PREVIOUS

NEXT

NEW SEARCH

A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation: U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates, 1774-1875

Journal of the Confederate Congress --EIGHTEENTH DAY--SATURDAY, September 6, 1862.

Journal of the Congress of the Confederate States of America, 1861-1865 [Volume 5]
EIGHTEENTH DAY--SATURDAY, September 6, 1862.

OPEN SESSION.

The House met pursuant to adjournment, and was opened with prayer by the Rev. Mr. Sprigg.

A message was received from the Senate, by their Secretary, Mr. Nash; which is as follows, to wit:

Mr. Speaker: the Senate have passed a bill of the following title, to wit:

• S. 74. An act to amend an act entitled "An act to provide for the public defense;"

In which I am directed to ask the concurrence of this House.

Mr. H. W. Bruce presented the memorial of Lieut. Col. M. H. Cofer in relation to promotions in the Army; which was referred to the Committee on Military Affairs, without being read.

The House then proceeded to the consideration of the special order for the morning hour, which was a bill to provide for the further issue of Treasury notes.

And the first section of the same [being under consideration]; which is as follows:

The Congress of the Confederate States do enact, That the Secretary of the Treasury be, and he is hereby, authorized from time to time to issue, in addition to the bonds, certificates of stock, and Treasury notes already authorized by law, such additional amount of the same as may be required to pay the appropriations made by Congress at its last and present sessions, to be issued under the same forms, conditions, and restrictions as are, or may be, provided by law; the bonds and certificates of stock to be issued in preference in all cases where they can be used, and where they can not the deficiency to be supplied by Treasury notes,

Mr. Kenner moved to amend the same by striking out the word "law" and inserting in lieu thereof the words
the first section of the act entitled "An act to provide further means for the support of the Government," approved April twelfth, eighteen hundred and sixty-two.

The motion prevailed.

Mr. Machen moved to amend the bill by striking out the third section; which is as follows:

• Sec. 3. The Secretary of the Treasury is authorized to pay annually the interest accruing on the first of January on all interest-bearing Treasury notes, and to make all proper regulations in relation to such payment,

That the accumulating interest upon all such issues shall be held to be due on the first day of January in each year, and shall thereafter bear interest at the same rate as the principal.

Page 352 | Page image

Mr. Johnston moved to amend the bill by striking out the third section.

Mr. E. M. Bruce moved that the bill and amendments be laid upon the table.

The motion was lost.

The Chair laid before the House a message from the President; which is as follows, to wit:

I have the honor to transmit a communication from the Secretary of the Treasury, inclosing two statements, marked A and B, in reply to a resolution of the House of Representatives requesting information concerning the amount of funds sent abroad to officers or agents of the Government for military and naval purposes, with certain particulars regarding the same.

JEFFERSON DAVIS.
which was read, and, with its accompanying documents, was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, with instructions that they report in secret session, if at all.

Also, a communication from the Secretary of the Treasury; which is as follows, to wit:

Confederate States of America, Treasury Department,
Richmond, Va., September 5, 1862.

Hon. Thomas S. Bocock,
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Confederate States of America.

Sir: In response to a resolution of the House of Representatives, adopted August 26, 1862, asking for the number of soldier and other claims on file in the Second Auditor's Office for adjustment, the length of time they have been on file, and the reason they have not been earlier acted on, I have the honor to inclose herewith a report from the Second Auditor, giving the desired information. I have to state, in addition, that the full complement of clerks allowed by law has not hitherto been made for two reasons: First, because the absence of papers, as stated by the Auditor, would prevent their discharging their duties; and, secondly, that until the present week, sufficient office accommodation could not be procured for the use of this bureau.

Respectfully,C. G. MEMMINGER,
Secretary of the Treasury.

Treasury Department, Confederate States,
Second Auditor's Office,
September 3, 1862.

Hon. Thomas S. Bocock,
Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Sir: I have been furnished by the Clerk of the House of Representatives with a copy of a resolution of said House, of August 26, as follows:

"Resolved, That the Second Auditor be required to report to this House, at as early a day as practicable, the number of soldier and other claims on file in his office for adjustment, the length of time they have been on file, and the reason they have not been earlier acted upon."

