, 1863-07-06
SVINDIlN(2 THE GOVERN.
MEM,
The Kind Of Horses that are Furnish.
cd-The Blind, Lame and Wind
broken Gathered Up-0ut OF Seven
Foots the Losees-Ch1cago Ahead,


We hear many rnmors Of attempts to swim
die the Government and Of the efforts made
by contractors to elude the vigilance OF the
Inspecting officer, but the general public has
criminal tie conduct Of some persons has
been. We are indebted to friend for COPY
Of report made to the Quartermaster Gen
eral ut Washington by Captain julius Foss.
es, Assistant Inspector General Of cavalry,
and Lieutenant Henry Brown, Assistant
Inspector, Department Of the Cumberland,
who were, ey order Ct . Gen. Boyle, appointed
horses received and branded. ~. g., at
Springfield and Chicago, Illinois; Cincinnati,
Ohio; and Detroit and Coldwater, Michigan.
A lot of three hundred and fifteen, received
from Capt. Lee, ut Coldwater, contained sew
enteen blind Of one eye, twelve blind of both
eyes, four with weak e5es, twenty-one with
heayes and wind-broken; out Of the whole
three hundred and fifteen, the Board rejected
two hundred and eleven, or. two.thirds Of
the entire numberi: The best horses az
amjned have been received from Cant,
Potter at Chicago; ont Of two hundred and
seventy-hve, only si1tytwo were rejected.
Those received about d month since from
Captain Dennlson, at Cincinnati, Were Of the
worst kind. Out Of seven hundred and fifty
mules, but five were accepted, and the horses
were rejected in about tho same proportion.
This lot seems to have cleared the vicinity of
Cincinnati Of all its bad stock, for nothing
has since been sent from that quarter. We
suppose person wanting to buy horse
there now could make his bargain blindto1d,
as the market has been raked and scraped for
all the unsound animals.
These facts are discreditable to all con.
cerncu; to the contractors who buy and to
the officers who are SO careless In their first
examinations. The tricks of the 1ocky are
transferred from the low race course and
horse market, to the. supply of our army in
its now most important arm. There are at
present at Oakland, near this city, over fifteen
hundred rejected horses, and, despite this
frigh' fu1 exposure Of the rapacity and criml-
nallty Of contractors, We understand that the
horses and mules furnished ut this point arc
the best that hare been received by the Gov
ernment. What herds Of broken down ami
mails must have been offered In
% ests Of the Country and safety Of e the army army
are thus endangered, it is Of the first import
ance that We should have q good supply Of
horses. No wonder that we cannot; mount
cavalry fast enough, or that when mounted,
the animals do not last more than two or
three months. One regl nent as Nashville
aud how many more have been under the
same necessity We can'ttell, but 1t Is probable
that all the regiments which have been actively
engaged are in the same coneitloR. When
we reflect upon these matters we
cannot wonder that the first -; Napo-
leon Issued such stringent orders for
tie punishment Of dishonest contractors,
but NE arc surprised that more Of TINT class
Of public enemies have not been brought to
account for their delinquencies The officers
who constitute the Board of Survey at this
post have performed their duty In the most
manner, and while they are charg-
cd with the tnspection,' they will take care
that the Government Is subjected to no gigan.
tic, swindles. But this does not furnish
the entire necessary remedy. When anl-:
mails are wanted, and are forwarded
from remote places, ol1t military commanders
should be able to depend confidently upon the
Proper supply. II they are rejected, the
point Of view, but the service is 1nconyen-,
fenced and perhaps endangered by the delny,
which is the result Of having to wait: for tic
receipt Of another lot and new inspection.
He who cau devise 4 remedy for these gross
efforts at swindling will be regarded Us pub
lie benetactor, and popular opinion will con-
firm the propriety Of auy punishment, how
EVER rigid, which may be awarded to the ras-
cally eWiudlers