East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1862-07-01

Correspondence of the v. Y Tribune

ST. Louis, June l6.
A sensation for the West is pending
Gen. McKinstry has forwarded to Wash
ington a letter addressed to Gen. Nj. G.
Meigs, Quarter-master General, in vim
dication of himself from the attacks and
asperstions of the Van Wyck Commit.
tee-the Holt Campbel.a land Davis War.
Claim Commission-and public journals
and Congressional assailants in gene
raj. At proper time, have no doubt,
you will publish the whole of the au-
thor's text, if not, most Of the appendix,
containing ninety-two letters, affidavits,
dispatches, etc, forming the testimony
on which Mr.. McKinstry bases his de-
fence. 1t is not my intention therefore
to attempt anything like a synopsis of
this letter, which is now before me in
pamphlet form, but merely to notice a
few points which poss ess national in
terest.
Gen. McKinstry charges, in the first
place, that notwithstanding the long
period that has elapsed since the assaults
upon him commenced, he has never
been allowed trial or a court of inqui-
ry, or anything like fair chance to vim
dicate himself. His friends assert that
he never would have written this vindi-
cation if he could have had military or
civil trial, for the frauds Indirectly i'm
puted to him by his enemies. But, pas
sing this by, the first thing which must
strike the reader of his vindication is
the perfect control of the Quartermas-
ter's office (at a critical period, too, of
the country's existence), exercised by
politicians and oflicehoders, as well as
the subordinate position occupied by that
officer in the presence Of a commanding
General. His hands were tied except
ing as to the most commonplace things
Where anything "big" was to be given
out, there was superior power behind
throne greater than the throne itself,
ready to jump upon him and carry it of.
| give few instances to illustrate this
statement:
The Van Wyck and Holt-Davis and
Campbell committee have urged with
great stress the extravagant manner of
purchasing supplies without advertise.
ment, and illusions is made to corrupt
contracts with cone Lamb of Spring
field, Illinois. This Mr.. Lamb was in
troduced to Mckinstry by the following
letter.
Washington, Sept. 10, 1861.
j. McKinstry, Brigadier- General and
Quartermaster, st. Louis:
Permit me to introduce James l..
Lamb, Esq, of Springfield, Illinois.
have know Mr.. Lamb for great
many years. HIS reputation for integ-
rity and ability to carry out his engage
ments are both unquestioned, and |
shall be pleased, if consistent with the
public good, that you will make purchas-
es of him of any army supplies needed
in your department.
Your obedient servant. A. LINCOLN.
Accompanying this was letter from
Secretary Cameron, indorsing Mr.. Lamb
as a personal friend of the President,
and adding: "If you can do anything
for Mr.. Lamb in purchasing supplies
you will oblige, provided he will make
his prices suit you. McKinstry, it seems
did not feel at liberty to ignore such cre-
dentials.
McKinstry makes a strong point
against Mr.. Hugh Campbell, one of the
War Claims Committee, by showing
that while a member of the firm of
Robert Campbell & Co, of st. Louis, he
allowed the claims of that firm to be
audited at the full amounts, while other
parties for the same supplies were COM
PEELED 70 suffer a deduction. Another
instance of Mr., Campbel's fairness may
be found in the deduction Of Child Pratt
& Fox's bills for blankets from So to
s4,334 per pair. The amusing feature
of this transaction is that the identical
blankets were purchased from Mr.. Camp.
bells own store at an average of Sc, 1863
per pair. Mr.. Campbell as Commits
sioner reflects on his own honesty as a
tradesman!
The correspondence attached to this
vindication is highly interesting, The
name of Frank p. Blair, Jr., figures
conspicuously in it. Here is one of
Blair's letters:
DEAR MAORI wish you to give
jim Neal u lalT CUancc. he is per
sonal friend of mine, and sound Union
man. BY employing him you will con-
fer a great favor. Your friend,
FRANK z. BLAIR. Jr,
Col. First Regiment Mo. Vols.
As the Congressional Investigating
Committee and the War Claims Com
mission put down "Jlm Neap as great
rascal, the recommendation is rather
heavy on the st. Louis Representative.
He figures in other letters to McKinstry.
He says his friend John II. Bowen "is
all right" and wants McKinstry lin an
other note) to buy wagons from Espen-
ched & Kearn, Germans, as Murphy &
Verdin are secessionists He also wants
a contract for Alex. Peterson, to buy
horses, as che is good friend of mine"
He asks that Col. Bogy, member Of
State convention, may havo contract
for horses. But for tn dictotorial the
following is the best:
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