, 1861-12-03

C0nIIlEL!
A. Dr.: Farrer, one Of the most respectable
citizens here. He got two contracts III Wash
ington. On the first one he commenced to
buy, but Major McKinstry threw every difficult
ty in the way Of inspection. He bought sixty
Or seventy horses ut first, and went to the
the inspector to go and inspect artillery
horses. The Doctor lad got nothing bnt
cavalry horses. The next day lie went again
with good artillery horses, and the Major told
the inspector to 60 and inspect cavalry horses.
He left II ds1st sd Turned Touna and sod
Alton, for s., 600, as understand; md think
that there were so many difficulties thrown In
the way Of Buckmaster that he only got three
hundred horses in, and has got good many
on hand now. Buckmaster got a man appoint
ed as inspector, who was the best nun OF all
that have been appointed. All the mule CON
tracts are managed in the same way. I have
understood that as high as S12250 have been
paid for some Of the mules, but $119.50 has
been the ruling price
How THE sWESDLIsG WORKED.
Examination by If. &esls.--Q Did you seea
great many Of these horses which were passed?
4. Yes sir; thousands Of them.
q. What was their average value in tho
marker here9
4. Many of them were, to my certain know
ledge. purchased for from *G5 to $s5.
G. Tal1lng them as ;lwholc, what were they
hpFtu 1u all AfCIsHC-
4. One hundred dollars would be very
large price for them.
q. Would the Government have had any
difficulty in obtaining these same horses, by
proper management upon its part, at rates not
exceeding 500 each?
A. Nonc Whatever. Thousands Of them
could be had for that price. There WAS nothing
in the way Of the Government procuring these
animals Of the mcn who brought them In. II
there had been respectable man appointed to
inspect horses, so that the respectable farmers
Of Illinois and Wisconsin could lave come in
could have been bought ut their real value, and
the farmer would have gone home satisfied
with the Government, because it would have
been doing him justice. As it is, many Of
500 miles round, and could not sell their horses
to the Government except through second
hands. This secondhand business shuts out
respectable citizens, and many hundreds Of
good far1ners have gone home disgusted, while
many others, who came here at large bills Of
expense, were obliged to sell for what they
could get. But whatever they they Rold at,
tue Government was obliged to pay $119 for
the horses.
Q. Did not the Government pay $50 for
many Of these horses, as artiIlety-horses,
which ,de you considered worth not more than
A. I think SO.
G. From your business YOU are acquainted
with 1hc value Of horses in the markell
a. I am dealer in ali domestic animals, and
have been for twenty years.
G. Would there have been any difficulty in
The Government purchasing those mules at the
prices you have named?
4. could have bought any amount Of them,
only give me good money to do it with,
Z. DO you know, Or have you been reliably
informed, Of any means made use Of to get
these Inspectors to pass horses and mules
z.4v ~ fJ,7r.j
were Of such q class that yon could not tell
What they would do.
HOW GOVERNMENT HORSES ARE TREATED
WHAT BECOMES OF THEM.
q. Do you know what became Of these
horses after they were Inspected and received
by the Government?
a. They were put into stables and sheds all
around the city. Some Of these favored par
ties got contracts to keep them at 50 cents
head per day, and they sub-let the contract for
keeping to smaller stables at 80 and 10 cents
per day.
Q. want to knoE if many Of those horses
died before they went into the Government
service
4. The horses were branded immediately
anu taken out and put into the fields and lots
and barracks, so that the parties that sold
them did not know what became Of them.
Col. Ellis came in after being out eight days
upon service with seventy odd horses con
denned, and demanded seventy sound horses
III exchange for them from the man in charge
OF tue Government horses in lot. I was
not long since out at the b:lrr:,cks upon the st.
