The Portland daily press., 1869-01-07
WASHINGTON.


WASHINGTON, Jan. 6-The following is a
statement of the public debt for Jan 1: Debt
bearing coin interest, So 107 1856 $50; debt bear
ing currency interest, 500, 1865 900; matured
debt bearing no interest, $467, 369,S0S "a; total
debt $2,672 ,533 1852 %; amount in treasury
coin, sos, 1863 Oh; currency, $33,O63,O 92 IL;
total, $111 1926 461 03; debt less cash in treasu-
ry $3.50, 707, POI %.
HEALTH OF GEN. SPINNER.
Gen. Spinner is somewhat better, but unable
to resume official duties.
GEN. REYNOLDS RELIEVED
By direction of the Secretary of War, Gen.
Reynolds is relieved from duty as Assistant
Commissioner of the Freedmen's Bureau for
Texas and Gen. Candy assigned to that duty.
COST OF PRINTING FRACTIONAL CURRENCY
The official statement sent to the Senate to-
day shows that the total cost of printing the
fractional currency to date is $1,355,94S, or
about 36-1000th per cent. OF its value.
CONGRESSIONAL.
The Secretary of the Treasury has proposed
to Congress section to be made part of the
general appropriation bill, as follows
That the Secretary of the Treasury be, and
he is hereby authorized to allow and direct the
payment Of any expenses incurred in collect
ing debts due to the United States and in
making sales of land acquired in such collec-
tions out of the proceeds thereof in all cases
OFFICIAL REPORT OF THE oGEECHEE TROUBLES
The following dispatches were received at
headquarters OF the Army to-day: II.
Philadelphia, Penn, Jan. 4, 1869.-To Gen.
q. s. Grant, Westinghouse transmit the la
test dispatches received from Gen. Sibley, COM
manding in Georgia, in relation to the reported
difficulties on the Ogeechee. Gen. Siblev has
been instructed not to permit the organization
of any armed bodies, whether white or black,
in contravention of law; to preserve The peace
at all hazards; to cooperate with the civil au-
thorities in case he finds the same are acting
in good faith and that their action is necessary
for the preservation of the peace, and not as at
Camilla the law made pretext for committing
outrages on negroes. AT the same time he is
instructed to disarm and dispense all assemble
ges of negroes and require them to submit to
the legal action of the civil authorities
(Signed) GEO. G. MEADE,
Major General u. s. A.
The following telegram was received at
Washington Jan. 4, 1869, from headquarters
District of Georgia:
Savannah, Ca, Jan. 4, 1869.-To Major Gen.
Geo. G. Meade, Philadelphia:-Ih have the hon.
or to report my arrival at this place, and to re-
port the following statement made by Colonel
Williams: The troubles on the Ogeechee are
confined to the Middleton and Lucker's plan
tations. Middleton accuses the negroes of
stealing rice, and got out warrants to arrest
them. The sheriff applied for the military to
execute the arrests, but was refused and fur
nished with copy of the circular of Septem-
Der Is, 1868, for his information. He sent two
deputies to make the arrests. but they got
frightened and ran off. He called for poose
and went out with 120 men. When they got
near the station they saw boy about IA years
old and shot him through the leg; they saw
some other negroes at the station and ordered
them to give up their arms; the negroes ran
and they fred on them, wounding two or three.
All this time the sheriff was in the cars away
from his posse. They were then advised to re-
xl11 IA IL
then called meeting and organized three bat
talions, commanded by Generals, Coloncls, &c.
They have organized from 500 to 800 men, and
are still organizing. ordered Major Perkins
to go out to see the negroes and went with him
myself; we arrived at night and found the me-
groes very much frightened, but when we made
known our intention not to trouble them, they
became pacifed and gave their side of the
question. We found the ne 1spaper accounts
wholly incorrect There were about fifty men
there; three guns and bayonet on a stick
were all the arms saw and if they had had
others we would seen them. There are no for
tifcations and no hostile demonstrations furth-
er than to watch for their own safety. The ne
groes against whom warrants were issued were
anxious to come in and surrender themselves,
and wanted to come in with us but were afraid
to come alone for fear of being fred on; they
deny having resisted the posse, and think
they tell the truth; / remained with them all
night and made arrangements for them to
~
the sheriff under the military protection. They
are to come in by night as they are afraid to
come by daylight. To-day the sheriff reported
officially that he could not enforce the laws
and called upon the military to do it. Think
no more troops will be required here at pres
emit. The official report will be sent to depart.
ment headquarters by mail
(Signed) c. G. SHELLEY,
Brevet Brig. General U. s. A.
The following telegram was received al
Washington, Jan. a. 1869:
Savannah, Jan. 4, 1869-To Major General
Geo. G. Meade:-Fourteen of the men against
whom warrants have been issued, and who
live on the Ogeechee plantations, have volun.
tarily surrendered to the military authorities
-Four more will be in during the day or night
This is all of the original number of warrants
that the sheriff had to execute. I understand
that $50 or 200 additional warrants have been
taken out. but as the sheriff has made no eff
fort to execute them 1 don't feel justified un-
der present instructions to aid him till he hal
made an effort to execute them. These are for
instruction and citing to instruction.
would advise the use of the military as I think
it would be almost sure to result in confic
if the sheriff were to 60 out with posse o
the people. There is much excitement here
and many of the people would not be adverse
to fight.
(Signed) G. G. SHELLEY,
Brevet Brig. General U. s. A.