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258 Headquarters, Bureau R.F. and A.L. State of Texas Galveston, June 23rd 1866. 378. Whittelsey Col. C. H. A.A.G. Dept of Texas, 380./449 I have the honor to ask that the following named officers be ordered to report to me for duty. Captain D. A. Mack Co. "G" 116th U.S.C.T. Captain A. J. Johnson Co. "F" 116th U.S.C.T 1st Lieut B. P. Blanchard Co. "I" 116th U.S.C.T 1st Lieut J. B. Moore Co "J" 9th U.S.C.T. I find it necessary to move Officers. it is absolutely necessary to establish some new posts in the interests of the Freedmen in portions of the State where the Bureau has never existed and I further deem it proper to relieve many of the Civilian Agents on account of bad conduct towards both planters and freedpeople, and also because they cannot take the oath as prescribed by the Act of Congress creating the Bureau. I have asked the Dept. at Washington for Officers, but have very little hope of getting the required numbers, I stated at length to Gen. Howard my reasons for preferring Army Officers to Civilians and enclose a copy of said communication to which I respectfully ask the Dept. Comdsr's attention and hope that he will take the same view of it as I do, I have the honor to be Very Respectfully Your Obedt Servt J. B. Kiddoo Brvt Maj. Genl and Asst. Comr. 259 Headquarters, Bureau R.F. and A.L. State of Texas, Galveston June 26th 1866. 379. Howard Maj. Gen. O. O. Commissioner, &c &c. 369/383. General, I am much embarraassed to know what powers there are left Military Commissions and such other courts as are under the immediate Jurisdiction of the Bureau, This matter has given me much trouble, Gen. Orders War Dept. was interpretrated by Genl Wright, Com'd'g Dept. of Texas as applying to Texas and in accordance with that decision he issued Gen. Orders No. 19 Hd. Qrs. Dept. of Texas, which I endorse. Some of the judges of the Courts, and best Laywers [[Lawyers]] of the State differed with him. Gen. Gregory among others and he deemed it proper to refer the matter to the War Dept. I at the same time referred the matter to you. We received a Telegram from War Dept. Signed E. D. Townsend, Asst. Adjt. Genl. which he embodied in Gen. Orders. No 20, Hd. Qrs. Dept of Texas, which I enclose, and he recommended a Military Commission which he had dissolved on account of the view he took of Genl Orders, No 2, War Dept. While this commission is in Session and I sending men before it for the most brutal murdering of Freedmen, because I had no hope of getting justice done there in any of the Civil Courts of the State. Your communication of the 7th Inst. signed. E. P. Ketchum, Adjt. Asst. Comr. is received by me which gives me an opposite oppinion [[opinion]] of the Secty. of War, from the one received by Genl Wright. I must positively state to you that I am powerless to get justice for the freedmen in this State in cases of Crime, Abuse, or Murder from any other source than Military Courts. I can trust some trifling Civil matters to the State Courts, but the prejudices of this people are so strong against their equality, before the laws, that in criminal cases their trial before Civil courts is worse than a farce. You will observe that in your communication the Sect'y of War's decision in Genl Order No 21, applies to Texas and other States. if the civil tribunals over.
