The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-08-20
Messenger Bureau, Park Hotel.

devoted TO the TeCOTuS u the
sional government of North Carolina.
w. w. Holder was, by appointment OF
President Andrew Johnson, provisional
governor. The first letter is dated
June 18th and the last December 70,
1865. The first record on the volume IS
general order No. SO, department Of
North Carolina, dated June 18th, and IS
signed by I. A. Campbell, adjutant gen
eral to Major General John NJ. n
field. This order is as follows:
Hon. Jonathan Worth having been
appointed by his excellency the gov
ernOr Of North Carolina public treas
1rer Of the state, the keys and all pup
liz property and records required by
law TO be held in the custody of the
e+ata treasurer will be turned over to
him. Hon. c. r. Thoma having been
likewise appointed secretary OF state,
ALI archives and other public prop
ertv REQUIRED to be kept in his custody
will be turned over to him ana the
offices in the capitol heretofore occu-
pied by the secretary of state will be
vacated for his use. All offices in the
csnitol eduired by the different state
officers will be turned over to them
on the requisition Of the governor
The first letter is from Governor Hol-
den to President Johnston and says:
Colonel David Heath, treasury agent,
is about removing a lot of cotton be-
onging to this state at Graham depot.
This was not captured prior to the sur
render Of General Johnston. General
Schofeld favors it's restoration to the
state, but does not feel empowered TO
so order. I earnestly hope that none
OF the property belonging to the state
will be claimed as forfeited to the
United States. Enough of payments
can be collected to pay the expenses of
the provisional government, including
the convention and first meeting Of the
the general assembly. In view of the
destitute condition Of our people
l beg you not to enforce confiscating
Of state property"
June 18th Holden urged SchOfield to
continue in the service the First North
Carolina troops, saying: The regl-
ment volunteered to stand by the gov
m when q failure of the national
cause would have cost them their lives
and their property and when the men
by whom they had usually been con-
trolled were doing everything in their
power against the national govern
ment. I ask them to be continued in
service because it is now too late to
raise a crop. / ask that they be re-
tanned to garrison eastern Carolina,
because most of them belong to that
section and because the citizens there
urgently request it, preferring them
to colOred troops. This is the general
wish of the loyal men in that portion of
the state. Also that those who may
be mustered out may retain their arms,
and those having horses may take
them home"
" 80 o. II r DnroInrtn Arah
Mclean, r. M. Orrell, X. r. Black, j.
a r. Lee and M. McKriOn asking aid for
1.-THE poor and afflicted at Fayetteville,
Holden expressed his deep sympathy
and said: Il have urged in the very
strongest terms upon Genera SchOfield
the necessity for the reissue of ratiOnS
and have no doubt that he will comply
with my request. A county court will
in a very short time be organized in
Cumberland, to which will be confided
the care of the poor and needy of the
county.
II
Hugh McCulloch, secretary of the
United States treasury, telegraphed
June 18th to Heaton: ship the so-called
state cotton to New York as captured
property, without regard to state
claims"
June 18th is the date of the following
letter from Alfred M. Waddell, of Will
mington: Il address this cOmmunlca-
ton to you at the request of a NUMBER
of the most intelligent and respectable
citizens of Wilmington and urgently
request that you will take such prompt
action upon it as may seem best. Will
mington is g~arrisOned by negro troops,
and although our people have behaved
with remarkable propriety, the fire.
uuent and indeed daily outrages COM
mitted by these troops or by Other
4negroes ~instigated by them have ex-
H1ited serious and we'll grounded fears
for the safety of u unarmed n de-
fenceless people. This is not the result
of panic nor is it the utterance of pas
sion or prejudice, but 1 10 assure you
that our people, Of all classes, are
alarmed, and justly so, at the very
threatening aspect Of affairs here. The
military authorities have generally pro-
tected the citizens and punished evil
doors, but it is impossible to deny the
fact that greater latitude is allowed to
the negro soldiers tina was allowed to
the white and that there is less dispo-
sition to investigate and punish Of
fences committed by them. Unless
there is a change for the better 1t will
inevitably result in massacre. The ne
grOes firmly believe that all the proper
ty is theirs by right and that every
days delay in the assertion of their
right is rendering their claims weaker,
and they are strengthened in this be-
lief by their teachers and preachers.
They believe the government will wink
at the attempt to assert, even by force
of arms, there ideas and will maintain
their claims of equality. If they read
an official denial of such intention on
Jhe part of the government Gas in two
cases OF which I am personally cog
n~izant), ever if told by the freedman's
bureau of their mistake, they are ut
terly incredulous and become impatient
until their faith is bOlstered by assur-
ances from the negro soldiers or others
of like ideas. The general commanding
here stated in my presence he heard an
orderly %urgean in charge of the guard
in the centre of the town order a negro
soldier to arrest a citizen, who was
violating no order and if he resisted to
hnrrnnnn4 49,. 41.n cnnnrn rnDritnn n nd ~