Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1858-09-29
The Utah Army muls Purchases

ment Of mules 10 opposition to their plum
dering greed. The Board Of Inquiry at
For. Leaysnwonh to investigate the CON-
plants, have made report signed BY Coz
Roberts and Major Gains cordemning the
con- Iuct Of Capt Van Vliet, and jssiifying
the complaints of the contractors. The
report sfifns that certain lots Of mslss
were improperly rejected, and that the gen
sral sppraisemsnt should not have been
ks, than sIs5 per head A liberal aP-
praisement beyond Peradyenture, bu. Uncle
Sam is a generous old fe!loW towards bis
officials and their pets. Msor Sherman
does not concur in the report, and will pre-
sent minority one, just read what fol-
lows from the St. Lsuis Democrat:
It is clear that the Mormon war was a
shan war, devised by the plunder party to
fiji their ow1 golfers and to subservs the
Kansas policy Of the President. The
u .hed states Treasury 1t wa", not Salt
Lake City, which these people wanted to
get Into, and 10 that respect tue War has
been eminently successful. But to narrow
lie subject to tae mule business, it appears
that Secretary Floyd gave sn order to Capt.
| Van Vliet to 6uy fifteen hundred mules Of
TGcg d Kirby, Of this State, and as many
more as might be required, after twelve
hundred we're bought from other parties .
The Secretary subsequently speaks Of these
gentlemen as bis frisnds-a title which all
the members Of the plunder party will envy
them, for it is a good substantial thing to
be friends of Secretary Floyd. His friend
ship is no SYNONYM for empty courtesles OF
tanid sentiment. 1t is the sure sigu and
guarantee of hard cash end Treasury drafts,
and of broad acres from the military reser'
yations. Capt. Van VIiet produces sD-
lotber order sent to hioI BY the Secretary
lto take one thousand mules from DIR. Nc
lDoweI. his nephew, and COL. d. D. Nit
lcheI. both o. this city. A month lsteI
another order was substituted for this
The entire number (lOy0) were to be pur
chased from Mitchell.
There were other orders given in fsNo
Of other parties, but they were compsra-
tiyely small. The whole number Of mule
purchased at Fort Leavenworth, betwsel
, Apri and August, was 4ass. In thel
y publishei statements, the contractors asser
/ ibst Van Vliet promised commission Q
twenty per cent, on the cost at Leaven'
worth Manifestly it was the interest Q
, the contractors to pay the highest prices
! Their profits were to be in direct pTopoi
| lion of their outlay. The mule that col
|, = hundred dollars, would only yield then
, twenty dollars profit; whereas the mule
, which cost a hundred aud fifty dollar;
woald Weld them thirty dollars. The oper'
lion Of this rule can be easily understood
!. Unon the issue between the contractors sn
. the Ousrtermaster we are not to express
Indictment. We believe the latter foun
i himself in q false portion at Fort LeaVer
\ worth. Captain Hancock, It appear
honobt mules at hundred aud fifty do
lars head: and both be and Col. Gross
man were ordered to Utah, contempor'
- neously with the Inauguration of the mu
y ;obbiuy. while Capt. Van Vilet and Cc
4 = Tompkins we're ordered to replace the
= a, Fort Lesyenworth. We have also
;. the authority of Gen. Jessuf, that the lo'
est prices paid by Van Vliet were entire
;, tno biob We are therefore constrained
"a think tbst although he resisted the entI
\ fnI6gmeut Of the spirit Of his orders
# which was to grant the mule eoniraetc
y their own demands, be is not entitled
n. all the merit Of martyr.
The number received by Van V!iet fro
IA the favored few in compliance with his c
Il ders. was 97Is. The increased spprals
# mept Of the Board of Inquiry will az
$4,000 to the profits. The acceptance
tbe rejected mules will swell the fgu'
stiIl mere. Mr.. FIoyd's friends may boz
Z I, that they were born under a lucky star; u;
- We have no hesitatation in saying u y
Is ,ba A administration flung away $4O0,o
y in tbe.e purchases of mules. TIE proF
le si,iop Of Messrs. Caldwell and Geary'
O' Texs,. to supply all mules which the TIC
= ernmeut should require, delivering them
e' Fort Ieavenworth, at prices varying irt
eighty five to hundred dollars, is on
ou in the war office. This proposition y
never noticed by the authorities in was
f' inctop: nor we're propositions from a
onsrter invited. The business was pare
: - led ont privily among the friend, oi
m ~ Secretary, and friends Of come ieadl
sS sS men in Washington. No terms W
'SS made. but a rule was adopted which {
courared extravsgant cdtlsys. The wn
'S thino was left oslensibIy to the ,:lsere'
Of an Assistant Qaartermasier. j he 81
mode was adopted with the other contra
r- # thew can be considered contracts !
&C. Crossman was directed to purchase corr
Is, Louis. from another friend OF the
bis I ,a,.,y at ninety cents per bnshe'. HIS
on ,orr;iv has been rewarded by sending
led SAL LaAe City. The facts eon:e'
pit with the contracts for supplying 6eet \
ecu ed out premstursly, and the lious
her npa.roo.rtat;ves n adopted a resolution wi
he he nipped in the bud some very sp,t' e
anc ac Secretary Of War is not ouly tainted
nan ( reeking and saturated with corrupto
tn. Even the money appropriated for lmI
ght ed guns -breech loading carGlnes aua
urn Gke-has been misapplied. Let there
rta> Committee Of the House u inyess se
+ Sth.se mstters. and let Officers whO f are "p,
leel y -, in the army lie sent for, an