In compliance with the above call, I have the honor to state that the number of claims for arrears of pay due deceased soldiers "on file in this office for adjustment" (unsettled) is 2,900. As to the "length of time they have been on file," it would be impossible to state precisely without preparing a minute statement in detail showing the date at which each case was filed. They have come in daily since 1st January last up to the present day; a very few cases still unsettled, running back so far as the first-named date. "The reasons these claims have not been acted upon" are:

• First. The passage of an act of Congress, approved February 15, 1862, which was construed as intending to take the settlement of soldiers' claims from the Auditor and devolve it upon the quartermasters of the respective regiments. Thus their examination and settlement was suspended in this office until, at my suggestion, the law was submitted to the Attorney-General, who, on the 9th of May, 1862, communicated his opinion that said act did not intend to dispense with an audit by the proper auditing office prior to payment by the Pay Department of the Army, as directed by the second section, and they were again proceeded with.
• Second. The removal from this city in June last by the Adjutant and Quartermaster Generals, because of the proximity of the enemy, of the muster and pay rolls, to

  ---

  Page 353 | Page image
  
  which daily reference was indispensable in making settlements of these claims, which was, therefore, suspended during the absence of those records; and further hindrance was experienced by the packing up in boxes, made expressly for the purpose of all the records, books, and papers of this office (except a few in daily use), read to be moved at a moment's notice to a place of security in case the safety of the city should have been seriously endangered by the presence of the enemy.

• Third. The failure in many instances of captains to send in their rolls to the proper department, arising partly, I presume, from the constant movement of troops and casualties of service.
• Fourth. The want of sufficient clerical force to bring up arrears arising as before stated, and to keep pace with the immensely increasing current influx of these claims. I may remark that a large portion of these claims, thus reported as remaining unsettled, have been regularly taken up and examined, but have been suspended and laid aside for want of necessary proof, evidence of service, etc.

The number of claims, other than deceased soldiers "on file in this office for adjustment" (comprising claims of all kinds growing out of the war, but principally for supplies furnished) is 97, of which there have been examined and suspended for further proof 30, leaving 67 which remain unexamined, and of which nearly all were received in the last month--August.

This statement does not include claims of the State of South Carolina, under the act of December 11, 1861, a portion of which remains unsettled; or of the States of Mississippi and Louisiana, under the act of August 30, 1861, for which there has been no appropriation by Congress.

I beg leave, respectfully, in conclusion, to state that the force of this office is now, and always has been, greatly inadequate to the public wants, and most earnestly to suggest the absolute necessity of its being at once heavily increased in order that the public accounts and claims may be properly disposed of. One hundred intelligent, industrious accountants is the minimum number that would be sufficient for the purpose.

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

W. H. S. TAYLOR,
Auditor.

Mr. Crockett moved that the communication and accompanying documents be referred to the Committee on the Judiciary and printed, with instructions to inquire what additional legislation, if any, be necessary.

Mr. Heiskell moved to amend the motion by striking out the word "Judiciary" and inserting in lieu thereof the words "Military Affairs."

The amendment was lost, and the motion of Mr. Crockett was agreed to.

The Chair presented a message from the President; which is as follows, to wit:

To the House of Representatives:

I herewith transmit to your honorable body an estimate of appropriation called for by the Secretary of War.

JEFFERSON DAVIS.
which, with its accompanying documents, was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means and ordered to be printed.

Also, a communication from the Secretary of the Navy; which is as follows, to wit:

Confederate States of America, Navy Department,
Richmond, September 6, 1862.

Hon. Thomas S. Bocock,
Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Sir: In response to the following resolution adopted by the House of Representatives on the 3d [5th] instant, "Resolved, That the Secretary of the Navy be requested to send to this House a copy of the official letter of Flag-Officer Forrest, touching the gallant exploits of Commander Taylor, in command of the little steamer Harmony, in her conflict with the enemy's frigate Savannah, which resulted in a heavy loss of men to said frigate and great injury to the same," I have the honor to transmit

Page 354 | Page image

herewith a copy of the letter referred to, and by which you will observe that Commander Fairfax was in command of the Harmony.

