To MAJOR GENERAL MEADE.
STATEMENTS OF ALBERT WILLIAMS, MARTHA RANDALL, JANE ROGERS, AND BENJAMIN
WESTON.
Albert Williams states to me that in January after the surrender he was
employed by the Government to work in the cemetery, and worked there
until last spring. That Mr. Van Dusen, Supt. of the cemetery, gave him
the privilege of moving into the house he now occupies, near the
stockade that enclosed the hospital buildings; that afterwards Captain
Rench gave him the privilege of clearing off the ground east of the
stockade and raising a crop; that he hired hands and cleared and fenced
about fifteen acres; that his wife and children helped to raise a crop;
that after it was "laid by," Mr. Crawford, who claims the land, called
on him and demanded rent, that he also called on Lewis Williams, Howard
Ingraham, and Butler Johnson, who were raising crops around the
stockades by permission of Captain Rench, and demanded rent, that Mr.
Crawford called upon us four, with Mr. B. B. Dikes and Esquire Souber,
and compelled us to sign a written contract, which they had prepared,
that each of us four would pay forty bushels of corn each for rent; that
he (Williams) was unable to pay the forty bushels of corn, but did pay
ten dollars in money, ten bushels of corn which he gathered and hauled
to Mr. Dikes' crib, for which he was allowed fifteen dollars in rent.
None of the four men were able to pay the forty bushels of corn; but Mr.
Crawford brought the Bailiff, John Law, and took what corn he could, and
a sow and pig from Howard Ingraham. All these men but me have left their
places that they had cleared and fenced, because they could not pay such
rent, and Mr. Crawford has put the places in charge of Mr. Souber, and
brought him two males to cultivate the grounds. Mr. Williams states that
twice the stockade has been set on fire in the night, and he and his
boys have toted water and put it out.
Mr. Williams states that Mr. Souber came to his house some two or three
weeks ago, and told him he must get out of the house and leave the
place, that he had charge of it now, that he was going to fence in the
grounds and raise a crop in and around the stockade, and that he would
not let any body live there but those that worked the place. That some
time after this Mr. Souber sent him word by Bob Stevens that he had
rented the place to him, and that he must get out or Mr. Souber would
have him put out by the Sheriff, Mr. Raiford; that Mr. Stevens and his
wife have both been to his house several times with this message from
Mr. Souber; that last Saturday (January 23, 1869,) his wife told him
that Mr. Souber came to his house while he was away and told her we must
get out by Monday night or he would bring the Sheriff and have us put
out. Mr. Williams says he will make oath to these statements.
Mrs. Martha Randall and Mrs. Jane Rogers live very near Mr. Williams.
They state to me that they occupy the house by permission of Mr. Souber,
as they have agreed to work for him. They both say to me that they heard
Mr. Souber tell Mrs. Williams, last Saturday, that "they must get out of
the house or he would have the Sheriff put them out."
NOTE--You will see that there are three witnesses to these statements of
Mr. Souber. I saw each of them "separate and apart" from the others, and
no one knew what the others had said, and their statements agreed in
every particular.
Benjamin Weston states to me that Major Anthony gave him permission to
raise a crop east of the stockade, where the small-pox hospital was
located. That he cleared and fenced about six acres; that there was no
clearing on the land--only some of the underbrush was cut out; that
there was not a rail on the place; that he cut and split all the rails
and made a good fence, and raised a crop of corn; that about the first
of August Mr. Crawford came to him and said the land was his, and
demanded thirty-five bushels of corn for rent, and required him to sign
a contract and give security for that amount; that the place only
yielded about twenty bushels, of which his family and stock used ten
bushels, and he gave ten bushels for rent.
Mr. Weston states that he heard that Mr. Souber had charge of the land,
and about the first of January he applied to him to rent what he had
cleared and fenced. Mr. Souber told him that he had charge of the land
but it was not for rent; he was agoing to tend it himself. He then asked
me what Mr. Williams was agoing to do. I told him I did not know. He
said well, he had better hunt him a house, for I am agoing to tend that
place myself. Mr. Weston says he has never had any pay for clearing and
fencing the land, only about ten bushels of corn, as above stated. He
says he will make oath to the above statements.
_January 29, 1869._
GENERAL: I do not know the boundaries of the land claimed by
Crawford, but as far as I am able to learn, the mob that burnt the
buildings here last summer, and threats and treatment like that
detailed above, have driven off all the families that occupied
these grounds by authority of officers of the United States
Government, except Mr. Williams, and Mr. Rhodes who occupies a
building in the large stockade, which he tells me he has been
warned to leave. Through the means above detailed Mr. C. has very
nearly secured possession, which is nine-tenths in law.
With great respect, yours, very truly,