Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-12-14
GEN. HOWARD'S CASE.
The s'Christian Soldier" i'm Bad
OdOr.

CidlQlS Oh UuS ldGe bureau Oh hS1uSeCS,
and Abandoned Lands,
certain developments have been made
which 1 deem it proper under
the circumstances to submit to
the House of Representatives for such
as may appear to be right. On
the assumption of the duties by the
Adjutant- General, under the act of
Congress, general nature No. 133, APP
proved June 10, 1872, and the War De
partment general orders No. So, of 1872,
there was no reason to suppose that
such developments would be made, be-
cause no special search was made bear
ing upon them, but as complaint after
complaint was received that claimants
had not received from the late bureau
their bounties, arrears of pay, etc, the
said complaints were referred, in the
course of business, to the Second Audi
tor, with whom rested all settlement
and the final adjustment of the ac-
counts. 1t gradually became apparent
that vouchers to considerable amount
were filed as if paid, and credit taken
for the amounts, when strong proof
was presented that the claimants had
not been paid; and in similar manner
developments embracing other subjects
called for consideration.
From the incomplete and disOrdered
condition of the accounts of the late
bureau, when received by the Adjutant
General, and from the fact that exam
nation had to be made in two offices of
the Treasury Department to arrive at
the true condition of certain accounts
and claims, SO much time escaped that
the trial Of the late Commissioner by a
general court martial became barred IN
part under the statute Of limitations be-
fore 1t was discovered that he was prop
erly amenable to trial at all. Though it
was true that he could now be brought
before military court on some specie
charges, yet for the reason that they
would be more or less dependent on
transactions which are barred, the
trial would hardly be productive of
public benefit. and also for the rea-
son that the honorable House of
Representatives, has already ordered
and had an Investigation by commit
tee upon the affairs of the Bureau of
Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned
Lands, [ have deemed it best not to
give the case to the military tribunal,
but to submit the entire subject to the
House Of Representative. The De-
partment of Justice, however, has been
furnished with some of the cases, and
others are to follow, of apparent NAL
feasance, with a request to institute
either a criminal suit OF civil suit to
recover moneys belonging to the United
States or both suits, as may be proper,
against such Of the officers and agents
of the late bureau as may be liable.
In this connection, attention is invited
to the correspondence with the Attor-
ney General, found herewith.
The late Commissioner, Brig. Gen.
0. O. Howard, United States Army,
has been promptly informed of the alb
scnce of important records, and of the
apparent exhibits against him, with
view to his Offering explanations and
supplying the missing records. How
far he has done this will appear by the
correspondence printed in the reports.
In the item stated at Sl21 900 not ac-
counted for, it will be seen that the ac-
count can not be produced, and no at
tempt has been made to prove what has
become Of the money. Accounts COW
ering the amount in part are alleged to
have existed, but the Discussing Off
Ger, George W. Balloch, has stated that
rs they were not considered of much
Importance, they were not kept in the
cases with the other accounts. The
said accounts have disappeared, and it
seems that neither the late cOmmission-
cr nor the late Discussing Officer can
account for their disappearance. This
item Is known as the retained bounty
fund
AS to the misrepresentation Of public
funds, the records are in evidence, and
these Irregularities and violations of
law seemingly have had much more to
do with the confusion Of the records
than the defective condition and the
almost entire suspension of work by
the late bureau.
The responsibility and accountability
attaching TO the late Commissioner, so
far as now developed, amounts to up
ward Of S278,573.66, and may be stated
under the following headings:
: /. Claimed by colored claimants who
allege that they have not been paid
their pay and bounty, although the re-
cords of the Treasury Department show
the settlement of the Claims, and vouch-
ers have been filed by the late bureau
as evidence of payment, S53, $3.50.
2. Defalcation of st. Clair Mande-
Vile, SS.503.29.
g. Defalcation of o. G. French, re-
duced to S3,81454.
4. Defalcation Of 3. P. Runkle,
S673.24.
5. Acknowledged by Geo. w. Bal
loch TO have been paid to B. p. Runkle,
to reimburse the latter for a mistake
made by his agents in paying bounties
to the wrong parties, s., 331.63.
s. Due by the late bureau, in conse-
quence Of illegal double payments and
certain accrued interest, several thous-
and dollars.
Z. Irregular fund, called the Gre
tanned bounty fund" under the act Of
March 2, 1867, not accounted for, up
ward of Sl21,O00.
s. Misapplication Of public funds
and filing of vouchers, with the ac-
counts covering a certain month, when
the payments were made in prior
month: misapplication, $36, 4; vOuch-
ers covering a time subsequent. to the
actual date Of payment. and. therefore,
erroneous, S73,0+8; total, S109,365.
The accompanying reports of the
Adjntant-General, and of Inspector
General Schriner, who made a critical
examination Of the records in vertical
ton Of the Adjutant Generals report,
point in detail to the transactions ex-
hibited in the above summary.
am, sir, with great respect your
obedient servant, ". w. BELKNAP,
Secretary OF War.