Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1861-11-27
Investigations OF the Military Audit
ing Committee.

Ing
The Auditing Committee appointed by the
Legislature to investigate and pass upon the
claims against the State for military purposes,
has performed large amount of labor and with
advantage to the public interests. AS an instance
of the value Of its services in checking frauds
and the carelessness, if not crminality. of public
officials we call attention to the facts developed
in one claim based upon contract for
clothing. 1t appears from the papers on
file that q contract was let to z.
SIMON L Sos, Of Cincinnati, for one thousand
suits of grey cashmere at So IS each, amount
ing to S, $50. The receipt of the clothing was
acknowledged by d. B. HUSr. one of the Assist
ants in the State Quartermaster Department.
This receipt was endorsed by j. II. VAJEN, ESQ.,,
as being according to contract. The articles
we're inspected by Gen. MURPHY, and he certified
that they were ''found equal to samples in his
Office" This one thousand suits we're sent to
the oath regiment. Col. HovEY in letter to
the Committee, says that the clothing wasin rags
in three weeks, and he remarks in connection
with the matter as folows
ssThe frauds committed upon the soldiers can
be but slightly understood at home. Some OF
their worst enemies are those who profess to be
their true friends l have no doubt that many
cases of sickness in my regiment originated in
the fact chat the rotten clothing left them exposed
to colds. / have no doubt that DIR. Jessup will
concur in this view of the case"
Upon this statement of the quality of the
clothing the Committee ordered that the claim
of SIMON SoN for one thousand suits Of clothes
furnished to the Oath regiment Indiana VoIun-
teers. Col. A. P. HOvEY, amounting to $3.50 be
rejected. the committee being satisfied that the
clothing furnished was not in accordance with the
contract and that the claimants intended to de-
fraud and cheat the soldiers and the Government
The claim rejected for the reasons stated.
The following is the classification of the one
thousand suits furnished by these contractors:
list, equal to sample. l44 suits; ID. not as good,
224; Sd, still worse, SOC, and 4th, meaner still,
1924.
This is not the only instance in which sickness
has occurred in the Indiana regiments from rot
ten clothing" We have lost more men from
disease during the campaign thus far than from
the bullets of the enemy, and it may be fairly =.
tributabe, in great degree, to the " frauds COM
mitted upon soldiers by "those who profess to be
their friends in the case of the Oath regiment
Who are responsible for these rascalites? Is it
not fairly attributable either to the incompetency
the crimnality of those who have charge of
this department of our military affairs? 1t has
been charged that this is Contractors war;"
and the rascalities which being developed JUS
tify the accusation. We understand that a con-
tract was recently made for ten thousand over
coats at 81 30 each, when other parties we've
anxious to furnish an article of a similar
quality at So so. If such is the case,
either the parties acting for the Government
had the wool pulled over their eyes. or else some
body made snug profit OF one dollar on each
Overcoat. The investigations of the auditing
committee will prove to be both an interesting
and damaging document, to test the patriotism
of many who are now making noisy professions
of dsinterested efforts for the preservation of the
Government, and who have been distinguished
for their bitter denunciations of the thefts of
those who have been robbing the Government to
accomplish a, dissolution OF the Union and the
establishment of the Southern Confederacy.