With much respect, your obedient servant,S. R. MALLORY,
Secretary of the Navy.

Flag-Officer's Office, Dockyard,
Gosport, Va., September 2, 1861.

Sir: I directed Commander Fairfax to take charge of the little steam tug Harmony and mount upon her one of the rifled guns of 57 cwt. and carry with him all the projectiles (about thirty) then on hand and proceed along the coast in shoal water to "Pig Point," to exercise his best judgment in an approach to the enemy's frigate Savannah, at anchor off Newport News, and take a position out of reach of her guns to try the range of his; to near her cautiously and do her as much damage as possible. He proceeded, in obedience to these instructions, and the experiment proved a very satisfactory one. I learn to-day that several shells struck the ship and did great execution, the one on her larboard quarter particularly. After exhausting his ammunition, he returned with the little steamer without sustaining any injury or the occurrence of any accident. He fired the two remaining shells on his return at the shipping off Fortress Monroe, the effect of which could not be seen. Great credit is due Commander Fairfax for this deed of noble daring and the success which attended the exploit. Permit me, therefore, to commend him to the notice of the Department.

I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

F. FORREST,
Flag-Officer, etc.

Hon. S. R. Mallory,
Secretary of the Navy, Richmond, Va.

On motion, the same was laid upon the table and ordered to be printed.

On motion, leave of absence was granted to Mr. Lewis, on account of sickness.

Mr. Barksdale, by consent, offered the following resolution, to wit:

Whereas it is alleged in the official report of Major-General J. Bankhead Magruder, dated May fourth, eighteen hundred and sixty-two, that the Army of the Peninsula, from the fourth of April to the third of May, inclusive, "had neither coffee, sugar, nor hard bread, but subsisted on flour and salt meat in reduced quantities," and

Whereas the statement is repeated in the following language of the said report, to wit: "The best-drilled regulars the world has ever seen would have mutinied under a continuous service in the trenches for twenty-nine days, exposed every moment to musketry and shells, in water to their knees, without fire, sugar, or coffee, without stimulants, and with an inadequate supply of uncooked flour and salt meat:" Therefore, be it

Resolved, That the President be respectfully requested to cause to be furnished for the information of this body a report setting forth the quantity and description of provision supplies furnished to the Army of the Peninsula during the period above recited, and the quantity and description of said supplies which were on hand at the time of the withdrawal of the army from the peninsula on the third of May last.

Mr. Foote called the question thereon; which was ordered, and the resolution was agreed to.

The House then proceeded to the consideration of the special order of business, which was a bill to fill up existing companies, squadrons, battalions, regiments, etc.

Mr. Dupré called for the question, which was upon the amendment of Mr. Gaither to the amendment of Mr. Bonham.

Mr. Gaither asked that the vote be recorded by yeas and nays.

The demand was sustained,

And the vote is as follows, to wit:
• Yeas ... 28
• Nays ... 45 [46]

Yeas: Arrington, Ashe, Batson, Boteler, Bridgers, Currin, Dupré, Ewing, Foote, Foster, Freeman, Gaither, Gray, Hanly, Herbert, Hilton, Johnston, Kenan of North Carolina, McDowell, McLean, Menees,

Page 355 | Page image

Moore, Pugh, Ralls, Sexton, Smith of Alabama, Smith of North Carolina, and Wright of Texas.

Nays: Barksdale, Bell, Benham, Boyce, Horatio W. Bruce, Eli M. Bruce, Chambers, Chambliss, Chilton, Chrisman, Clapp, Clopton, Conrad, Conrow, Crockett, Curry, Davis, Dawkins, Farrow, Gartrell, Goode, Graham, Hartridge, Heiskell, Holt, Jones, Kenan of Georgia, Kenner, Lander, Lyon, Lyons, Machen, Marshall, McRae, McQueen, Miles, Perkins, Preston, Strickland, Swan, Trippe, Vest, Welsh, Wilcox, Wright of Georgia, and Mr. Speaker.

