The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1862-07-02
IFrom the New York Tribune 18Th
FROM MISSOURI.

tang Of distinguished Choracters-Hoao
Contracts for Army Supplies are Let
O@t-M Cs Implicated.
= ST. LOUIS, June 16, 1862.
"A sensation for the West is pending.
General McKinstry has forwarded to
Washington letter addressedto GeneraFl
NJ. G. Meigs, Quartermaster General, in
-vindication of himself from the attacks |
and aspersions of the Van Wyck Com |
mittee the Holt-C Campbell .and- Davis.
War-Claim Commission-and public jour-
nails and Congressional assailants in gen.
eral. At proper time, have no doubt,
you will publish the whole of the authors
text, if not most of the appendix, con
tanning ninety two letters, afidavits, dis
patches, &c, forming the testimony on
which General McKinstry bases his de-
fense, It is not my intention, therefore,
to attempt any thing like synopsis of
this letter, which is now, before me in
pamphlet form, but merely to notice
| few points which possess a national inter
est.
Gen. McKinstry charges, in the first
place, that, notwithstanding the long peri
cd that has elapsed since the assaults upon
him commenced, he has never been allow
ed trial or "a court of inquiry, OF any
thing like fair chance to vindicate him
self. His friends assert that he never,
would have written this vindication if he
could have had a. military or civil trial for
the frauds Indirectly imputed to him by
his, enemies. But, passing this by, the
/ first thing which must strike the reader
/ e &C
of the Quartermaster's Office Cat critical
period, too, of the country's. existence)
exercised by politicians and Office holders,
as we'll as the subordinate position occu
pied by that officer in the presence of a
commanding General, His hands were
!. tied, excepting as to the most common
place things. Where any thing "big !"
was to be given out, there was superior
power behind the throne greater than
the throne ITSELF ready to jump upon
him and carry it off. 1 give few in
stances to illustrate this statement:
4 The Van Wyck and Holt Davis-and-
Campbell Committee have urged with
great stress the extravagant manner OF
! purchasing supplies without advertise
ment, and allusion is made to corrupt
contracts with cone Lamb" of Spring
field, Illinois. This Mr.. Lamb was in
troduced to McKinstry by the following
letter:
- aWAsHINGToN, Sept. 10, 1861.
) 81. McKinstry, Brigadier General and
Quartermaster, St. Louis. 3ig.,- -
/. "Permit me to introduce James L
3 Lamb, ESQ.,, of Springfield, Illinois.
:. 81 have known Mr. Lamb for great
/ many years. His reputation for integrity
r and ability, to carry out his engagements
are both unquestioned and | shall be
e pleased, if consistent with the publ,
S good, that you will make purchases o
: him of any army supplies needed in YOU
r Department..
Your obedient servant,
y "a. LINCOLN"
/ Accompanying this was letter from
S Secretary Cameron indorsing Mr.. Lami
+ as a personal friend of the President, ant
a adding: eff you can do any thing fo
$ MIR. Lamb in purchasing supplies you will
s oblige, provided he will make his prizes
a suit YOU Mr.. McKinstry, it seems, die
e not feel at liberty to ignore such creden
l tials. tjiA
McKinstry makes strong point agains
e Mr.. Hugh Campbell, one of the Wa
q Claims Commission, by showing tina
: while a member of the firm of Rober
n Campbell & Co., of St. Louis, he allow
t red the claims of that firm to be audited
: at the full amounts, while other partie
for the same supplies were compelled t.
suffer deduction. Another instance o
o Mr.. Campbell's s fairness may be found il
t. the deduction of Child, Pratt & Fox
: bills for blankets, from So to 81 3355 pc
:, pair. The amusing feature of this trans
7 action is, that the identical blanket
+ were purchased from Mr.. Campbell's owl
! store at an average of Sc 66s per pair
J Mr.. Campbell, as Commissioner, reflect
It on his own honesty as a tradesman! a
the correspondence attached to thi
4 vindication is highly interesting. TIL
0 name of Frank p Blair, jr, figures con
t spicuously in it. Here is one Of Blair
J letters "i"i8 a''l ~" ~" f,ff a
n isss DEAR MAJOR: I wish you to Civ
It Jim Neal f .ir chance. He is persona
! friend of mine and sound Union man
y By employing him you will confer grea
It favor. Your friend, -
l.. - "FRANK P. BLAIR, JR.,
IT. "Colonel First Regt. Mo. Vols.
|. As the Congressional Inyestigatin
! Committee and the War Claims Commis
J sion put down ''Jim Neal as grea
= rascal, this recommendation is rathe
II heavy on the St. Louis Representative
y He figures in other letters to McKinstry
Il He says his friend John H. Brown e
= . all right. and wants McKinstry Gin an
u !, other note) to buy wagons from Espeu
- scheid & Kearn Germans, as Murphy
le Verdin are .Secessionists He also want
TIA contract for ALEX. Peterson to bu
horses, as che is good friend of mine.
He asks that Col. Bogy, member of th
9 State Convention, may have a contract fe
horses But for the dictatorial, the fo
/, lowing is the best ~ h9sa 3 145iGg
as' General: Mr.. B. Gishard is the pal
- ty of whom I spoke to you, and of whol
" | sent you a message by Charley Elleart
.el He wants to furnish some horses for tn
- :. Government See that he is attended t