The Placer herald., 1861-12-28
Frauds---A Astounding DEVELOPMENTS

we publish elsewhere the official report OF
the Congressional Investigating Committee
on the conduct of military officers. The
frauds developed 10y the said Committee are
astounding, even in comparison, making the
enormous peeulallons of the Galpins, the
Gibson BresIins, and the Dennsons & Co..
appear as trifles At their first session in
New York city they proved overcharges on
Government supplies, but to what amount is
not specified, and general looseness in the
management Of affairs, that is to say, we
presume, that the chances for stealing W re
excellent and had been we'll improved.
Next Fremonts Departments looked into
by Committee of four, and among whom
the notorious Black Republican, Washburne,
OF Illinois. 1t must be recol!ected, too, that
only aportion of the trands ferreted out
and substantated by positive evidence is
given, Gen John G. Fremont and his Cali
torna thieving associates under his appoint
ment, have succeeded in deraudinc the
Government out of, according to the showing
OF the Committee, Of over THREE MIL.
LIONS OF DOLLARS. Their. first device
was to bribe the Quarter Master, Mr.. Nc.
kinsley, by presenting his wife with a com.
plete set tf silver service of the Jenny Lind
pattern, which cost upwards of $4,000. In
the purchase of horses the most stupendous
and bare faced roguery was practiced. Ere
mont has at least forty regiments under his
commando We have the report of the
inspectors of the stock sent Col. Bishops
regiment, which says that out of the All fur.
nished that regiment, but 76 were fit for
service, leaving $50 dead loss to the
Government individual parties to con racts
were bought out at from 600 to 5000.
The Government was deFrauded out of OVER
ONE HALF A MILLION OF DOLLARS
in the purchase Of hay to feed these worth
less, sti1ed, ring boned, averaged and in
culaby spawned horses. The frauds in
round numbers in the building forifcations
at St. Louis, amounts to TWO HUNDRED
AND FORTY THOUSAND DOLLARS.
The amount of stealings in the purchase
Of wagons not stated, though it is re
ported that the majority of them were
worn out and worthless, breaking down in
few days after use. Eleven forts were erect.
ed at ST. Louis, the first five at a cost of $40.
600 each. The profit at these figures was
not enough to satisfy the greedy thieves, SO
the remaining six forts built precisely as the
five which cost $4,000 each, was let out a,
100000 each. Fremont rents ala,ial
kingly mansion Of his wite's cousin at S.,
coo per annum. EXtravaganty grand bar
racks have been erected for Fremont's Body
Guard, erected by Fremont's accomplices in
lhieving at a cost of 900 over what re
spOnsibt bidders agreed to build them for
And also the contract for roofing them.
which was done much cheaper than the con
tract specified, WAS given to a pet at 500 900
more than responsible persons offered to do
the work well for. The lhevng in round
numbers, 50 far as the report enables us to
calculate, may be approximately shown up
in the following figures. The Committee
specify fraud after fraud by items of contracts
in which no figures are given from which to
mike an aggregate. For instance they say
that upon several tug boat contracts, the
Government was deflauded out of 81 900
upon each, but how many Of such contracts
were given out the report does not enumel
rate DC, &c.
Here are the figures so far as the report
directly specifies: