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Table of Contents:
Chapter
47
: freedmen's aid societies and an act of congress creating a Bureau of refugees, freedmen and abandoned lands
Chapter
55
:
first
appropriation by congress for the bureau; the reconstruction Act,
March
2
,
1867
; increase of educational work
Chapter
60
: opposition to Bureau and reconstruction work became personal; the
Congregational Church of
Washington
Chapter
62
: life in
Washington, D. C.
,
1866
to
1874
; assigned to duty in regular army as commander,
Department of the Columbia
Chapter
63
: in the
Northwest
, among the
Indians
; trip to
Alaska
; life in
Portland, Ore.
;
1874
to
1881
Chapter
64
: superintendent of the
United States military Academy
; commanding
Department of the Platte
,
Omaha, Neb.
Chapter
68
:
French
army maneuvers,
1884
; promotion to
Major General
,
United States army
,
San Francisco
1886
-
88
[504] therefore showed little vitality. It seemed bootless in this weary land to attempt to engraft a new civilization upon the old. Arriving at Cairo, we found a commodious inn, the H6tel d'orient, and soon after met the missionaries who had come from England and the United States. We found here missionary work going on. There was not only the diligent teaching of children, but the faithful care of the sick in modem hospitals. Our experiences were similar — to those in Alexandria in visiting the museums, mosques, and public buildings where the Khedive was ostensibly the head of the Government, but the English and French commissioners, because they controlled the finances, had the real power. There was considerable discontent and fretting among the common people. The French were not satisfied, and the populace in general expressed dislike of the English. One could, however, perceive that English power there was safety, and, as a rule, a just administration of affairs. We were very much interested to see how a body of English cavalry were kept in bivouac in some open spaces in Cairo. Their. camp was in order, but the men were behaving very much as if they were commissioned officers; they were lying around in groups under shady trees and entertaining each other, with songs and stories, as we were wont to do when times of rest came. We found that each soldier had employed what was called a “fellah” to take care of his horse, to groom, saddle, bridle, and bring him when wanted. Surely it was almost as good as a commission to the soldier thus to be able to keep a servant at his command. It is human nature for a man to wish to have somebody below him.
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