designated。　　Each　Board　will　be　entitled　to　two　clerks。　　Office…hours
  for　registration　will　be　from　8　o'clock　till　12　A。　　M。；　and　from　4
  till　7　P。　　m。
  〃When　elections　are　ordered；　the　Board　of　Registers　for　each　district
  will　designate　the　number　of　polls　and　the　places　where　they　shall　be
  opened　in　the　election　precincts　within　its　district；　appoint　the
  commissioners　and　other　officers　necessary　for　properly　conducting
  the　elections；　and　will　superintend　the　same。
  〃They　will　also　receive　from　the　commissioners　of　elections　of　the
  different　precincts　the　result　of　the　vote；　consolidate　the　same；　and
  forward　it　to　the　commanding　general。
  〃Registers　and　all　officers　connected　with　elections　will　be　held　to
  a　rigid　accountability　and　will　be　subject　to　trial　by　military
  commission　for　fraud；　or　unlawful　or　improper　conduct　in　the
  performance　of　their　duties。　　Their　rate　of　compensation　and　manner
  of　payment　will　be　in　accordance　with　the　provisions　of　sections　six
  and　seven　of　the　supplemental　act。
  〃。。。。Every　male　citizen　of　the　United　States；　twenty…one　years　old
  and　upward；　of　whatever　race；　color；　or　previous　condition；　who　has
  been　resident　in　the　State　of　Louisiana　for　one　year　and　Parish　of
  Orleans　for　three　months　previous　to　the　date　at　which　he　presents
  himself　for　registration；　and　who　has　not　been　disfranchised　by　act
  of　Congress　or　for　felony　at　common　law；　shall；　after　having　taken
  and　subscribed　the　oath　prescribed　in　the　first　section　of　the　act
  herein　referred　to；　be　entitled　to　be；　and　shall　be；　registered　as　a
  legal　voter　in　the　Parish　of　Orleans　and　State　of　Louisiana。
  〃Pending　the　decision　of　the　Attorney…General　of　the　United　States　on
  the　question　as　to　who　are　disfranchised　by　law；　registers　will　give
  the　most　rigid　interpretation　to　the　law；　and　exclude　from
  registration　every　person　about　whose　right　to　vote　there　may　be　a
  doubt。　　Any　person　so　excluded　who　may；　under　the　decision　of　the
  Attorney…General；　be　entitled　to　vote；　shall　be　permitted　to　register
  after　that　decision　is　received；　due　notice　of　which　will　be　given。
  〃By　command　of　Major…General　P。　H。　SHERIDAN；
  〃GEO。　L。　HARTSUFF；
  〃Assistant　Adjutant…General。〃
  The　parish　Boards　of　Registration　were　composed　of　three　members
  each。　　Ability　to　take　what　was　known　as　the　〃ironclad　oath〃　was　the
  qualification　exacted　of　the　members；　and　they　were　prohibited　from
  becoming　candidates　for　office。　　In　the　execution　of　their　duties
  they　were　to　be　governed　by　the　provisions　of　the　supplemental　act。
  It　was　also　made　one　of　their　functions　to　designate　the　number　and
  location　of　the　polling…places　in　the　several　districts；　to　appoint
  commissioners　for　receiving　the　votes　and　in　general　to　attend　to
  such　other　matters　as　were　necessary；　in　order　properly　to　conduct
  the　voting；　and　afterward　to　receive　from　the　commissioners　the
  result　of　the　vote　and　forward　it　to　my　headquarters。　　These
  registers；　and　all　other　officers　having　to　do　with　elections；　were
  to　be　held　to　a　rigid　accountability；　and　be　subject　to　trial　by
  military　commission　for　fraud　or　unlawful　or　improper　conduct　in　the
  performance　of　their　duties；　and　in　order　to　be　certain　that　the
  Registration　Boards　performed　their　work　faithfully　and
  intelligently；　officers　of　the　army　were　appointed　as　supervisors。
  To　this　end　the　parishes　were　grouped　together　conveniently　in
  temporary　districts；　each　officer　having　from　three　to　five　parishes
  to　supervise。　　The　programme　thus　mapped　out　for　carrying　out　the　law
  in　Louisiana　was　likewise　adhered　to　in　Texas；　and　indeed　was
  followed　as　a　model　in　some　of　the　other　military　districts。
  Although　Military　Commissions　were　fully　authorized　by　the
  Reconstruction　acts；　yet　I　did　not　favor　their　use　in　governing　the
  district；　and　probably　would　never　have　convened　one　had　these　acts
  been　observed　in　good　faith。　　I　much　preferred　that　the　civil　courts；
  and　the　State　and　municipal　authorities　already　in　existence；　should
  perform　their　functions　without　military　control　or　interference；　but
  occasionally；　because　the　civil　authorities　neglected　their　duty；　I
  was　obliged　to　resort　to　this　means　to　ensure　the　punishment　Of
  offenders。　　At　this　time　the　condition　of　the　negroes　in　Texas　and
  Louisiana　was　lamentable；　though；　in　fact；　not　worse　than　that　of　the
  few　white　loyalists　who　had　been　true　to　the　Union　during　the　war。
  These　last　were　singled　out　as　special　objects　of　attack；　and　were；