So the amendment to the amendment was lost.

The question then being on the amendment of Mr. Bonham,

Mr. Davis moved to amend by striking out all of the same and inserting in lieu thereof the following:

That the act approved on the sixteenth day of April, eighteen hundred and sixty-two, known as "An act further to provide for the public defense," be, and the same is hereby, so enlarged and extended as to embrace all free white male citizens of the Confederate States of America between the ages of eighteen and forty-five years, not to be discharged upon attaining the age of forty-five if enrolled and mustered into service before.

Sec. 2. Be it further enacted, That retired commissioned officers of the Confederate Army shall have the right to furnish substitutes, and that this act take effect and be in force from and after its passage.

Mr. Holt moved that the bill and amendments be laid upon the table.

The motion was lost.

And the first section of the bill being under consideration; which is as follows, to wit:

• Section 1. The Congress of the Confederate States of America do enact, That when the President shall consider an increase of the forces in the field necessary to repel invasions, or for the public safety in the pending war, he is authorized, as hereinafter provided, to call into the military service of the Confederate States for three years or during the present war, if it should be sooner ended, all white male citizens of the Confederate States, not legally exempted from such service, between the ages of thirty-five and forty-five years; and such authority shall exist in the President during the present war as to all persons who now are or may hereafter become eighteen years of age, and, when once enrolled, all persons between the ages of eighteen and forty-five years shall serve their full term: Provided, however, That the regiment raised under and by authority of the State of Texas and now in the service of said State for frontier defense is hereby exempted from the provisions and operations of this act: And provided, That if the President, in calling out troops into the service of the Confederate States, shall first call for only a part of the persons between the ages hereinbefore stated, he shall call for those between the ages of thirty-five and any other age less than forty-five, and apportion the same between the several States, taking into consideration their relative population between the ages of thirty-five and forty-five and the number of troops already furnished to the Army by the respective States under former acts, so far as the same may he practicable without departing from the principle of calling out troops according to age: And provided further, That in estimating the number of troops furnished by any State under former acts each State shall be credited with all the companies mustered into service from said State,

Mr. Smith of North Carolina moved to amend the same by striking out all after the enacting clause and inserting in lieu thereof the following, to wit:

That the President be authorized to call upon the several States for their respective quotas of a force, in the aggregate not exceeding three hundred thousand men, in addition to those already in the field, to servo for three years or the war, whereof so many shall be placed in the regiments of the States from which they are taken as are necessary to till such regiments to the full number prescribed by the act of April sixteenth, eighteen hundred and sixty-two, and the residue of the quota shall be received in bodies organized by authority of the States: Provided, however, That the quota to be furnished by each State shall not exceed the difference between the whole number of persons therein, between the ages of eighteen and forty-five years, liable under the

Page 356 | Page image

laws thereof to military service and not exempt, to be estimated according to the returns of the last census, and the number which such State has already furnished by volunteering, conscription, or otherwise to the Confederate Government for the term of three years or the war.

Mr. Lyons moved that when the House adjourn it adjourn to meet in the new hall; which was agreed to.

On motion of Mr. Kenner of Louisiana, the House resolved itself into secret session; and having spent some time therein, again resolved itself into open session;

When,

On motion,

The House adjourned until 12 o'clock on Monday.

SECRET SESSION.

The House being in secret session, a message was received from the Senate, by the hands of Mr. Nash, the Secretary of that body; which is as follows, to wit:

Mr. Speaker: The Senate have passed, without amendment, a bill of this House of the following title, viz:

An act to authorize the issue of Confederate States bonds to meet a contract made by the Secretary of the Navy for six ironclad vessels of war, and steam engines and boilers.

And on motion of Mr. Clapp,

The House resolved itself into open session.

PREVIOUS SECTION .. NEXT SECTION .. NAVIGATOR

PREVIOUS

NEXT

NEW SEARCH