Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1863-02-25
FRAUDS UPON THE GOVERNMENT.
Astounding Developments.


The Committee of Congress appointed to
investigate the matter of the charter of trans.
ports for the Banks Expedition, have brought
to light some astounding abtises and frauds.
1t appears that on the Goth of April, 1861
Capt. Richard F. Loper was appointed .4ssis-
tant .3genf Of the War Department by Edgar
Thompson, President Of the Pennsylvania Rail
road Company, as Mr.. Thompson himsel. says
in the pretended comm ission under which he
acted, ''in accordance with the authority ves-
ted in me by the Secretary of War;" The
Committee remark that they care unable to
say by virtue of what law an assistant Agent
of the War Department was appointed, or
how the appointing power came to be lodged
in the hands Of the President of the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad Company.
This commission was revoked in May, 1861 ,
by j. Edgar Thompson, who informed Capt.
Loper that he had been notified by the Score
tary of War (Mr. Cameron) of the appoint
ment Of Mr.. John Tucker as aUnited States
Transport Agent Mr.. Thompson then wrote
letter to the Secretary of War, stating that
Capt. Loper had been ssuntiring in his efforts
to serve the country" The more heavy oper-
ations of Capt. Loper began with the appoint
nient of Mr.. Tucker as s.United States Trans
port AGENT and they have continued with
out intermission during the whole of Mr..
fuckers two terms Of Office, first as Agent,
and subsequently, as Assistant Secretary of
War. Mr.. Tucker employed Capt. Loper to
stinspect and recommend" all kinds of vessels
at Philadelphia, New York and Annapolis for
various services and expeditions, and Capt
Loper proceeded to charge from five to ten
per cent. commission on the gross earnings
of the vessels rec omme ended to Mr.. Tucker for
charter; yet he assured the Committee that
as he had money enough for himself and his
children, he was ssactuated solely by desire
to aid in crushing thissungrateful rebellion"
Tucker, in his testimony, attributes 10 him
stgreat purity and patriotism"
1t appears by this report that one Amassa
Hall, of Baltimore, has enjoyed the monopoly
OF chartering all the vessels the Government
needed at that port, and Mr.. Hall seemed to
be fully aware of the advantages of this mo-
nopoly. No vessels could secure a charter of
the Quartermaster unless Mr.. Hall offered it.
Mr.. Hall acted in the double capacity of bro
ker for the owners of the vessels, and as q
sort OF agent of the Government.
We have now the three principal characters
in the drama before us-Tucker, Loper and
Hall. We now return to Capt. Loper's 'ei-
forts to Serve the country 30
Commencing on the Goth of April, 1861, to
act as ssAssistant Agent of the War Depart
receive five per cent. commission on tho earn
ings Of vessels chartered by his agency. The
first vessels he took up was the steamer W.
Whildin, April 20, 1861, owned by Anthony
Rey bold, at $1f5 per day. (Sepate, Ex. Doc
81, page 2, 3fth Congress, Second Session.)
M n Reyb bold testifies that the W hildin remain
ed in the service under that charter to the
present time, although ber rate of charter was
subsequently reduced to $50 per day the re-
ceipts of the steamer Whilden, up to the time
of the delivery of Mr.. Reybold's testimony,
must have been somewhere between S9T $50
and S113, ,925, on which Capt. Loper's COM
mission were between S4s9S and S5476. Mr..
Reybold chartered the steamer Express to the
Government, through Capt. Lopcr, at SITS
per day, the Star at Sll0 per day, and the
John Tucker at 5000 per day, paying Loper
five per cent on their gross receipts. Through
the same agency, Mr.. Reybold chartered the
Diamond State (375 tons) at 5000 per day,
the Swan $3.50 tons) at 5000 per day, and the
Gen. Burnside (400 tons) at $500 per day,
Capt. Loper himself being part owner OF them. |
Mr.. Rey bold testifics that his own receipts
from these charters were about $1100 per day, I
or at the rate of $40l 900 per year. Mr. Lo. !
per's commission on Mr.. Revbold's boats
could not have been less than S20, 900 year; |
for although he charged no commission on the |
three boats of which he was part owner. it ,
must be presumed that the amount which he |
derived from them over and above fair mer- |
chantile profit was at least equel to five per !
cent, otherwise he would have charged the /
commission. II the Government had bought |
Mr.. Reybold's feet at the outset, instead of +
employing Captain Loper to charter them, it /
would of saved an immense amount of money. |
We now notice few of the transactions of /
Mr.. Hall, in whom the Assistant Secretary of .
War, Mr.. Tucker, ssexpressed much conf |
1epce": ~ ~ ns 49,
The magnitude of his transactions may be /
inferred from the fact that 3S4 vessels were |
by him, $50 Of them chartered un- |
der direction Of Mr.. Tucker, upon all of which /
Nj. Hall received, or is to receive, commits .
sion not less than Eve per cent. of their gross
In some cases, the Committes say, /
they were ten per cent. Ono transaction is