Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1861-11-20

completed, and Gen. Fremont did NOT Enotc tho
cost, which he does not know even at presents
and could not know it, accounts had
been sent in, or have yet been delivered.
also beg leave to state, that it is impossible
| that this report could have eminated from the
| Congressional Committee, since testified to
the committee, during their stay here. in re-
| gard to all the facts connected with the build
| ing of the forts, and the above assertions are
all in open contradiction to the statements
| made by myself before the committee
OF the tent pins, camp kettles and cavalry
saddles frauds, &C., E. W. Fox disposes at a
sweep as follows:
ssIn your morning issue of this date find
the following charges, purrorting to come
from the Congressional Investigating Com
mttee,' lately in session in this city as fol-
lows:
sAnother fraud was in the contract with E..
w. Fox for the manufacture of picket pins at
45 cents each, when Toomas Hood, black
smith, bid for the same at 25 cents per pin
the number to be made, $4,000 pins. Also to
Fox and others, camp kettles at 35 cents, when
there We're bids at 20 cents; nails, axes,
spikes, &C., at similar rates. Saddles that
were rejected by the Quartermaster, were pur
chased by Fox at low figures, and sold to M
Kinstry at increased rates.
ssTo the first charge, in relation to picket
pins.' it is false. / never had contract with
l, 1861, the firm of Child, Pratt & Fox have
!, furnished the Government with eight thousand
picket pins, tor which they never had a con-
tract. They ordered them made on their own
account, for which they paid cash, taking the
| chances for sale.
ssCharge Second-In relation to camp kettles.
| 1t is also false. l never had contract for the
| supply Of camp-kettles. Since the 9th day of
| August last the firm of Child, Pratt & Fox
have sold the Quartermaster's Department
complexities. without any contract whatsoever,
having ordered the same made, and also taking
the chances of sale.
Charge Third-In relation to axes, spikes,
nails, &c. have to reply that all those ar
| ticles which the firm of Child, Pratt & Fox
have supplied the Government, have been sold
on orders received from the Quartermaster' s
Department, from day to day, and have all been
of the very best quality, and have been invoic-
ed to the Government at our usual rates, with
out any contract whatsoever.
Charge F0Urth-In relation to saddles. 1t
is an infamous and unqualified lie. 1 have
never purchased any saddles rejected by Nc
Kinstry, or any other officer Of the Govern
ment. Nor neither have l, or any of the firm
of which am member, furnished any sad
dies to the government that have been reject
ed or condemned"
And last of all, correspondent of the DEM
ocrat winds up the matter, so far as it was de-
signed to injure General Fremont, by showing
that, whether General McKinstry was impli-
Gated in the alleged frauds or not, General
Fremont had nothing to do with his appoint
ment, had no control over him, and was not
responsible. The correspondent says:
ssI will now merely call your notice to one
gorgeous bunder among many in the same
article, viz: sGen. M'Kinstry was Quarter
master of the Western Department by appoint
menf of Gen. J.C. Fremont, and as suchQuarter-
master General, controlled the horse and mule
Contracts etc.
ssThis is all base fabrication. Gen. Fre-
mont had nothing to do about the appoint
| ment of Gen. M'kinstry, Quartermaster, and
had no control over his actions at this place,
fol NJ 'kinstry had been quartered here for a
long time before Gen. Fremont was sent here,
and any person, with the least spark of knowl-
edge in relation to the different departments
under our National Government, would have
known better than to have communicated what
he did. The Enquirer, in justice to Gen. Fre-
mont, ought to publish this.''