Charles rotd, and man there told me that the
Aorsys we're dying at the rate of from four to
SIX 4 day. There were many Young horses
from Indiana, Cincinnati, and other points up-
on the railroad, which were brousht in during
tic warm weather Of July and August. They
Wtre packed very closely upon the cars, and
upon being discharged many uf then, got cold
and the ttistemper, and no proper care being
taken Of them I think many Of them died
The horses have been badly handled. I saw
number Of them up in Mr. Taylur's lot one
cept what they l,arked off the oak trees, and
they had eaten up white pint plank fence.
Q. Whose tarlt is this
A. | think the greatest fault was III Juyiug
more stork than tcus sc1,ate7 ut The tine; jou,'
l11'fs m as nfd"y, apparently, as acre required.
There arc certainly in and about the city 4
great number now, probably two or three
thousand.
Q. Do you know Of no use tic Government
has for these horses?
a. eau sec no use.
@. Do you know of horses being in the
city now which have been purchased for scy-
eral weeks9
4. should think there were some that
lad been purchased several months. / know
that Daniels had five or six hundred They
Eet Nl5Sssseu AllQ d1t pretty llSt.
Q. How many Government horses are there
around here?
a. cannot say; but there have been out
OIL The st. Charles road six barracks full.
passed there day before yesterday, and SAW
five lying there dead.
Q. Has Daniels been connected with the
Government in purchasing horses
A: Yes, sir. Buying horses got to be d
perfect rage here. Dry goods merchants went
70 dealing IN horses, and quit their regular
business. They would watch the terry-boats
and watch the tarmers coming in, and would
Eyes, eir:' Show much viii you take j.,
The reply would be s75 or $50, according to
the quality. And they would buy the horses
at price agreed on, provided they would pass
inspection There were third buyers under
Ellard, and they would probably yet from
Government Sl19 for cavalry and $3.50 for
artillery horses.
A BEEF IRASsAcT1oN-MoRE syrSD1JSG ny
M@KISsTRT
=: DO yon know anything Of the supply Of
beef for the Government here?
A. have no direct knowledge Of that mat.
ter This man, G. L. Ellard, furnished the
5ecf the first three months for the volunteers
loF seven and eight ceuts pound net After
thas m advertisement for proposals w:ts made,
and !: man from Clicago got the contract for
$40 the hundred pounds net. Martin +
Castle was down here attending TO the interest
oftle Illinois regiment, and he came to nc to
get information, knowing that I had the hang
of everything hcre. He spoke to me about
the beef contract. He said, Here is a btef
contract which one OF our citizens got, md
haW mitch do you think liz is called upon to
deliver to-day ~ What was he to deliver .,
said. He said ';His contract is to supply
thls post for twenty-five or thirty thousand
men, Then, said, "Perlraps IS or 80 bull
locks Said he, He cot an order today for
552 pounds Of beef There is special rcqui-
sitIon to other parties for so many pounds at
the arsenal, so many for tic marine hospital,
so many at the different camps. This 1uan got
All order for 553 pounds, and all the rest vas
specialized out to parties III the city here ut
seven and eight cents i pound, the contract
price with tic regular contr.ctor being four
and fonr-tenths cents per pound''
Y. ho gave the special Tcquisitionse
A: The Quartermastcr, McKiastry, to dii1tr-
ent butchers.
MORE ELATIoSs--FRArDCLEST EsPEC-
TloS-M'HSsTRT FORCES CITIZENS TO SELL
THEIR HORSES TO HIS GANG
Sr. LOUIS. Oct. II. 1851
James ETerctt, being duly sworn, was exam
O. State to the Committee your residence
and place Of business
a. reside in st. Louis, and I am In the
horse-trading business.
y. Have you sold any horses to the Govern.
mcnt
A. haze not. I have sold horses to con-
tractors who are supplying tIie Government.
G. To whom hare You sold:
a. 10 Almon Thomson, to Flanagan, to
Samuel 4, Buekmaster, and to Charles L. FL
lard.
9. At what price have yeu sold those horses: