, 1864-04-17
FRAUD ON
RECRUITS.
Letter from Gen. Dlx-Thc Case OF
Hnxrley D. Clarp-Thc Lnyfnyetio
Hall Bounty NroEers-Isccru.tsD dc.
haudcd out OF over 100000.
The following letter from Gen, Dix to the

The following letter from Gen, Dl1 to the
Legislature WIS received to-day;
HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF TIE EAST
New YORK CRY, April II, 1851.
Hon. CHAs. ]. FoIoEn, Chairman Of the SENATE
Judiciary Committee:
DEAR SIR; Your note Of the 9th inst, wns
received yesterday, and 1t affords me pleas
ure to furnish you with the facts and circum-
stances attending the nrrest and imprison-
ment Of Hawlcy D. Clapp.
When your note came to hand wns COM
plttfng report to the Secretary Of War "a
copy Of which accompanying papers IN
clo6c,) giving detailed statement of the
atrocioua frauds committed uPon recruits In
this city, aud particularly at Lafayette Hall
where Mr. Clnpp was the principal bounty
broke1-oue OF class Of a!.ents who We're
brought into existence by the system adopt
cd by the Committee of the Board Of Super
visors, for procuring substitutes whose ser
vices were entirely unnecessary. and whose
principal vocation, either BY their own direct
nctiop, or through confedcrates, was t. cheat
men entering the service ont Of their boun-
tics. The Committee, when tho frauds haJ
become too palpable aud too extensive to be
borne, obriatcd the evil, rs far as they could,
by the adoption of proper precautions, but
not until u military order had been issued rs.
quiring the full amount Of bounty to be- paid
to the recruit
|. It Is only by the summary process of Il
military nrrest that these fraudulent transac-
lions can be reached. # they are brought
into the Civil Courts, oil remedy ia hopeless
The recruits are the only witnesses, ond the
ex1gencies OF the country viii not permit
them to be kept from the field.
The only alternatives, therefore, were to
allow these EtupeDdous frauds to 20 upre.
dressed to the patriotic men who a1e offering
their lyes on the ;1}tar of their country; BE-
robbed of the provisions which their fellow
citizens hare made for their families, aud to
suffer- the piunderers to escape with their ILL
gotten gains, or to take, as have done, some
OF the principal agents in these frn1,ds into
custody, to be held till they make restitu-
tion. :: :"
The nmonnt ofwhich recruits were de-
ffauGed at Lafayette Halt. where and while
of s4o00c0. have succeeded In recovering
about SEC, Geo, and am not without hopes Of
adding largely 10 this amouut.
Almost every imaginable form Of outrage
md deception has been developed in the
cases n Which NJ. .Clapp was agent tor the
payment Of the bountics- Men, both white
and colored, were offered employment as
tea1utters, wagon masters, and officers sery-
ants, receiving from so to $50 as sspay In ad-
vance," AID fndfrg themselves enlisted as
pfiynte. soldieIs-e hills Ar. Clapp received
from $Soo to S3l5 in. each case. With what
eonfcderntes the money WIS divided, he and
they only can tell. hare considered 1t
enough That 1t was received b. him and not
paid to the recruits who were entitled, to It.
In some cases boys have been stduced
from their homes to secure their enlistment:
In others, men have bcen drngged and en-
listed while unconscious; in others, they
bare been promised fpsloughs, and where
the full bounty WIS not paid, they haTe been
told that they wonld receive the balance as
soon os they should arrive at Riker's Island
In ehort, there Is no artifice or fraud which
hA ttaH$ To }r,s+ H..
system OF pillsge. In one case reported to
these Headquarters By Mr. Supervisor Blunt
Mr. Clapp YVES compelled to make restitu-
lion, and his conduct was i1ch that he Wis
not allowed to; transact business with the
Supervisors In his own name, but continued
it in the name Of other parties.
/: ] feel convinced that no class Of men would
be likely to take part In these ontrases upon
our gallant soldiers, or simpathize with the
perpetrators, unless they cherished q secret
Sympathy with those who are endcaroring
6v force Of arms to overthrow and destroy
the Government Of their country.
: have the honor, also, to transmit here
with certified copy ofthc order under which
Mr. Clapp was sent to Fort. Lafayette by
Bng-Gen; Stannard, commanding New York
City and Hnrbor. -:
=, Jso:A DIX, Ms3or General
REPORT or GEN. DIX To THE SECRETARY OF
: =. WAH-EITHACTs,
... !" When I was Informed that recruits were
defrauded of their bounties ut Lafayette Hall.
1 cent for Gen. Spinola and communicated to
him the information I had received" aHe
denied the t1uth. OF the statement, and as
s1red me that the recruiting regulations were
fully complied with; that no nsn was enlist
ed without being fully apprised of th. nature
Of the service In which he was engaging.
that no recruit was deitauded ofhis bounty:
and that where less sum than that allowed
by the county was paid, It wls always by vol
untary and anIcable agreement - y
@:.'Old men and boys, and persons laboring
under incurub1e diseases, were, In numerous
INSTANCES, thrust into the service under this
system Of public pluader. alike fraudulent to
10 the troops aud to the GoyeEnment'' -
.-"I sent for General Spino1a several times,
and plwass received from him the assurance
thsf all was fairly conducted by the officers
at Lafsyette Hall" .eThc evidence to the
contrary became so conclusive, thatL direct
ia Iieut. Cole and the Contract Surgeon Dr..
Kcrrjcan to be arrested They have since
been tItcd; the former dismissed the service,
and the latter, who holds no military com.
mtsefop, tlisqnalif fed for future employment ~
HIn ny Interview With Gen. Splno1a, OBJ
jccted to the whole 81 stem OF brokerage, as
calculated to prevent rather than promote en-
lfsfments."