Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1863-08-04
THE sALE

Insley received peremptory order from Gen
Schofeld to turn the cattle and sheep over Il
the Commissary Department, to feed the army
and we were notified that only horses would bt
sold; and 80 We hurried on to the contraband
yard to make our selections. We found the
yard; 1t contained some fifty head Of stock, all
told, surrounded by about Eve hundred anxIouG
purchasers; and Of all the stock we ever saw
mares that have heard 1t thunder for the past
twenty years; ponies that were but skin and
bones; not good horse, mare or colt in the
lot. In the crowd were several women from
Miseouri, whose husbands were in the Union
army, come to buy back their confiscated
stock, but were unable to find IT, \.
We could hear OF soldiers aud officers send-
ing from one to dozen horses, mules, ETC., to
their homes in the interior, but OF course did
not believe 1t. We are not 30 much Cooper
head" as to suppose that our grand army under
the command of Major. General Blunt, is On.
gagged In system Of wholesale plunder, yet we
heard stories of Fort Scott, that would almost
make man blush that he was an American
citizen Should we say that all the horses and
mules, and other valuable property confscated
In Missouri for tho past six months, have been
sold or spirited away to the home of some off
Ger or soldier In Kansas, it would be said we were
slandering our army, 30 We shsn't Say 1t; but
tits much we can and will say; II the horses,
ETC., eold at Fort Scott on the 9Th of July, are
specimen of rebel horses in Missouri and
Arkansae; II such are the horses that our army
has been engaged In con6acatiDg from tho reb
els, the past ak months, they had better let
them alone. 1t would damage the rebels in
finltsly more to keep, than to part with them.
Let an order issue at once to stop the entire
business-haDg the frat officer or soldier that
brings in another hesd-set the army to killing
or capturing rebels, and the war will be over
much sooner.
The cattle were not sold. We visited the herd,
however. We had heard of several thousand
head OF fine stock being cou6scsted and driven
to Fort Scott, sixty.eight had gone from our
town, and we expected to see the greatest col.
lection Of stock In the world, but what was our
surprise-the herd numbered Just Ave hundred
and thirty head, one.fourth of which we're bulls.
the balance old COWS and young calves; sarce-
ly saleable creature In the whole lot. Nov
it would not do to suppose that all the good
saleable cattle had been taken out and sold IL
won't do to suppose that an officer, when he CON.
fiscate5 one hundred head, more or less, of cat
tie, quietly sells oil that will sell, and drives 10
few bulls and tcows. We must suppose the
stock at Fort Scott Is juet the stock confscated
no more, no less; but, to our mind, the rebels
are overriding the bull business little. Canit
be that the only cattle that rebels raise are bulls
and old COWS that no one else will hGvel
What constitutes rebel at Fort Scutt2 The
evidence Of loyalty is poverty A man that has
nothing, his loyalty 10 uDquestioned; but If he
livesiu Missouri, and owns good horse, or some
cattle, there Ia no evidence in the world by
which he can prove himself loyal, and save his
property. Men are now at Fort Scott, working
kxwst Aa fna. tufa ~ nj A
himself, who have had every hoof confscated,
or jayhawked, which lie about the same thing,
| for oil the benefit II ia TO the Government. Good
men at Fort Scott admit that the Wholesale
swinding is going on, but deny that Gen. Blunt
is ptivy to it, Our opinion ia that Gen. Blunt
cannot be ignorant OF it, and il he cannot stop
it at once and forever, be ia unfit for his POSITION
What pity It Ia that Gen. EWing's district
does not extend thirty miles further south, 60
as to take all Kansas that is settled. There is
no danger Of any officer In the District of the
Frontier getting into limbo on account of cattle
speculation, II we wait for Zone without sin TO
caet the fret stone" 1aa
BEEF CONTRACT
has just been let at the fort, by Captain Bar.
Der, Chief Commissary of the District of the
Frontier. His printed advertisement said that
the beef was for the "army In the field" Cap
tain Hamer, G. 8. at For. Scott, also advertised
for beef for the post. The bids ran from to
3 81. The contract tOas let to the highest bidder.
b., B., B., B. & Co., of course got the contract.
IL vas then ordered that tlsy ''supply the post
also" and our soldiers at Fort Scott are now
eating bull beef, at 5.97, when they ought to
have good beef at cents. Captain Roy ought
to look into this. .9
General Blunt was not at the fort. He had
gone South; by one it was said TO avoid an or.
der Of arrest by another, that he had gone for
another lot of bulls for B., B., B., B. & Co., on
their contract but We venture that he has
gone TO fght-to whip the enemies of our coun-
try, and will fight
"Until tho last armed foe expires"
and that If his soldiers bring back four or five
hundred head Of cattle for B., B., B., B. & Co.,
10 will be without his knowledge or CONSENT
We attempted to buy herd of cattle in pri-
vate hands, but the man did not know what to
ask, 80 We did not buy. The way they get cat
tie gives them poor idea of their real value.
An honest men, engaged In come honest busi.
ness, could, We think. do we'll at Fort Scott; he
would OF least have no competition.