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I was reading Fleming's book on Reconstruction in Arkansas and saw this incident involving Smith. Just a note, Fleming was an extreme racist and Southern partisan:
Far more serious than these, however, were several outbreaks which assumed a dangerous character because of reckless official participation in them. Of these the most notorious was the burning of Brenham, where a battalion of the I7th Infantry was stationed under the command of Major G. W. Smith. On the night of September 7, 1866, a crowd of drunken soldiers forced their way into and broke up a negro ball. Then, pursuing some negroes who fled for protection to a social gathering of some of the white people, they made their way thither and attempted to break up that. They were resisted, a fight
ensued, and two soldiers were shot, but not seriously hurt. They went back to their camp and the whole force turned out and went to town, their commander with them. He arrested two citizens and threatened the town if others did not surrender themselves. Then, by his orders, two stores were broken into under pretense of searching for the citizens wanted, and were rifled of their contents. Shortly afterwards soldiers were discovered setting one of these stores on fire. An entire block of buildings was destroyed with a loss of over $130,000. The citizens appealed to the governor, and at his request an investigation of the affair was made by the regimental commander, Colonel Mason, then on duty at Galveston. Mason's report disclosed practically nothing and was a palpable " white-wash ". x A special committee of the legislature, after an extensive investigation, made a report identifying certain soldiers as guilty and implicating Major Smith, who had allowed the accused soldiers to desert and had refused to assist the committee. 2 A grand jury indicted Smith on a charge of burglary and arson; but although Throckmorton appealed to the President on behalf of the civil courts, 8 it proved impossible to bring the officer to trial in defiance of his military superiors. 4 A judgment
examined by it, is given in the appendix to House Journal, Eleventh Legislature. 8 Throckmorton to Stanbery, October 12, 1866, copy in Executive Records, Register Book, no. 84, p. 120. 4 Sheridan accepted imquestioningly the statements made by Mason for damages was rendered against him in favor of a firm whose store had been burned; but in July, 1867, when martial law was again supreme, General Griffin issued a special order reversing this judgment and dismissing all proceedings against the officer, because " the acts [of Smith] were committed in discharge of his duty as an officer, and the action of the court was dictated by a spirit of malicious persecution, fostered by vindictive and disloyal sentiments." *
Ramsdell, Charles William (2007-12-14). Reconstruction in Texas (1910) (pp. 128-129). . Kindle Edition.
Ramsdell, Charles William (2007-12-14). Reconstruction in Texas (1910) (p. 128). . Kindle Edition.
Ramsdell, Charles William (2007-12-14). Reconstruction in Texas (1910) (pp. 127-128). . Kindle Edition.
Far more serious than these, however, were several outbreaks which assumed a dangerous character because of reckless official participation in them. Of these the most notorious was the burning of Brenham, where a battalion of the I7th Infantry was stationed under the command of Major G. W. Smith. On the night of September 7, 1866, a crowd of drunken soldiers forced their way into and broke up a negro ball. Then, pursuing some negroes who fled for protection to a social gathering of some of the white people, they made their way thither and attempted to break up that. They were resisted, a fight
ensued, and two soldiers were shot, but not seriously hurt. They went back to their camp and the whole force turned out and went to town, their commander with them. He arrested two citizens and threatened the town if others did not surrender themselves. Then, by his orders, two stores were broken into under pretense of searching for the citizens wanted, and were rifled of their contents. Shortly afterwards soldiers were discovered setting one of these stores on fire. An entire block of buildings was destroyed with a loss of over $130,000. The citizens appealed to the governor, and at his request an investigation of the affair was made by the regimental commander, Colonel Mason, then on duty at Galveston. Mason's report disclosed practically nothing and was a palpable " white-wash ". x A special committee of the legislature, after an extensive investigation, made a report identifying certain soldiers as guilty and implicating Major Smith, who had allowed the accused soldiers to desert and had refused to assist the committee. 2 A grand jury indicted Smith on a charge of burglary and arson; but although Throckmorton appealed to the President on behalf of the civil courts, 8 it proved impossible to bring the officer to trial in defiance of his military superiors. 4 A judgment
examined by it, is given in the appendix to House Journal, Eleventh Legislature. 8 Throckmorton to Stanbery, October 12, 1866, copy in Executive Records, Register Book, no. 84, p. 120. 4 Sheridan accepted imquestioningly the statements made by Mason for damages was rendered against him in favor of a firm whose store had been burned; but in July, 1867, when martial law was again supreme, General Griffin issued a special order reversing this judgment and dismissing all proceedings against the officer, because " the acts [of Smith] were committed in discharge of his duty as an officer, and the action of the court was dictated by a spirit of malicious persecution, fostered by vindictive and disloyal sentiments." *
Ramsdell, Charles William (2007-12-14). Reconstruction in Texas (1910) (pp. 128-129). . Kindle Edition.
Ramsdell, Charles William (2007-12-14). Reconstruction in Texas (1910) (p. 128). . Kindle Edition.
Ramsdell, Charles William (2007-12-14). Reconstruction in Texas (1910) (pp. 127-128). . Kindle Edition.