ARMY, UNITED STATES. 



59 



jeotfor the communication of tin- Army and 

 l.v M;riiaN common to both services is 



adoration. 

 Kir-t Military District comprises the State 



;!-ginia, under tin- command of Brevet 



(icncral Scholield. This officer served 



with distinction throughout, the \var. At the 



lie was sent on a special embassy to France, 

 and mi his ivtuni was appointed to the com- 

 mand in Virginia. In this district, trial by 

 jury having become impracticable, through pre- 

 judice and antagonism between the whites and 

 blades, and the loyal and disloyal citizens, resort 

 was had to a system of military commissions, 

 c. >i:iposed of officers of the army and of the 

 1'Yeedmen's Mureau, acting as justices of the 

 peace and ultimately as circuit judges. The 

 i has worked successfully, and all classes 

 of citizens have received protection. Boards of 



try were appointed throughout the State, 

 and at their session, September 15, 1867, re- 

 turned as registered one hundred and fifteen 

 thousand and sixty-eight whites, and one hun- 

 dred and one thousand three hundred and eighty- 

 two colored citizens ; rejected or disfranchised, 

 one thousand six hundred and twenty whites, 

 ami two hundred and thirty-two colored per- 

 sons. 



The Second Military District comprises the 

 States of North and South Carolina, under the 

 command of Brevet Major-General Edward R. 

 S. t'unby. Major-Gcneral Daniel E. Sickles was 

 originally assigned to this district, and adminis- 



its affairs until removed by the President, 

 August 26, 1807. The latter commander is well 

 known. lie was a member of the Thirty-fifth 

 and of the Thirty-sixth Congress, and attained 

 the rank of major-general of volunteers by his 

 services in the Army of the Potomac. In this 

 di-trict the sheriffs and other municipal officers 



placed under the control of a military of- 

 ficer. Illegal imprisonments and punishments 

 were thus detected, and the release of many 

 Union men and freedmen obtained. A Bu- 

 reau of Civil Affairs was established to take 

 charge of the registration. Returns from North 



ina, divided by the bureau into 170 pre- 

 cincts, show that 103,060 whites were regis- 

 tered and 71,657 blacks. In South Carolina, 

 consisting of 109 precincts, there were regis- 

 tered 45,751 whites, and 79,686 blacks. Of the 

 appropriation made by Congress, $54,802.87 

 have been expended. Outstanding liabilities 

 will exceed the balance ($45,271.07) on band 

 by $194,802.87. 



The Third Military District comprises the 

 States of Georgia, Florida, and Alabama, under 

 t ! i- -command of Major-General Geo. G. Meade, 

 the well-known commander of the Army of the 

 Potomac during the latter part of the late war. 

 This district was originally assigned to Brevet 

 Major-General John Pope, who was removed by 

 the 1'resident, December 28, 1867. During the 

 war General Pope acquired distinction in the 

 We.-t, and tor a -liort time commanded the 

 Army of the Potomac. He afterward con- 



ducted the war against the Indians in North- 

 western Minnesota, On assuming command of 

 his district, General Pope continued in olli. .. ti,,. 

 State otlicials, hut forbade their opposition to the 

 reconstruction acts, or giving their patronage 

 to papers that opposed them. Very lew ci\il 

 officers were removed. Juries were ordered to 

 bo drawn indiscriminately from the black and 

 white registered voters. In consequence of the 

 riot at Mobile, Ala., city and county officers 

 were hold responsible for the preservation of 

 peace at all public 'meetings. The State Treas- 

 urers of Georgia, Alabama, and Florida were 

 forbidden to make payments after the appro- 

 priations of the present fiscal year had expired 

 except on warrants approved by the district 

 commander, as it was believed that a new Legis- 

 lature would not continue or approve many 

 of the appropriations made. The registering 

 boards were appointed from the citizens of the 

 district, each consisting of two white men and 

 one colored. The returns for Georgia show 

 the registration of 95,214 whites and 93,457 

 colored; Alabama, 74,450 whites, and 90,350 

 colored; Florida, 11,180 whites, and 15,357 

 colored. The expenses of registration were 

 $162,325. 



The Fourth Military District comprises the 

 States of Mississippi and Arkansas, under the 

 command of Brevet Major-General Irvin Mc- 

 Dowell, widely known from his connection with 

 the Army of the Potomac in the early part of the 

 late war. He was transferred from the Depart- 

 ment of California by order of the President, 

 December 28, 1867. His predecessor, Brevet 

 Major-General E. O. C. Ord, was made major- 

 general of volunteers early in the war of the re- 

 bellion, and was twice severely wounded. He 

 participated in the battle of luka and the siege 

 of Vicksburg, and in January, 1865, succeeded 

 General Butler in command of the Army 

 of the James. When originally appointed to 

 this district, he .found but slight opposition 

 in executing the reconstruction laws. The 

 cases of Union citizens and freedmen were 

 removed from the civil courts and disposed of 

 by military commission, particularly in Ar- 

 kansas, where the freedmen needed greater 

 protection. The State officials were continued 

 in office, except where they failed to perform 

 their duties. It was found difficult to obtain 

 competent civil officers, as very few could take 

 the test oath, and these were not willing to 

 defy public opinion by accepting office. Some 

 of the offices were therefore vacant. Exten- 

 sion of the suffrage to the freedmen excited 

 hostility toward them, and General Ord was 

 of opinion that a larger military force would 

 be needed to protect them. 



The Fifth Military District comprises the 

 States of Louisiana and Texas, under the com- 

 mand of Major-General Wintield S. Hancock, 

 distinguished for his eminent services in the 

 Army of the Potomac, and especially in the 

 battles of the "Wilderness. This distri. 

 originally assigned to Major-General P. II. Sheri- 



