The colored troops fought bravely…
Summary
Herald and Torch Light quotes The Mail's article about bounties for Negro soldiers. The article said Negro soldiers had fought bravely in the war and been rewarded with bounties - $100 for slaves and $300 for freemen and that the Freedmen's Bureau had been established "to take care of them." It continues by implying that "brokers, clerks and Bureau men" have been stealing $200 in bounty money from black soldiers and that the aggregate amount of money stolen will be in the thousands or millions of dollars. The Mail continues by saying it is no wonder a movement is underway to abolish the Bureau. The Herald says The Mail has gotten the bounty information reversed from what is written in the Acts of Congress and, furthermore, the officers in the Freedmen's Bureau are not "connected with the frauds recently discovered in the Second Auditor's office..." "The Democratic correspondent for the Baltimore Sun says that the 'committee has thus far been unable to find any evidence of fraud and that it is doubtful that any will be found.'"
Article Source
Newspaper: The Herald and Torch Light
Publication Date: July 8th, 1868
Page/Column: 2A
Town: Hagerstown, MD
County: Washington
Subjects
- Aftermath of War / Reconstruction
- Civil Liberties
