Sioux City register. [volume] (Sioux City, Iowa) 1858-1871, 1865-03-11
Siout Gitp 3tgisttr
BAG0, ONCE AGAIN.

ries Of the Journal Office that the grand
assault! against Captain Bagg which was
inaugurs.ed with such a furious display of
bravado, has concluded, end no man who
has taken the trouble to read the numer-
Gus lengthy leaders which have been de.
voted to this Lilipu,ian seise can come to
any other conclusion than tina. the charges
have been both coward'y and contempti.
bic; cowardy, for the reason that they
were delayed until the absence OF the
accused rendered it probable that 20 de.
fence would be attempted; and contempt
able, for the reason that they are shown to
be without shadow of foundation, and to
have been inst;gated BY malice and per-
sonal luminosity. The only allegation
which bears the slightest sem blance to the
>hadow Of charge is in relation to the
Bos,er corn contract-aHd from the Jour.
na's own showing q very large amount Of
corn was required for Government use
The season was far advanced when the
Captain was ordered to make the pur-
chase ; the quantity required must be pur.
chased hundreds If miles down the river,
delivered upon short notice, with the river
e. OH extremely low stage. and ireights
enormously high, with very grave doubts
IS to whether any contrac, for Transport
taton could be made. Under these GIG
cums.ances proposals. were invited through
the public papers here, and at points down
the river. A: the time designated for let
ting the contract, it was found that there
was mach comretition-tae bidders them
selves being present and much interested
ia the result. The bids were all publicly
opened and The offers announced 10 the
presence OF those who had made them
James ". Bosler was found to be the
lowest, aud to him the contract was
awarded. No collision or tamperipg with
the bids WIS charged by any one; no one
was prevented from making an offer, but
the whole thing being concluded i. is
charged that some one conceived the idea
that be could do better than Mr.. Dos!er,
proposed to Go, and rushing with frantic
a. A." canta;a'a office ha iepandsd
a hearing-and that tue Csptaia had The
audacity TO decline to entertain his ptopo.
stion. The bead. aud front Of his offend
ing then is that he declined to depar. from
the established rule Of the Government in
relation to making con,raets-in other
words, that be done just what be and eve
~ other officer is required to do under like
circumstances, viz: required sealed bids,
and awarded the contract to the lowest
bidder ; and until the Government; dispen
ses with this mode Of procuring supplies
neither Captain Bagg or any other officer
can depart from it without making himself
liable to charges far moro serious than any
the Journal has yet mad,. -.
Vague and und!inei innuendoes are
made in relation to certain cargo of
Idaho goods. Although no direct charge
is ventured, the inference is left that Capt.
Bagg arrested an Idaho bound craft-dis,
posed OF the cargo in the night, and made
a handsome thing out Of the proceeds
Now the fact is we'll known that the only
Idaho steamer ever seized for Government
use was the Chippapa Falls stopped at
Fort Randall by order Of General Sully.-
A portion of her freight Was left in store
at that Post; that it was never in charge
of Captain Bagg, directly or Indirectly :;
that he bad no connection with Il 10 any
shape, and that he had no more orportu-
nifty Of deriving any personal benefit from
the transaction than from cargo landed
at New Orleans. The whole thing is a
sheer fabrication, and known to be so by
every one here and at For! Randall.
A third specification, is that Captain
Bagg is connected with wood swnd!e at
Fort Randall. In this, tha. he the said
Captain stipulated that the wood for that
Post should not he cut On the Military
Reservation-and that i. was no. only
taken from the interdictcd ground Lut was
cut by Indians, aud hauled By Government
teams, here as in the other cases. The
basepess Of the charge is ralpable to all, as
every one here and at Fort Randall knows
that the orly thing Captain Bagg had to
do with supplying the Fort with fuel was
TO let the contract and make pa-ment up.
on presentation Of proper vouchers. The
local officers OF Fort Randall were alone
responsible for the execution Of tho con-
tract, aud were required to certify that its
terms had been met. These certificates
made. Captain Bagg had no alternative
but to pay the claims. It remains 10 be
proven that there was any improper con-
duct upon the part Of any one; and if this
point were made clear i. is already beyond
controversy that Captain Bagg could have
no connection with the ma'fesance.
We do not devote - much space to this
subject because we consider that Captain