Viewing page 59 of 239

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

  5.  The most important charge and the one an understanding of which is most difficult to arrive at, is in reference to the repairs on the African Church.
   
There appear to have been two sets of rebel buildings which in the early part of 1866 were disposed of by Mr. Tukey, one on Beverly Street in the Suburbs of Staunton and one at Swoope's Station.  These buildings do not appear to have been on any official papers and the transactions connected with them were not kept intelligibly seperate.  Mr. Tukey claims that by oral orders from Major How, he was authorised to tear them down and dispose of the lumber without rendering account.  He has also a written order from Major How bearing relation to one of these barracks which is hereto attached marked "Exhibit B."  This gives authority for the freedmen to take the lumber, 2200 feet being left for a Mr. Wholly the owner of the land, and concludes by the very strange direction that Mr. Tukey shall "make no unnecessary explanations to Mr. Wholly nor anybody else."
   
Mr. Tukey states that the trustees of the church had partially contracted with a party to do the repairs at the price of one hundred and twenty dollars but that he told them it was too much and that he could have the work done so as not to cost over seventy five dollars and thereupon they entrusted him with the job - which he undertook.  There was nothing wrong in this although it was outside of his, Mr. Tukey's, duties, provided he did not in fact enter upon it as a speculation, and which is perhaps equally important, provided he so conducted it as to render it

Transcription Notes:
---------- Reopened for Editing 2023-11-02 10:56:14 to correct some misspellings. Left two words misspelled as in the original (authorized and separate)