Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-01-07
sPRAGUE.
An ExpBsitI0a Of Sens Of His Transao-
tlSns Daring the War.
How be SmIegisd Cartridges and PsFCHs-
sion Caps 10 the Rsbels-..HJn. Joe
H0lt's Letter.

500 Taps 10 me ht1eis-s'uGus Joe
Hollis Letter.
! WASHINGTON, January An re-
3 spOnse to the Senate resolution Of
} | December 18th, offered by Senator
3 Sprague, the Secretary Of War to-day
transmitted to that body a COPY OF the
report of the Judge Advocate Gen
eral, relative to the alleged unlawful
traffic with rebels in the State of
!. Texas during the late war, entered
into by Messrs. HOyt, William
Il Sprague, q Senator of the United
States, Byron Sprague, William H.
Reynolds and others, and states that
none Of the papers therein referred to,
or any record of them, can be found
in the War Department. It is, how
ever, possible that certain Ofthem may
be on file at headquarters of the de-
partment OF the East, New York city,
and search for them viii be made and
the result hereafter reported. The re-
port Of the Judge Advocate General
is as follows;
WAR DEPARTMENT, D
BUREAU MILITARY JUSTICE,
June 10, 1865.
/ To the Secretary of War:
] L4AC 4OAAO " AlAE ACJDlk z l5 It's NtGLAuLlN
submitted respecting the case fillicit
trade in Texas, duplicating HOyt,
/ Sprague and others, brought to the
notice Of the Department by Major
] General Dix. The papers herewith, |
] consisting Of abstract statements Of /
] Byron, Sprague and others, prepared
/ by Major Barnes, and letters of VIM. /
! Sprsgue to General Dix, papers found /
] II anil IlfHar1 Il. ]
/ tial statement which, il stated, only /
/ to be used in case HOyt be made a 1
/ witness for the Government, have all |
/ been examined and show, in sub |
| stance, that HOyt, residing in Texas |
/ at the breaking out OF the rebellion,
made his way North, where, in the
1 fall Of 1862, he effected an engagement /
with Wm. SpragUe for undertaking /
| an enterprise to get cotton out OF /
Texas.
Four firms took interest in the ven
/ ture-SpragJe & Co., Reynolds & Co.,
Taft d Co., and Knight d Co., all of /
/ Providence, Rhode IsIand-each firm
furnishing SIS, 600. Vessels were pur-
chased and loaded with cargOe5 of
machinery, arms, etc, and cleared for
! foreign parts, but were run up to
Texas under a changed flag. Mr..
HOyt proceeded thither upon one
vessel, carrying letters Of introduction
from Governor Sprague commencing
him to General Butler and Admiral
tarragut. The papers inclOsed do not
give an entirely clear account of the
subsequent operations, and some Of
the evidence taken does not seem TO
have been forwarded. 1t is not neces-
sary, however, in this report, to 90 !
into all the details. 1t is sufficient to
remark that cargOes Of goods were
sold IN Texas and the proceeds in
vested in cotton, part Of which ap-
pears 10 have gotten out, while some
portions were seized by our blOckading
cruisers.
VIM. Sprague has written several 8
letters to General Dix in regard to the
case, in none Of which does he admit.
and In one which he denies a knOWl- !
Of HOyt, and of the details of opera
tiOns such as indicated by the letters | i
from him found on HOyt, who ex- q
pressly declares Vim. Sprague has a
been cOgniEant Of the progress of
business, and has advised and aided
it to the utmost Of his power.
IT is stated by VIM. Sprague that +
the object was to aid Union citizens I
In Texas and obtain information for a
the Government, but no one else con- .
neCted with the venture seems to have \
viewed it in that light, and Byron
SDrague, his partner, avers that he r,
had special charge Of the speculation Il
and plainly describes il as an under q
taking to get out cotton. Il
Major General Dix, in a letter TO the q
Of War, dated at Wasping-
ton, says the parties who furnished :
the capital, knowing how it was en- n
plOyed, were Messr5. Vim. Sprague, &,
United States Senator, Byron Sprague, q
bis brother, and VIM. II. Reynolds & l v
70. These gentlemen were all en- =
gagged in business at Providence, r. u
l., where the enterprises were fitted / y
)ut. Mr.. b. B. Knight and Messrs. |
DWag, Taft d Co., Of Providence, also | W
furnished part Of the capital, but it is al
not clear that they were fully advised 4
Ji the manner in which it would be !
used. u u
The high social standing Of these q,
gentlemen makes the case one Of great a.
and regard it also a ques- U
son OF importance whether the pro v
-eedings against them should be by ii
military commission or in a civil q
court; whether facts charged, If prov =,
ID, constitute a mere viOl8tiOn Of the
avs OF war, or a higher crime under
ne Constitution of the United States ge
There are at least two witnesses to the
act Of illicit trade and ample written
lrOOf. Harris HOyt and Charles II.
'rescOtt, who were parties in interest,
re willing to testify to all the facts in Ir
hB case, provided their doing so shall
lot insure their own convictions.
It appears that among the articles
purchased in New York 10 be taken to
Texas were some arms and ammunl- NJ
ion, and in one invoice, the cargo 60
With which HOyt went from Havana tA
was a thousand, cartridges l.,
nd percussion caps. "a
From an examination Of an the pa
'ers, this Department is Of opinion Sc
hat the persons who were engaged in ed
his unlawful traffic may be brought th
0 trial before a general cOurt-martial, ~
nder the sixth article Of war. for re- 81,
ieving the enemy with money and eli
or by military commits fn
Ion for violation OF the laws Of war pa
n trading and holding intercourse
With the enemy. II is for the Secre- 10
ary of War to declare, whether, in N
lew OF all the circumstances and the Nv
resent condition Of affairs, their trial by
hall be ordered. gr
lSiguedl J. HOLT. Co
Dmclal copy, Advocate General. pr