The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1874-01-01
tbs HOwARD DEFALCATs0N.
A had Showing for the Christian
Soldier.
REPORT OF SECRETARY OF WAR.
WAR DEPARTMENT, J

1othe Speaker of the House Of Represer'
tiUes, Washington. d. c.
SIR-In the course of business connect
ed with the settlement of the affairs anC
paying the unsettled claims Of the late
Bureau of Refugee Freedmen and Aban
dored Lands, certain developments have
been made which | deem it proper, under
the circumstances, TO submit to the
House of Representatives for such action
as may appear to be right On the as
sumption of the duties by the Adjutant-
General, under the act of Congress, n
erd nature, No. 1913, approved June 10,
1872, and War Department Gen raj
Orders No. 55, of 1872, there was no
would be made, hence, no special search
was made bearing upon them. But
complaint after complaint was received
that claimants had not received from the
late bureau their bouDties, arrears Of pay,
&c, and the said complaints were refer
red, in the course Of business, to the Sec
Ond Auditor, with whom all settlements
and the final adjustment. Of the accounts
rested. 1t gradually became apparent
| that vouchers to considerable amount
were filed as if paid, and credit taken for
the amounts, when strong proof was pre-
scented that the claimants had not been
paid; and in a similar manner develop
| ments embracing other subjects called
| for consideration.
From che incomplete and disordered
condition of the accounts Of the late bu-
reau, when received by the Adjutant-
General, and from the fact that exumi-
nntion had to be made in two offices of
the Treasury Department to arrive at the
true conditions of certain accounts and
claims, so much time elapsed that the
trial Of the late commissioner by general
| court-martial became barred in part, I'M
der statute of limitation, before it was
discovered that he was properly amenable
to trial at ALL Though it is true that he
could now he brought before :, military
court on some specific 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 reason that the
honorable House Of Representatives has
already ordered and had on investigation
by committee upon the affairs of the
bureau of refugee freedmen and abandon
ed lands, l have deemed it best not to
give the case to military tribunal, but
to submit it and the entire subject to the
House of Repr, natives. The depart
nent of justice, however, has been fur
nished with some cases, and others are to
follow of apparent malfeasance, with
request to institute either criminal suit
or 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 correspondence with the At
| torney-General, found herewith,
The late Commissioners, Brigadier-Gen
| o. o. Howard, U. S. A., has been
promptly informed Of the absence Of i'm
portant records and Of the apparent exhi-
bits against him, with a view to his offer
ing explanations and supplying the mis-
sing records. How far he has done this
viii appear by correspondence printed in
the reports. In one item stated at S121-
| 900, not accounted for. it will he seen
that the accounts cannot be produced
and no attempt has been made 10 prove
what has become of the money. Ac-
counts, covering the amount in part, are
alleged to have existed, bat the disburs-
ing officer, George w. Balloch, mas stated
that as 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 commissioner nor the
late Disturbing officer can account for their
Disappearance. This item Is knOtcn Us the
| retained bounty fund.
As to the misapplication of public
funds, the records are in evidence, and
these irregularities and violations Of law,
seemingly, have had much to do with the
confusion Of the records, their defective
condition, and the almost entire suspen-
sion of work by the late Bureau. The
responsibility and accountability attach
ing to the late commissioner so far as now
developed, amounts to upward Of S278
573, 66, and may be stated under the
following headings
Claimed by coiored claimants, who al
lege that they have not been paid their
pay and bounty, although the records Of
treasure Department show the settle
ment of the claims, and vouchers have
been filed by the late Bureau as evidence
Second: Defalcation of st. Clair Man
devlle, So, 500 90
Third Dedication Of o. c.. French, re-
d,ced to SO OLA 81.
Fourth; Defalcation Of B. 2. r. Runk-
lie. 1913. "a.
Fifth: Acknowledged by Geo w.
BalIoch to have been paid TO B. 2.
Runkle to reimburse the latter for mis-
takes made by his agents in paying
bounties to the wrong parties, 81 ,331 03.
Sixth: Due by the late Bureau in con-
sequence of illegal double payments and
certain accrued interest, several thousand
dollars.
Seventh: Irregular fund, called re-
tanned bounty fund, under the act of
March 2, 1867, that accounted for,
upward Of 1921 900.
Eighth: Misapplication of public funds
and adding vouchers with the accents COW
ering a certain month when payments
were made in prior month-misapplica-
ton, $50 ,314; vouchers covering the
time subsequent to the actual state of
payment, and therefore erroneous, S73-
04S; total, s109, 1853.
The accompanying report of the Ad-
jutant- General and of Inspector-General
Schriver, who made critical examina-
ton of the records, in verifcation of the
Adjutant- Generals report, point in detail
to the transactions exhibited in the above
summary.
War Department General Orders No.
I of 1873 promulgates the proceedings of
the general conrt martial In the case of
| Major B. p Runkle, one of the agents of
of the late bureau. Reference is also in
| vited to executive document No 169,
XLIst Congress, third session. miscella-