Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1856-09-24

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But he was soon superseded by personal en-
emy who repudiated the contract, and the sci
ler took his cows back again-and was doubt
less glad enough to do so, as the discovery O
the mines about this time sent up the price o
cattle in California at least two hundred pc
cent. Had Col. Fremont's contract been rati
| fled by his successor, aud the cows left tx
breed on the shares and only taken for the pub
lie service as required, We have no doubt the
| Treasury would have been SIS 900 better fol
| it this day.
The Hon. Willis A. German, NJ. C. from In.
diana, now Democratic Governor of Minneso-
ia Territory, was in Congress in 1858, and, as
Chairman of the House Committee on Militia
ry Affairs, reported Deb. 14) in favor of pay
ing the claim of Col. Fremont for Sl9,50O.
! borrowed and spent by him in the public SER
vice while Governor of California. In this
debate Mr.. German says:
ssThe vouchers which have been presented
and copies of which have here, are clear and
satisfactory. 1t is satisfactorily shown that
| the sum of SS66 SS, for which there are no
vouchers at hand, has been paid. The Com
| mittec on Military Affairs called before them
| an officer of the army who was with Col. Ere
mont, and testiies to the facts which ought to
satisfy the House that every dollar has been
accounted for.''
cit is said that Colonel Fremont had got
| TINS si9,5o0 and bought the Mariposa land
with 1t ; and distinguished gentleman of this
House told me he had heard that he had puI-
| chased a large amount of cattle with it. upon
| which he had made large profits. Now the
Mariposa land cost only So 900, though it turn
ed out to be exceedingly valuable, and worth
forty OF fifty times what he paid for it. But
the date Of that purchase was anterior to the
transaction.
ssAs to the alleged purchase of large a.
mount OF cattle and the grand speculation out
OF the operation how did we act as to that
charge? Did we believe ii blindly (? No, sir,
we went into an investigation Of it, and what
was the result We found that he had pur-
chased a certain amount of cattle for the use
uf the army, but because he had not the iileans
Of paying for them, he left the cattle in the
possession of the vender, who had finally to
take them back for non-payment; so that trans
action ended in smoke, as does the charge.''
Mr.. German then proceeded to vidicate Co.
lionel Fremont thus:
81 will say for Col. Fremont, that when
went into the investigation of this transaction
had some preiudices which L thought per
haps might be unfounded, and which am now
satisfied were lnfounded. The prejudices
which had been impressed upon my mind have
oeen dISpclled hy the investigation of all his
conduct in California, and | am prepared to
bear testimony upon this occasion to the cor
rectness of his whole line of conduct as an Of
fcer and as disburSing agent. Not one dol
lar can be traced to his hands no property
can be traced to his hands for which he cannot
give to the Government satisfactory vouchers
that 1t has been appropriately and properly ap-
piled. [See Cong. Globe, vol. 26, p. 596.l
Feb. II, 1858, Mr.. Campbell of H., asked
''Were claims for articles fraudulently char
ged several times, presented by Col. Fremont.
or were they presented by other persons pre-
tending to hold them against the G Government? p
NJ. Gorman-Those claims were not presen-
ted by Col. Fremont, but by other individuals
Mr.. Price (Democrat) of New Jersey-He
certifies that certain property belonging to
those individuals was taken by the military Of
fcers of the United States, for the purpose of
carrying on the war. He does not state the
valuation, but he states his belief that those
articles were taken. There is no reference
whatever to valuation.
Mr.. Disney understand that all these mat
ters which have been discussed here to day
are not matters of claim upon the part Of Col.
Fremont, but upon the part of various individ-
uals now in the State of California for mate
rials and property furnished to him, the evil
dence of which is his acknowledgment, In the
form of certificates, before you.''
Mr.. McLanahan, of Pennsylvania, in some
"Upwards of 5000, 900 OF claims were pre-
'' sented to the Commissioners. They allow
90 ed and passed favoraby on some S3I, 900
3. the balance, about $4,000, were not sus-
&c tained by evidence. and were consequently
&c rejected. OF the S3l 900 allowed, the claim
ss of SI9.500, on which Col. Fremont was i'm
j." prisoned in London, was unanimously allow
sc ed, and placed first on the list submitted to
90 us by the Commissioners. This is the only
GO demand against the Government in which
6. Colonel Fremont appears to have the slight |
ss est personal interest,"
This debate shows that Col. Fremont had no |
interest in any other claim than that for S19,-
500, which the Board of Commissioners unan- |
imously allowed. AS Mr.. German remarked |
esThe claims which are there stated origina- |
ted in this wise. Col. Fremont when there |
when necessary, sent guard of men to take !
the property of the citizens-mules, horses /
and cattle-for the public use. The owners |
came and made claim to olFremont, as civil |
and military Governor of California, for COM
pensation for their property. Col. Fremont |
laid all the claims presented to him before the /
Board. The case was precisely similar to that |
of the army of the United States in Mexico. |
have done the same thing myself on march,
L have forced men to give me mules when
those on which the soldiers rode gave out. / |
have seen the same thing often done by the O.
ther officers of the armv. The owners of the
property taken would follow to the next town,
and there would receive a certificate that such
and such property had been taken for the pub
lie service, which they presented to the Quar-
ter-master, who sometimes paid for it. If
these charges were made by Mexcans would
not be amazed if the same articles had been
charged for one hundred times.''
The reader who wishes to pursue this inves-
'igation farther can doubtless find Congress
h, Un1