  therefore；　obliged　at　all　times　to　be　on　the　alert　for　the　protection
  of　their　lives　and　property。　　This　was　the　natural　outcome　of　Mr。
  Johnson's　defiance　of　Congress；　coupled　with　the　sudden　conversion　to
  his　cause　of　persons　in　the　Northwho　but　a　short　time　before　had
  been　his　bitterest　enemies；　for　all　this　had　aroused　among　the
  disaffected　element　new　hopes　of　power　and　place；　hopes　of　being　at
  once　put　in　political　control　again；　with　a　resumption　of　their
  functions　in　State　and　National　matters　without　any　preliminary
  authorization　by　Congress。　　In　fact；　it　was　not　only　hoped；　but
  expected；　that　things　were　presently　to　go　on　just　as　if　there　had
  been　no　war。
  In　the　State　of　Texas　there　were　in　1865　about　200；000　of　the　colored
  race…roughly；　a　third　of　the　entire　populationwhile　in　Louisiana
  there　were　not　less　than　350；000；　or　more　than　one…half　of　all　the
  people　in　the　State。　　Until　the　enactment　of　the　Reconstruction　laws
  these　negroes　were　without　rights；　and　though　they　had　been　liberated
  by　the　war；　Mr。　Johnson's　policy　now　proposed　that　they　should　have
  no　political　status　at　all；　and　consequently　be　at　the　mercy　of　a
  people　who；　recently　their　masters；　now　seemed　to　look　upon　them　as
  the　authors　of　all　the　misfortunes　that　had　come　upon　the　land。
  Under　these　circumstances　the　blacks　naturally　turned　for　protection
  to　those　who　had　been　the　means　of　their　liberation；　and　it　would
  have　been　little　less　than　inhuman　to　deny　them　sympathy。　　Their
  freedom　had　been　given　them；　and　it　was　the　plain　duty　of　those　in
  authority　to　make　it　secure；　and　screen　them　from　the　bitter
  political　resentment　that　beset　them；　and　to　see　that　they　had　a　fair
  chance　in　the　battle　of　life。　　Therefore；　when　outrages　and　murders
  grew　frequent；　and　the　aid　of　the　military　power　was　an　absolute
  necessity　for　the　protection　of　life；　I　employed　it　unhesitatingly
  the　guilty　parties　being　brought　to　trial　before　military
  commissionsand　for　a　time；　at　least；　there　occurred　a　halt　in　the
  march　of　terrorism　inaugurated　by　the　people　whom　Mr。　Johnson　had
  deluded。
  The　first；　Military　Commission　was　convened　to　try　the　case　of　John
  W。　Walker；　charged　with　shooting　a　negro　in　the　parish　of　St。　John。
  The　proper　civil　authorities　had　made　no　effort　to　arrest　Walker；　and
  even　connived　at　his　escape；　so　I　had　him　taken　into　custody　in　New
  Orleans；　and　ordered　him　tried；　the　commission　finding　him　guilty；
  and　sentencing　him　to　confinement　in　the　penitentiary　for　six　months。
  This　shooting　was　the　third　occurrence　of　the　kind　that　had　taken
  place　in　St。　　John's　parish；　a　negro　being　wounded　in　each　case；　and
  it　was　plain　that　the　intention　was　to　institute　there　a　practice　of
  intimidation　which　should　be　effective　to　subject　the　freedmen　to　the
  will　of　their　late　masters；　whether　in　making　labor　contracts；　or　in
  case　these　newly　enfranchised　negroes　should　evince　a　disposition　to
  avail　themselves　of　the　privilege　to　vote。
  The　trial　and　conviction　of　Walker；　and　of　one　or　two　others　for
  similiar　outrages；　soon　put　a　stop　to　every　kind　of　〃bull…dozing　〃　in
  the　country　parishes；　but　about　this　time　I　discovered　that　many
  members　of　the　police　force　in　New　Orleans　were　covertly　intimidating
  the　freedmen　there；　and　preventing　their　appearance　at　the
  registration　offices；　using　milder　methods　than　had　obtained　in　the
  country；　it　is　true；　but　none　the　less　effective。
  Early　in　1866　the　Legislature　had　passed　an　act　which　created　for　the
  police　of　New　Orleans　a　residence　qualification；　the　object　of　which
  was　to　discharge　and　exclude　from　the　force　ex…Union　soldiers。　　This
  of　course　would　make　room　for　the　appointment　of　ex…Confederates；　and
  Mayor　Monroe　had　not　been　slow　in　enforcing　the　provisions　of　the
  law。　　It　was；　in　fact；　a　result　of　this　enactment　that　the　police　was
  so　reorganized　as　to　become　the　willing　and　efficient　tool　which　it
  proved　to　be　in　the　riot　of　1866；　and　having　still　the　same
  personnel；　it　was　now　in　shape　to　prevent　registration　by　threats；
  unwarranted　arrests；　and　by　various　other　influences；　all　operating
  to　keep　the　timid　blacks　away　from　the　registration　places。
  That　the　police　were　taking　a　hand　in　this　practice　of　repression；　I
  first　discovered　by　the　conduct　of　the　assistant　to　the　chief　of　the
  body；　and　at　once　removed　the　offender；　but　finding　this　ineffectual
  I　annulled　that　part　of　the　State　law　fixing　the　five　years'
  residence　restri