Viewing page 116 of 255
This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.
200 Head Quarters Dist of Alabama Montgomery Ala Sept 17, 1866 /407 Townsend Bvt Maj Genl. E.C. Asst Adjt General Washington D.C. General Some time before the close of last session, I asked that the Brevet Rank of Lieut Col might be conferred on Surgeon Chas J Kipp U.S. Vols, and was advised in reply that the appointment had been made. Since that time neither Dr. Kipp nor I have heard definitely from it. Will you have the goodness to endorse upon this, whether or not it was sent in and confirmed Very Respectfully Your Obdt Servant Wager Swayne Major General Vols Head Quarters Dist of Alabama Montgomery Ala Sept 15th, 1866 185/243 Fowler Bvt Maj Wm. Asst Adjt General Washington D.C. Major I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of 250 blank forms, "Declarations for Arrears of Pay and Bounty." I am Major Very Respectfully Your Obdt Servant Wager Swayne Major General Head Quarters Dist of Alabama Montgomery Ala Sept 18, 1866 179/205 Howard Maj Genl. O.O. Commissioner &c Washington D.C. General Occasionally, for sometime past, different matters of expenditure have arisen, which this month been gathered up and are presented to you in the form of a Special Estimate 201 I think it best to make them also subjects of special explanation, lest any of them seem extravagant. I That the amount of teachers salaries not only for this month but also for the two proceeding should all appear in the estimate for this month is simply between Col Beecher and Col Bulloch looking to the completeness of the former officers vouchers. II At Marion, where we have met with marked encouragement a school was opened some time since. Stimulated by the Bureau, the Colored people have procured a lot and propose to have on it an Academy costing about $2000. which they can do with the help of the $500. proposed. There is no place in the State where they are more likely to do well III At Demopolis, Genl. Hardee, President of the R.R. has deeded a lot for School purposes. The white people have contributed $125 and $150 promised from the Bureau will make the colored people independent. IV I suppose the U.S. Judicial system has hardly had a more ignorant and rapacious representative than the U.S. Attorney for this District. Both these qualities are expensive to the Bureau. In prosecutions for misapplication of Stores and in an occasional Habeas Corpus, he is not fit to be employed even if he would serve. And he was greatly incensed at the President's order transferring certain property to us as it deprived him of certain "costs" of which he has collected already not less than $100,000. Accordingly denying its validity, he instituted proceedings for the resale of the property and I have had and shall have to fight him from that time out. At the next term section 12 will settle him, but sales already made under orders secretly obtained have got to be set aside, or else we must pay back a small portion of the amount remitted. I have also had three Habeas Corpus cases tried, to set aside the vagrant law, the prisoner in each case was discharged. Altho the laws of this State sanction nothing like a sale of persons, and I have heard of nothing of the kind, it has several times occurred to me that it might possibly be attempted in remote sections of the State. Accordingly your despatch about Clark Co. (poor and thinly settled) startled me, and I sought for the right man to go and find out. I found him and a estimate appears for his expenses the amount of which I shall not know till his return, but have stated at the largest probable amount. I am General Very Respectfully Your Obdt Servant Wager Swayne Major General
