The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-08-25
AN ApRoIT JEREMY D1DDIER.
The History of a SwindIer-IEfs opera
lions I'm Pittsburg. Cleveland, and Gin
cinsAati-InIeresIIng Details.

lions I'm Pittsburg. Cleveland, and Gin
cinSati-InIeresIing Details.
In the errly part Of the war there resided here
a man pamed f. Merritt, of pleasant appear
ance and tiDe address. aud following the profes.
sion, as be stated, of engineer. lt resolved
,Dy the Governor to organize the Pennsylvania
Reserves, and Pitisburg having been named as
the reDdt AvOus for those enlisting from the
western part of the State, General Mccall was
sent out here 20 establish a camp for the new
recruits. Soon af er bis arrival he was waited
on by Merritt, who palmed himself on the
General as a graduate of West Point, and
IN consideration of his military educa-
ton was appointed TO lay out the camp. The
Major" for by this title we must hereafter
know him, entered on his duties with alacrity
and the camp was laid out under his directions /;
but in such a bungliug manner was the work
done that any man familiar with snch matters
might have seen at glance that the party in
charge knew nothing of his business, and was
ignorant of the first principles 10 be deserved n
The arrangement of an establishment OF this
chaTac eT. During the course OF the work the
Moi bad difficulty with one Of the officers
connected with the camp, and this led 90 an
inquiry into his previous history, which revealed
the fact that he had never been ia the service in
any capacity that his representations TO General
Mccall were all false and that he WAS neither
more nor less than an impostOr OF the basest kind
Happening 10 be on visit 70 Camp Wright at
the time these discoveries were made, we gave
stat ment Of the facts In the Chronicle Of the fol
lowing day and the Major, finding that his i'm
posture was discovered, fled the city, leaving the
little effects of which he was possessed behind
him, to meet the claims of suncry creditors, into
whose good graces he had contryed to worm him
self during his connection with the camp. Months
passed on and we had forgotten the Major and
his peccadilloes, when one morning gentleman
entered our sanctum attired as an officer of the
United States Navy, and having gold lace enough
on his uniform 10 purchase small estate. We
thought we had seen The individual before, but
we could not say where, and il was not until he
handed us his card, "F. A. Merritt Chief Engi-
neer of the Western GunbOat Fleet" that we re-
oognzed the quondam graduate of West Point
and Engineer OF Camp Wright he Major,
el,er trapsacting some little Office business,
saied our attention 10 the article In relation
~ ~ els e connection with Camp Wright, and asked
bim Sn I'M whom we got our information. We gave
fbe crt, authority, whereupOn he pronounced
uniform ~ statement false, and pointed 20 the
service. as ,oe, mose, and his position in the naval
bimself a,ld on ~. That he was all he represented
stated he rss my ae me impostor which II was there
fsct tbat ia Il ~ ne eoolness Of the man and the
s att. ~ Heiu tel lpoRsble position in the
bim, aud we expressed Our tsaf ines ~ asalnst
right on the record If he SO destsed 70 Ie hiM ae5
not wish anything Of the kind, hoSs:vn ne ula la
thenj but the TINS would come when be st ges ! !
have justice done him, and condgn punisS e...
meied out 10 his detractors. With these remsris
and expressing the hope that we were now 800
ned OF bis status, he LEFT the office.
month or SO after the events related above
%e saw the Majors arrest announced in some O