The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-12-01
General Meade's Report.


HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF SOUTH, AT
LANTA, Ca, oct. 81, 1S68.-Brevet Major Genera
John A. Rawlins, Chief of Staff, Washington, ID. q
General: / herewith transmit for the information
of the General-in-Chief brief abstract of the
operations under my command, whilst in charge Of
the late Third Military District, and subsequently
in command Of the Department of the South. War
Department General Orders, No. 10i, of date
December %, 1867, assigned me to the command OF
the Third Military District and on the 9th of Jan
uary, 1865 assumed the command, with the head
quarters in this city. The Third Military District
at that time consisted of the States of Georgia,
Alabama and Florida. The condition Of affairs
was simply as follows:
under the reconstruction laws, was in session in
Atlanta, but hampered and embarrassed for want
of funds. In Alabama convention had met,
framed constitution, nominated a ticket for State
officers and adjourned. In Florida an election
had been held for members of convention, but
the body did not meet under the orders OF my pre-
decessor till the Goth of January.
GThe report then details at length the various
stems by which reconstruction was accomplished in
the States named, and especially the connection of
the district commanders therewith. 1t then con
tinues as follows:
admitted to representation, orders were issued de-
carng the cessation of all Intervention on the part
of the military officer in civil affairs, and the
troops had suffered greatly in the interior by the
manner in which they had been dispatched and
scattered and concentrated in railroad centres,
from whence, in the event of their services being
required, they could be promptly moved.
This movement proved very distasteful to the
people and their civil authorities, who, having ac
customed themselves to rely on the troops for main
tanning order, at first apprehensiye of the con-
sequences of their withdrawal. Instructions were
received from the President and Secretary of War,
confnng the troops to the simple preservation Of
the peace, and that only after the civil authorities
had exhausted all the means in their power and
called on the military through the proper channels,
1t now became my embarrassing duty to decline
using the forces under my command and to impress
all parties the altered condition of affairs. Soon
after announcing the position OF the military the
outrage at Camilla, in Georgia, committed,
where as Ihave stated in a special report, the evil
dence would seem TO show that the authors of the
outrage were civil officers, who, under the guise of
enforcing the law and suppressing disorder, had
permitted wanton sacrifice of life and blood. At
The same time the report stated that the opposite
parties, for the affair was political one, had by
their want of judgment, and their insistance on alb
sract rights in the face of the remonstrances of the
law officers, given these officers the opportunity of
acting as they did.
Immediately on this outrage being reported, an
officer was dispatched to the scene, who made a
thorough investigation aud report. 4 found from
the report that the affair lasted but day. and
that there occasion to employ troops for the
preservation of order the protection of the peo
pie being satisfied that the matter had been, and
so far as the detection and punishment of criminals
was concerned should continue to be, in the hands
| issued early in October an order distributing
the troops in the several States in the Department
and gave in the order not only instructions TO the
Off GERS and men, but deemed it my duty to make
appeal to the people of the several States, urg
| ing calmness and abstinence from those political
exCitemens tending to riot and bloodshed, although
particularly careful to require all Intervention
| the troops to be subordinate to and in aid of and
cooperation with the civil authorities This order
was misconstrued and subjected to the most vir u
| lent criticism l am gratfed, however, in being
able to state that the effect of the order and the
movements made by virtue Of il were in the hi ghes
| degree satisfactory. at the same time take this
| occasion to call the attention of the General-n.
| Chief, and through him those having the power tC
act to the anomalous condition of affairs existing
in this district, and the necessity II ii be deemed