Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1861-11-14


putcd according to the quality Of the ami
NAL. The contractor, on obtaining n
; certificate from tho Inspector demands
the money of the Quartormaster, who
pays the same, when tho bonus for said
: payment is guaranteed. The evidence dis
closes several such schemes and many
other ways in which horses and mules
are obtained. The testimony also shows
that the horses, in a majority Of instan-
ses, are of the most inferior kind, and
have broken down or fell dead on. the
road. Around the depots where hors-
es were kept thus purchased. numerous
dead carcasses have been found. Om-
nibus and stage horses have been trot-
tod out, "full Of bran and peppcred," by
contractors, who received S l5 and $3.50
for each hose they furnished. One of
the recent reports Of the Board of Survey
will suffice in giving the character of hor-
ses the Government furnished to icgi
The Committee also have in evidence
U. s. District Attorney Jones was asso-
ciated with Messrs. Thompson and Bowen
) in the purchase OF horses and mules,
their contract being at $l19,50 each
horse. Bowen sold out to Thompson
Jones for $4,000, payable in bankable
funds. Thompson went to Mckinstry
for payment on horses Messrs. Thompson
and Jones have furnished, and was told
that "another party was interested in this
horse business, and unless the 50, 900 in
0 gold was deducted by Messrs. Thompson
and Jones, none of the money could I've
t paid" The $4,000 was kept by .McKin-
C stry, and the remainder paid over to
Thompson and Jones.
II Under this head of fraud, the commit
tee have testimony of over half million
,r of dollars sunk in hay contracts. The
,t Quartermaster paid Sl7 so per ton or
ID hay in bales, which on examination i.
le found to be prairie grass, and hay of a
,e very poor quality. The cost of transpor,
v. tation between St. Louis and Sedalia, is
about IS per ton, or S25 per ton deliv.
cred at Sedaia. The committee have
:" accumulated evidence that fresh hay
v, from the stacks, and in abundance along
~ ~ the entire route to Warsaw, can be OBJ
U, tained at Sc to SS per ton.
~ in Government wagons the evidence
,r shows that large numbers are here with
'o out any owners until after they have been
," pressed into the service. and then the
builders present their claims. A ma
jority of these wagons are unfit for serv-
r. ice. The axcls, reach, holsters, spokes
l. hubs, ETC., are found to have been crack
- ed, and the cracks filled with leather ant
putty, and painted over where the fraut
'st was patent. Several of the wagons wer,
n condemned. The committee will repor
re that number of the wagons thus re
at ceived by the Quartermaster and hi
of agent have broken down before th
es army had proceeded far and that all th
NJ wagons will be usecs after few weeks
s. service.
E. The third act of fraud is in the buildin!
l.. of Notifications at St. Louis. On tn,
m. 10Th of August Colonel Hassendeubel
IN. By order of General Fremont, engineer
IN. ed and surveyed the points within tn,
OF limits of st. Louis for the erection o
re, eleven (1l) forts. Under Major HI
k. supcrintendence five (5) were built di
in rectly for the Government without any
s. intervening contractor. The wages o
I'd the laborers were sixty cents each pei
he not to exceed $4,000. On the 25th Of
r, of September, when General Fremont
p knew that the forts, completed, cost
re $40, 900 each, Quartermaster. General Nc
" kinstry, per order of General Ere
SIS mont, made contract with e. l.. Beard
" of California, to build six additiona
as forts for the government, similar in al
" respects to the five constructed by Col
u liassendeubel; agreeing to pay forty five
IT. cents per cubic yard for the same dir
rn excavated upon the bank of the fort anC
it. forming the cmbankmcnt; for all puddle,
earth ninety cents per cubic yard paving
rs walks with brick or stone, floors o
le, block houses, ETC., $ per square yard
- for cisterns twenty. five cents per cub
he gallon of two hundred and thirty one in
of chcs, arched with brick, crown and ce
in ment; lumber for magazines, block hous
r. es and quarters for officers and troops
ch sewers, etc., etc, the lumber and timbc
nd to he measured in the building, SO pc
pt one thousand feet; for machines an
vo breast works required on the work, y
es. per cubic foot, and for roofing all tn
~, buildings with three ply roofs $4 80 pc
m square of one hundred superficial feet
mt The total cost of the six fortlication
he figures upwards of 100000, upo
10 which Mr. Beard has received $40, goo
be Additional payment of order for $50
IN. 600 from General Fremont was stoppe
b. by the Secretary of war when in st. Lou
it. is. The evidence sets forth that notwitl
lis standing Beard has received already thre
times the original cost of the works, tn
IA labOrers are clamorous at the Cover
", ment officers for their pay. Tho item
etc of the cost Of forts, as proven by otht
nd forts bult and the evidence of mast,
nd mechanics, put the figures, viz: ten cent
dc per cubic yard for excavations and en-
he bankmcnts; puddlcd earth thirty cents
~ paving, etc, forty CENTS; ciSterns etc
ar three cents; lumber and timber $40 an
n $50 per one thousand feet facines an
ior breastworks thirty five cents and fort
Nj, cents: roofing s and 80 and total COS
nd of six Notifications not over 500, ,OOO.-
err The contract for Notifications was draw
rt up per order of General Fremont. Th
raj contract is regarded by the committee a
er irregular and informal, except that
nd provides that "no member of CongreS