The Placer herald., 1862-03-29

buying horses got to be all the rage. Dry goods
merchants went into the business; they would
watch the ferry-boats they arrived at st. Louis
and buy up all the farmers horses that came in,
at prices made conditional on the animals pas
sing inspection 1t was in this business that
Lcondas Haskell figured largely, with Palmer as
his second. Being on Frcmont's staff she had no
contract" says the Committee, "but merely an
agreement to receive such horses and mules rs
he could purchase and have Inspected
One lot of animals were sent to Warsaw, Mo.
The Board of Survey to examine their condition
on arrival, reported that rs were fit for service.
were dead after being admirably cared for, and
$50 were understood under and averaged, stihed
ring-boncd. blind, spawned, and incurably unfit
for any public service. For these beautiful spe
cimens Major Park was charged $3.50 each. In
his testimony, Major Park says that the Govern
ment, in that one transaction for q solitary regi-
ment. will not get off at loss of less than 100000
independent of the damages sustained in con-
sequence of the detention it entaled.
FALSE VOUCHERS.
While the Committee was at st. Louis, it turned
up not q few false vouchers One was for the re-
ceipt of Alexander Kelsey, certified by Assistant
Quartermaster McKinistry rs correct" of So
4Ol So for hay. oats and corn. which Kelsey
swore to be false in every particular. He had
sold feed to the Government and signed the re-
ceipt for $2,40l 80 at the ''dusk of evening""
when he could see but indistinctly, without read
ing it, being assured it was only for the small
amount actually sold. The fraud was traced to
the agency of the Assistant Quartermastcr bro
ther-in-law, Joseph S. Pease.
This same Pease bought 10 900 gunny bags of
John B. Vale for $1,000. After he got the bags
he refused to pay the bill unless Valce would re-
ceipt for 81 300. Vale, after some hesitation
signed the false receipt, and Pease got the extra
500.
FAvoRITEIsM AND WHAT 1T COSTS.
The dealings of the favored firm of Child. Pratt
q Fox, st. Louis, with the Quartermasters De-
partment while McKinistry was in charge of it,
amounted to over $500, 900. The articles were
furnished on ''rcquistions," the price never being
stated in the requistion. The firm was in the
hardware business, but it furnished articles in
almost every department of trade. Mechanics
testified that the Quartermaster bought of this
firm articles of their manufacture at SO. 75. 100,
and even 300 per cent. higher than they had
offered to furnish them for directly to the Quarter
master. The book-kccper could remember but a
single instance in which McKinistry cut down
their price. The only explanation of this favor
ieism seemed to be that McKinistry owed bis re-
appointment to Fox, who personally visited Wash
ington and obbicd for that end
They furnished a large quantity of shoes to the
Quartermaster at 81 so to S IS, which were
made by Comstock Il Co., ut ST 25 to 81 4l-the
very price that the manufacturers had offered to
sell the lot to the Government for.
Some of these high priced shoes were found by
the soldiers who were compelled to wear them, to
have uooden s0les concealed within II hin skin of
leather. When AN honest old patriot discovered
the swindle and exposed it to Mckinistry, he was
met with insolence and insult.
They furnished Il lot of blankets which would
have been rejected utterly by the soldiers, but
that they had nothing else to cover their naked
ness Fox contributed 5000 toward the service
of plate that was presented to Mrs. Mckinisry.
and $500 toward the horses and carriage that
were given TO Mrs Fremont. He had brother
ir-llw in McKinistry's office. and brother who
to furnish the department with horses.
On the 22d Of October, the Department still owed
Child Pratt 4 Fox. S3000O0 on these accounts.
The Committee advise that not cent of this be
that they have already received a
fair mercantile profit. on all they furnished.
even if their articles had been what they protes
scd to be-
A TRANSACTION IN ICE.
On the Sd of October, 1861. Fremont made u
rcquisiton for 500 tons of ice, to be sent from st.
Louis to Jefferson City 1t cost $4,000, brsides
the cost of transportation The Post Surgeon at
Jefferson City testified that he had ice enough at
the lime; that he was not consulted as to the ne
cessty of more that the whole 500 tons would
probably be d. ID loss to the Government.
USELESS TRANsPO RTATIoN.
While troops, at vast expense, were being
moved from the East westward. the YATES Pha
lanx" was moved, on Fremont's order, from st.
Louis to Maryland, simply to enable Marshal La.
mon, of the District OF Columbia to fill up his
brigade, and so get the appointment of Briga-
erGenernl The Secretary of War said there
was no military or other reason for this transfer
which cost the Government $50 900.
BLANKET SHAVE.
Ewd. M. Davis was an Assistant Qlartermaster
at ST. Louis, and a member of Fremonts staff
Davis had young son in Philadelphia. who sent
to his father samples of some blankets Fremont
ordered promptly $l2 900 or $4,000 worth of
them. They came. and were found to be worth
lessly rotten. A board of survey condemned
them as unfit for issue to the troops, and recon-
mended that they be not received at any price,
A re-survey was ordered, and though a majority
held by their former report, q minority recon-
mended that they be accepted, as the price, 81 Is
to ST. As, was low. Fremont then paid for the
blankets. When the bills were examined by the
Committee Capt. Turnkey, who made the minOri-
ty report, was amazed to find that they had been
paid for at the original price. So 81 to So IS
apiece.
A ROOFING JOB.
J. b. Christy proposed to roof the barracks at
st. Louis for So so a square of 100 feet. No
notice was taken of his proposition, and the job
was given to Almon Thomson at So so square.
The testimony showed that the kind of roofing
made could have been put on for 50 Is. The
price was the highest, the roof very mean one.
NO TINE TO DO THINGS REGULARLY.
Capt. Bradshaw, one of the quartermasters tes
titled that Fremont told him he had not time to
do business in the regular way-he must issue
whatever the men wanted without delay 81 have
done so,' said the captain, "and have sent off
hundreds and thousands of dollars worth of prop
ery without any written orders or taking any re-
cepts. Often word came back that the property
did not arrive according to invoice. AT stations
where the goods pass the regiments take off what
they want. When lot of new wagons is passing
if they want tongues they take them; bows, axle
trees, they take them; SO when the lots get to
their destination they are useless. l suppose an
in for 100000 or S3OO, 900 worth of property. l
don't know that l shall ever get my accounts
Straightforward
SIS, 900 COMMISSION FOR A COLoNEIEY.
David Pratt testified that GOV. BarStOW of Wis