The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-08-20
PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT
OF North Carolina Under h ate Governor w. W.. Ho1den-ExtracfsF FIR IN
the Executive Letter Soc Of That Period

Ida III liANdliS VI oApIly Ah6 @AA|AA
selves" Meat and -four enough to last
thirty days were ordered issued to each
] family found upon special examination
by an officer to be absolutely destitute.
Holden asked Seward, United States
secretary Of state, whether paroled
, soldiers would be allowed to vote for
delegates to the state convention, upon
taking the amnesty oath, or whether
such soldiers would have to procure
the presidents pardon.
William A. Maroon, a white man
who shot a negro male thief, came to
Raleigh and surrendered to Governor
Holden. The latter wrote Major-Gen-
eral Cox, asking wha he must do with
Maroon, as there were no civil tribu-
nails. He a therefore put Maroon in
charge of the provost marshal. He
concludes the letter by saying: Mr..
Maroon has always borne a good
character up to this unfortunate trans
action and after committing the act he
promptly surrendered himself to me-"
The next letter is from z. 3. Vance to
Holden, saying a considerable sum of
money was in the states court. This
letter was published in full as a pen
dant" to the extracts from Vance's let
textbook.
June 22nd Holden sent to Maj. Gen.
J. D. Cox Waddelrs letter, also one for
John Pool, of Windsor 9TH letter does
not appear in the letter book. Holden
avs The gentleman are true and
loyal and ever reliable and influential
citizens. Similar complaints have
been made to me by many worthy cit
liens of Wilmington, of New Bern and
of the adjoining counties. / earnestly
commend these matters to o u favor
able consideration and ask hat you
take such action as in your judgment
will relieve the citizens"
= K *
Ger. Cox replied June 23rd that h
had ordered Maroon held until the civil
courts were organized; but if the de-
lay was very great he would, with Hol-
denis appreciation order a military
court to try the case"
On the same day Gen. Cox replied
to Holden's letter containing the Wad-
dell and Pool complaints and said
In response to complaints by the citi-
zens of Wilmington and Windsor of
m~isbehavior of the troops stationed in
those vicinities I will state that I have
given stringent orders to the command
ing generals Of the districts of Beau
fort and Wilmington in regard thereto
which I sincerely hope will effectually
prevent any like outrages in the flu
ture."
x
June 24th Holden thanked Cox for
the letter above quoted and added:
Permit me, general, to call your at
tentiOn to the enclosed paper (nOt
copied in the letter book) signed by a
large number of worthy and influential
citizens Of Wilmington. Messrs. Wal
lace, Russell and Waddell, who will de-
liver this, are gentlemen of high char
acter. They desire to confer with you
on the subject. Without offering or
desiring to make any discrimination
between troops of the u. S. 1 have re-
s~pectfully to ask, what I presume will
be accorded, that their representations
in relation to the condition of things
in Wilmington and vicinity may re-
ceive our earnest and favorable con-
sideratiOn."
Maj. I. w. Atwell of the First regi-
ment N. G.. u. T.. t~elegraphed from
New Bern that the regiment deserved
to be mustered out, as the muster rules
were ready and it would not be policy
to retain it in service. Holden replied
that SchOfield had determined to mus
ter the regiment out and that he &C
quiesced in this cheerfully, and that
the regiment WOulu Dc llOWcu " z
tain arms and horses. He added: Il
have written a letter to Col. Eastman
(thc commander of the First) at Camp
Chattanooga, returning my thanks to
the regiment for confidence expressed
in me-"
& &
June 10Th James Speed, U. S. attor-
ney general, wrote: 1.-The president
has referred to me your letter of 18th
,o~1xl;r~ ,oro1n1 nricnnorc on6 fhair
right to vote, I am instructed to say
that the paroled rebel soldiers who are
! not excluded because of some other ex-
ception in the proclamation of the
president of May 20, 1865, should be
allowed to take the benefit of the m
nesty and vote"
June 21st Attorney General Speed
wrote Holden: I'VE are very anxious
to appoint a judge, atornety and mar
shall for N. c.. 1t is very important
that the court should be open. We
want natives or residents Of your state
and fit men. 1t is greatly to be regret
ed that the gentlemen cannot take the
oath prescribed. Such men should be
in the service of the government. This
disappointment not stay our eff
forts. Though you n your efforts
We hope proper men may be found
who can qualify. Will you be good
enough to look around and see whether
the places cannot be flled?"
June oath President Johnson wrote
that a special pardon was not necessa-
~ for any military men below the
rank specified in his proclamation of
| May goth.
June Goth General Cox was notified
that "a county police has been appoint
oJ ~, IJo1ifa~ on1 Nnrtho m nfnn and
are armed with muskets, but have no
ammunition. There is a large class Of
idle population in these counties and [
request you to at once furnish these
police with ammunition"
Many prominent residents Of the mil
itary district of Beaufort, A. T. Jen-
kins, G. w. Dill and some forty others,
! wrote the governor, ~eulogizing General
1. N. Palmer, the commander Of that
dir+r;n+ anl 11rnipm that he he nnntin-