Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1863-01-07
VOL. 9.---N0. 10.

norant German people, who could not read
our language, and who were made to swear to
bill of thousand dollars when they sup
posed it was only $50, or to certify to the cor
rcctness of large claim when they supposed
they were signing a receipt for small one.
Some of this class OF people, however, who
had no claim against the Government, large
or small, have been induced to certify and
swear to bills through the agency of a bribe.
Recruiting officers are also discovered to
have played the same game. Instances have
come to light where recruiting officers have
induced lager beer men to sign bill for ST.
500 where the claim was only $25, and the
bills have been sworn to before a notary, who
either through negligence, or because he was
privy to the fraud, asked no questions, and in
some cases did not even administer the oath,
Cases have also turned up where the Union
Defence Committee had paid the regular 40
cents per ration for recruits, and the contrac-
tor has been compelled to pay five cents for
each ration to the colonel of the regiment,
and W per cent, of his gross receipts to the
quartermaster.
Mr.. Olcott commenced his labors by inves-
tigating the frauds of the army brokers, and
after disposing of these he was presented by
the Secratary of War-with bill which had
been paid at Washington, and was sworn to by
colonel of New York regiment. The bill
was accompanied 10y the names of large
number of subvouchers for the different items,
all of which, except two, the Commissioners has
discovered to be forgeres. A further inyesti-
CATION has brought to light the fact that this
same colonel has swindled the Union Defence
Committee, swinded private citizens swim
died the General government, and swindled
every one of his subordinate officers and pri-
Yates, and that the sum total of his swindling
frauds developed in this case have induced the
Government to direct Mr.. Olcott to investi-
gate the transaction of each and every regi-
mcnt raised in New York, where the circum-
stances connected with its organizations are
open to suspicion.
1t is thought that nearly thousand persons
will be shown to have been implicated, direct
ly or Indirectly, in the frauds. Many of the
men who have been trumpeted as martyrs to the
system of "illegal and arbitrary arrests are
men who were sent to Fort L ufay cite for these
very frauds; and when their names come to be
known, they will doubles turn out to have
been the most noisy defamers of the Govern
mcnt, and the swlftest to accuse everybody but
themselves OF robbng the public treasury.
There is another feature of tn, general sys-
tenn of swindling TO which, it is said, the
State and country have been subjected, almost
ever since the offer of bounties for the enlist
Of
that is, for very few weeks--there was, at
least, show of honesty in drawing the ex-
ceeding liberal bounties offered to men to en-
list; and, at that time, when a man enlisted
he was taken to the quarters of the company
or regiment into which he had enlisted, and
there Kept. That course, however, was not
long generally pursued. The men, when en-
wouid ask for 'spass'' for few days, to reg
ulate their family affairs, and to spend the
bounty money for what themselves or their
families needed. This seemed proper enough
at. the time but experience proved that many
of the men thus. let go did not return, and
were, in consequence, marked as deserters
The system was then commenced by many Off
GERS of retaining large portion of the, bounty
money, on granting pass, IN order to insure
the return OF the enlisted man. Those who
had enlisted with the intention of going to
he war, returned, of course, and claimed the
remainder, of their bounty money. But there
we're many who did not and it is at least re-
that of those who did not return
Tery few have been arrested. OF the (about)
six thousand men who received the bounties
n the city of Brooklyn, and the immensely
arge number who received the bounties in
New YORK, it is not believed that much more
han one half are now connected with the ar
ny by reason of their first enlistment.
1t is also stated that there are men now in
New York, in citizens clothes, who have
'een enlisted from two to six times, under the
everai bounty acts, under different names,
nd who have never been arrested.
Artemus Ward says that ssunless there's
ifferent management of the war right oa, the
american Eagle will have to disguise himself
S Shanghai Rooster, and make tracks for
'anada; while the Goddess of Liberty will
ave to go ont doin' gen'ral homework at two
ollars a week. R
Two deacons were once disputing about
be proposed site for new graveyard, when
be first remarked. sI'll never be buried in
bat ground as long as live.'' "What an
Estimate man, said the second, ssif my lifo.
spared will.'' sa
s:Biddy," said lady, sI wish you would
.ep over and see how old Mrs. Jones is this