The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1865-03-13


SIDES hnecn or twenty "bounty broker" d lo
worst character. As IL ia no longer necessary "
Withhold the particulars from tho public. de-
tailed s,s'emort cf this Transaction will be re.d
with ,n,erea:
The Government the Military Coumsndsnt Of
dis Department the Proves, NIrshs. Col D,ksr
and others vero aware that New York Ci,y was
fairly in'essd with bounty Jumpers who are no
thing better than tho worst Glass " deser,erp and
perhaps individually tho vllsst characters being
frequently burglars thieves, pickpocteta gam
b'ers DC; who conccrtcl toeo.hst, and, according
| W circumstances became in turn bounty brokers,
mastering officers surgeons recruiv, uoo.pigeou.,
nc. In short, those scamrs .ssimcl every charac-
tor necessary to .windle the Federal Govcrumen,
the State, City and village authorities or the vol
unteers who desired to enlist in the army. They
rosorted to kidnapping. drugyins, bestnr, &C.
their victims and when honester business wss
dull, they would enlist In tho service and then
brito some Official, who eonnivod at their cscsps
fom tho guar,i-slwsys plsced over recruits sftcr
bsng mustered Ia. How to catch these scoundrclsr
was tho question ths, disturbed tho officials and
" How " bold them - were inquiries Col. Baker
though, be would take tho responsibility Of an
| swerng, II the Government would give him tho
| means he required lis plans were submitted,
tue acquisitions duly hcnorsd, and the Colonel.
srned With the proper suthoruy, opened .
recruiting office In ue basement Of Odd Fellows
Hall HoDokeu, \ j. Coi. Ilsers Of hs regular
army, wsa placed in charge, assisted by a compe-
tcut surgeon aud other oChccrs IN charge Il rgu-
lar guard. Posters we're p!>carded. "bs" toun-
ties fsred, sud recruits called upon 10 enlist INTO
Uncle Sans service. 1his legan some weeks ago,
and volunteers were regularly enlisted In few
| days It b,cInc known through ami sssries If tho
| Colonel, that "ueN shanty" hsd been established
"oser ln Jersey" aud that cnlistmonis there werO
conducted "looscy" This Jumpers were de-
| lighted Colonel Bsker'a other operations bad
| compelled them - "lSy low In this city, and
as they were hard up for "gugsr" they eagerly
sought tue \ " Jersey Dorado, Of Witch such eI-
travaeant stories were told TIC place wa
| rccounoiuSi, pronounced "huuky dory" by
especial committee OF bounty brokers'" and thcn
| the jumpers Re AN to eulg'. Tho trst " thcso
passed the surgeon, received their bounty money.
duly mustered IN, AMI placed Ia charge u the
| guard. The nicer In c1mmtud Of tho guard was
"secn" hy the hounty broke- the recruit and
! after receiving bHlc, hinted to tho "uuper" how
no could scaue irom The building, aud return 10 The
city TNis Little game continued for several days
Tia. brokers would hrus IN recruits get receipt.
representing clain5 'or hand aud Loun1y monies:
the recruit would lie placed under guard, aud .hs
same evening 10 found smong bis crouics In this
city, -four shiug hi, gre,nbnct. 4, aud praisng tho
| vigilance Of TIE oHeors Ia charge Of the 'shaniy
over in Jersey" OF COURSE the attractions offered
! BY su,u a concern az this, 0ere greater than
the Inducements presented el.ewherc and
d O. Hf.fs b
enlist aud expecting to win lar.c "greonback"
prgeH by the venture Pr so, raj iay = recruiting
a, Oid fe ellyWs' HAL, was ii most thriving bust
ness doue in Hot oxen, ind would, doubtless hsvo
continued, If ono or wyof tho bounty brokers had
uo: discovered something that aroused their
p'eIOns rbey held a consultation. aud seut ou,
taeir scouts IN search of well known Jumpers"
who hal uot been for several days in thor
usual hauuts II was then determined to send Ia
"spo,ter," VIII reported ~ the peculiar slang II
the fraternity, the 'shanty was ught" In other
words, tie recruits were to securely held 10 r-,-
cape. Those who went In did net End their way
out Notwith standing II ESQ suspicious Of the
"br. kcrs," volunteers continued to call at Old
elows' Hail. were examined by tho surgeon.
ss-od, mustered in, and plsced under
guard. Frequently rc 'hsn one hundred would
be taken in ono day, each expecting TO escape
from custody without much difficulty. Wien tho
ofsce was first op"uei this allowed b. Colonel
Biker, bet when 10 .ulni good run Of cua-
tomers" coming ip, he shut down" on the we'll
paid "fiee admissions" provided barrel full Of
handouts aud caused strong euar1 of some two
hundred soldiers 70 be placed in tie upper rooms
of Old Fellows Hall THIS Eu9rl came irunA
Governors Island during tie night In detaoh-
mcu,9, and was under command Of reliable OH
GERS Tie few soldiers gusr IN the recruiting
Office aud lower rooms wero chiefly employed for
the necessary routine duty, snd did not appear u
know that more torruilal lc force was located an
the large halls ubove. No one knew this but
CJlouel Bsk'r aud u few lruty Offices An
colnu.ur catous with the upper portion ~
the building was cut of, except When re
cruts" were taken in charge By detail
Of soldiers, and marched upstairs 10 tho 2dse"
roouAa where they were received, LauI-cuGcd,
aud informed iha, their httle game ol De- .41y-
u npng had boen ended, ~ otIor of c.! B.Aet-
81 matters continued until several LuuI'ci bal
been secured until to brykert swGrs tLst their
confoierstes were sin limbo" sounded TIE alarm,
and created the greatest cousteruatou suoIg .ha
"jumpers' not yet csgel. Thes- raseali fled ard
de recruiting buAntss at Oll Fellows ha, be-
came dull On Frds,, some n the brszeu faced
brokers became clAnorous for tho arrears oil
touuty.rnoney, snd presented ,helT papers" 10
the dlsbursny ofE,crs whJ- !GI4illarly tapping
| ~. a.. sI..I|.1sr ttrfleutialIy r.nu.,,..,