The Committee on Military Affairs, to whom was referred the petition of William W. Spiers, have instructed me to make the following report :

Dr. Spiers was appointed assistant surgeon, by order of the War Department, on the 21st day of September, 1863. He was then a private in the Twenty-second Regiment Indiana Volunteers, and on the 20th day of September, 1863, one day before his commission as assistant surgeon was issued, while on duty, was captured by the enemy, and remained a prisoner of war until May 6, 1864; so that he was not mustered in until June 6, 1864.

There is no question as to vacancy, and in equity the case comes within the scope of the act approved July 11, 1870.

The committee, therefore, have instructed me to report a bill providing for the relief of the said Spiers.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES.

FEBRUARY 20, 1871.-Ordered to be printed.

Mr. AMES made the following

REPORT.

[To accompany joint resolution S. R. No. 303.]

The Committee on Military Affairs, to whom was referred joint resolution S. R. 303 in relation to the claim of the American Board of Foreign Missions, report as follows:

By this resolution it would appear that the claim was in behalf of the American Board of Foreign Missions, whereas in reality it is the claim of the Rev. Worcester Willey, the agent of that board, in charge of the Dwight Mission, located at Fort Gibson, Cherokee Nation.

It is shown by affidavit "that on the 1st of December, 1863, the committee (having full power and authority in the premises) resolved that all the property, real and personal, which said board owned and possessed at said Dwight on said 1st of December, 1863, or which said board had owned and possessed at said Dwight at any time since the 2d of October, 1860, aforesaid, and prior to said 1st of December, 1863, should be relinquished, and was thereby relinquished to said Willey, so that said committee, since said 1st of December, 1863, has regarded and considered all the right, title, and interest of said board to any and all of its property at said Dwight as having passed to and fully vested in said Willey; also, "that in order to give the fullest effect to the transfer aforesaid, the prudential committee of the Board of Foreign Missions, which committee had full authority to act," adopted the following resolution on the 16th of June, 1868:

"Resolved, That said Willey be empowered to prosecute any and all claims which the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions may or might have, by reason of any injuries to any property of said board at Dwight during the late civil war.”

Mr. Willey, in urging his claim, said: "I cannot afford to give this amount to the Government, and so ask to be reimbursed to the amount of my loss," which is $16,186 04.

He certifies as follows: "It is impossible for me to tell who took or destroyed all the property named in my account, as I was only able to be there occasionally to look after my family. I was there when Colonel Jennison and Colonel Harrison (of the national forces) returned and had the mortification of seeing them take the last and all the property. A large portion of the articles charged in the accompanying account I saw them take with my own eyes, notwithstanding my protestations," &c. He states that his mission was between the lines of the two contending forces; sometimes being in possession of one party and sometimes of the other. He also states that the mission and its belongings were more or ess depredated on before any regular forces on either side appeared.

Among the articles charged are the following buildings, which were destroyed by fire: a new study building, a barn, and a corn-erib. He does not know who burned them, nor does he show what they contained at the time.

Of some four hundred and fifty charges in the detailed account submitted, the great majority are for articles which evidently belonged to the mission. That this claim may be the better understood, extracts from the schedule of the property lost are submitted. The schedule begins as follows: 4 silk dresses, $200; 18 night-dresses, $35; 2 berage dresses, $40; 2 delaine dresses, $35; 6 calico dresses, $42; 15 chemises, large, $75; 10 night-caps, wrought and plain, $15; 30 shirts, $90, &c. The following articles are found in the schedule: Farina-boiler, $2; 2 colanders, $3; 5 cake-tins, $2 25; * 2 pot-hooks, $1 50; 6 iron candle-sticks, $3; 2 cork-screws, $1; daguerreotypes, $25; gold watch, $100; purse, $1; knife, $1; hat, $10; set of teeth, in gold, $100; shoe-strings, 50 cents; 2 papers needles, $50 cents; set of teeth, $100; 1 ladle, 25 cents, and so on, with articles of greater or less value to the number of about four hundred and fifty. The indications are that not a few of the articles have been entered more than once.

*

Inasmuch as the transfer of a claim as herein made is declared by the law as null and void, and inasmuch as the loss sustained by Mr. Willey in his own property is not clearly shown, and inasmuch as the responsibility of the United States, if they have incurred any responsibility or accountability, has not been sufficiently proven, the committee are of the opinion that none of this claim, in its present form at least, should be allowed, and therefore ask that they be discharged from its further

consideration.

Mr. Thayer, from the Committee on Military Affairs, to which was referred the petition and papers of Miss Rebecca L. Wright, beg leave to report that they have examined the same, and find the following facts:

That immediately after the invasion of Maryland and the attack on Washington, in 1864, by the rebel army under General Early, he fell back to the Shenandoah Valley, where he intrenched himself in the vicinity of Winchester. That at this time the command of the Union forces was given to General Philip H. Sheridan, with instructions to destroy Early's army, if practicable, and thus prevent all possible aid from reaching Richmond from that quarter. That after maneuvering for some time without any success, Sheridan finally, in the month of September, 1864, confronted Early's army near Winchester. He was anxious to strike a deadly blow, but before he could safely risk battle, information as to the "strength and position of Early's forces," and the probabilities of his being "reinforced by troops from Richmond," was indispensably necessary. This information could only be obtained from some one within the enemy's lines. That at this juncture he was, by General Crook, informed of Miss Wright, and that she was a loyal lady.. Preparing a letter, written on tissue paper, on Sept. 15, 1864, he wrapped it in tin foil, placed it in the mouth of a trusty colored scout, who carried it to Miss Wright. She received it from the scout, obtained the information desired by General Sheridan from a rebel officer, which she communicated through the same channel, in the same manner, to General Sheridan. (See Nos. 1 and 2.) Upon the information thus obtained, as soon as it was received, General Sheridan gave orders for the attack. on Early, and on the 19th of September, 1864, the successful battleof the Opequan was fought, in which Sheridan telegraphed that he had sent the enemy whirling through the streets of Winchester. This was the first thoroughly important success of the Union forces in the Valley; its immediate results were thousands of prisoners, the utter rout of Early, and a terribly depressing effect upon the confederacy. The suddenness and impetuosity of Sheridan's attack created the belief that illicit intelligence had been conveyed to him, but by whom was unknown, except to Sheridan, until it was disclosed by his letter, in January, 1867, wherein he acknowledges the value of her services, and presents her with a watch and chain, worth three hundred dollars, as a memento of the battle. This act of patriotism deserves to be held up for an example, and is entitled to the most favorable consideration from