Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1862-02-27

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Commodore Brcese in the purchase of tho
ho"'an and Booger. There was an early
disposition on the part Of the Secretary
to take the purchase Of vessels from tho
Navy officers, for the Commodore swears
that che had direction from the navy De-
rartnent, by letter, April q, 1861, to
consult with persons capable Of giving
information and advice"
a letter written April %, by TT. Bridge,
Chief Of the Bureau of Clothing, saws:
"Mr. William II. Aspinwall has offered
his services 10 the Secretary Of the Navy.
who wishes You to call on him if Won
need assistance in the matter Of the steam
eIS' as well as to acknowledge his cour.
te'y'' Ga the same day the Secretary
also wrote, "advising him 10 consult with
Governor Morgan, G. d. Morgan, with
NlessrS. William Everett, Blatchford.
GrInnell, also committee Of citizens. who
are empowered to act for this Depart-
mcnt'
In letter Of April 20th, the secretay
says:
'In my letter Of the 23d inst. I refer.
red to certain gentlemen rs an advising
committee, with whom you might consult,
One OF the gentlemen alluded to, George
d. Morgan, Esq, has the special conf
dencc Of the Department, and Won will
advise with him in behalf of the Depart-
ment, and as its friend, in this emergency,
IN the purchases you may make, and the
extraordinary measures you are compelled
TO take. 1t has been gratifying to the
Department to witness the promptitude
and alacrity that has been exhibited. and
the services rendered, not only by the gen.
tlemen referred to, INT By Mr.. 1spinwaH
and otHers."
On the 3Oth of April, 1861, the secre
tary says:
Z" In order to relieve yourself of incon.
venience, and sundry gentlemen who werc
specified as advisers in the late emergency.
l have proposed that Mr. George d. Nor
gan and Mr.. W. II. Aspinwall be sub
stituted in their place. These two gen.
tIemen have been efficient in aiding and
assisting you, and are vigilant for the
county and It's interests. They will. il
is believed, cheerfully act for the Depart-
ment when you have not an opportunity or
time to consult with it. Both of ;he gem
tlemen have been written to by this mail.
on the subject, and you will consult with
either, or doth, in your future negotiations
and purchases"
In letter of May 13, speaking of pur-
chasing several vessels, among them wha-
ling ships, he says:
"Please advise with Mr. G. D. Morgan
in regard to this matter, and make pur-
chases with his approval"
Thus it clearly appears that Commo-
dore Breese was induced to place conf
dence in Mr.. Aspinwall; and when the
wha! !e-ships were ordered, in the absence
of Mr.. Morgan, he called on Mr.. Aspin-
wall, and was governed by his advice and
action, and May 10 wrote to the Secretary:
81 have commissioned an agent, indi-
Gated by Mr.. Aspinwall, to proceed to
New Bedford to negotiate for the purchase
OF three whale-ships, which the Depart
ment directed me to obtain for coaling
uses; none can be purchased in this place"
After the Secretary had frequently ad-
vised him to consult a nnnJer Of persons,
IN every letter reducing the number, until
he declares his warm attachment to Mr..
Morgan and Mr.. Aspinwall, although The
letter ordering the whaleshps requested
him to purchase them with the approval
OF Mr.. Morgan still in his absence, and
the pressing necessities of the purchase, and
considering the high eulogiums pronoun-
ced by the Secretary on Mr.. Aspinwall,
the following statement in the letter of
the Secretary is remarkable, and unsus-
tained by the evidence:
Had the naval officer followed the Or
ders given him these frauds would not
have been perpetrated. But Commodore
Breese employed Mr. Aspinwal's broker,
and not Mr.. Morgan, and the results were
a gross fraud and the purchase Of inferior
vessels, which could not have been the
case had the policy which the Department
was then instituting prevailed and its or
lers been obeyed"
The attempt to sacrifice Mr.. Aspinwall
and Commodore Breese in Mr.. Morgan's
defence requires no comment.
Still! more remarkable is the language
of the Secretary, when it is remembered
that the person referred to as Mr.. Aspin-
wallis broker, was Starbuck, the very man
employed by Mr.. Morgan, even subse-
quent to the purchase of the Roman and
Baager as appears by the following letter:
DEAR CoMNopoRE: have not direc-
ted the Mediator to go to the Navy-yard,
and until | hear from you shall do nothing
in the matter, have requested Mr.. Star
buck, who purchased her. to call and see
you.
"Vcry Truly, your obed't serv't
"GEO. ID. MORGAN.
as. l.. DRErsE, Flag Officer, Washing
ton, June |, 1851"
1t is due to Commodore Breese to say
that when the ships were brought to the
Navy-yard, he discovered the fraud, in
formed the Secretary, and desired to have
them consider Mr.. Aspinwall's purchase;
which he heunderstood was done, as an order
was issued for loading them.
The Secretary also refers to the Penguin
and ABatross, bought by Commodore
Drcosc, for $40 each, alleging that
they were of no greater tonnage than the
Stars and Stripes. The Secretary, how
over, omits to state that the Penguin and
.fl6atroSS were built for ea-going vessels,
with double engines, and cost probably
in construction onethird more than the
Stars and Stripes.