indian hostilities in consequence
He says the anxiety of the Indians to obtain
arms and ammunition is so great, that for re-
volver the Indians will give ten and even
twenty times its value in horses land furs.-
This anxiety cannot be caused by the lack OF
such articles, because they have plenty to last
them for some time. But everything tends to
show that the Indians are laying in large sup
plies preparatory to an outbreak. A great deal
of dissatisfaction seems to have been caused
by the unequal distribution of presents by the
agents
Senior Romero, the Mexican Minister has re-
ceived dispatch from the Mexican Consul at
San Francisco, saying that the reported exc
cution of United States Consul Cannon at Ma
zatlan is false.
The funeral ceremonies of the deceased rep
resentative from Pennsylvania, PhllipIJ ohnson
was held in the Representatives Hall this fore.
noon. The floor and galleries were denseIy
crowded. Among those present were Presi-
dent johnson, Secretary Seward, Senators and
Representatives. and other gentlemen holding
high official positions. The body of the de-
ceased was placed in the area Immediately in
front OF the Speakers desk The ceremonies
were OF solemn and deeply impressive char
acter AT the conclusion of the services the
body was taken to the Congressional Cemetery
The receipts of the Internal Revenue for the
fiscal year to date, amounts to 1886 958 6g9-
The usual increase at this period of the wear
in the receipts from this source has commenc-
ed. The receipts from the Internal Revenue
so far this year is below the most reliable and
careful official estimates.