Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1867-11-29
Z. c. BAKERS TESTIMONY E3FEF7C17e r
TIE EACHMENT COlEWTTEE.

Lafayette @. Baker was examined on
tebruary 6, on the contents Of a letter
written by Andrew johnson, some time
in the early part Of 1854, to a Southern
man, giving Information as to the troops
ABOUT the Capital and elsewhere, and
advice to JEFF Davis. Baker testified
5hat ne thinks he received the letter on
or about the LIST Of NOvem Der. 1866
Baker said that he doubted the ren-
ulneness OF the letter at first, and. not
being familiar with the Signature ~
Johnson, he carried il to Colonal BRawu-
ing at the W h1te House, turning over
the written part Of the letter so that he
Browning, could only see the signature
ana ne remarked that he believed there
were persons engaged in forging the
PresIoent's signature to letters of rec
communication, and other papers, and
that be had there what purpOrted to be
the Pres1den0's signature. This was in
Colonel BrOwning,s private room in the
presence Of two other persons I asked
him If that was the signature of the
President. He said it was that he
could swear to it. Baker then went
away, and returned the letter to the
porter who had given it to him, The
letter was dated at Nashville, and was
addressed to Jefferson Davis, and was
apparently in reply to one received
from Davis or some one in authority.
from the fact that it starts out with an
acknowledgement OF another letter. Tt
goes on to make suggestions as to some
declared policy which had been adopt
ed BY the Confederacy. In another
very severe terms.
The party who handed me the letter
have seen but once since, and tbat
was in Washington, three months amer
1 had given him the letter. He told me
ne was vas, an applicant for a position, and
wanted 70 kDoW what use the letter
would be to him. The first time i had
the letter in my possession, L mention
cd TO parties in Washington, there was
su22 a letter. was waited upon bv a
nuA4ber Of members Of Congress two or
three times, think to get the letter
IL was too late; l had returned it Among
those who called 1 can remem Der Hofcb-
kiss, ScOfeld and Van Aerman. This
was in 1865.
In reply to the question as to how he
got the letter, he would never tell me.
except that it had been taken Off of
Andrew JohnsOn's table in Nashville,
The body and signature of the letter
were ali in the same haud-Writino-.-
The mans name who gave it to me was
y Ohm W. AdamsOn, No. % MYRTLE street
Nashville, Ten uessee. He said that he
did not take the letter himself: that
Governor BrOWnlOw had EMPLOYED
a colored man to take it. I never dis
except to members Of CONGRESS and to
Gen. Eckert, of the War Department.
I6ere We're two other persons who
Ieaq az Iae ne 4ebEer with me, one of whom,
Y. u. w Walklns, met with -Adamson.
IN reply to question of Mr.. Ashley.
as to the existence of any other letters
written by Mr.. Johnson either before or
alter he had become President, Mr. I
Baker said that Mrs. Lucy Cobb of
washington City, showed me two let |
-ers one evening when she was brought
10 my headquarters, April 8, 1856. Hav-
ing criticised her severely, saying that
a woman of her character had no busi- /
ness to be around the White House. she
claimed that she had a right to be there. /
and that It was with the knowledge and
of the President, and to salts /
" me showed me two letters. one writ |
Ten by Mr.. johnson to the Postmaster /
askingto give her husband Mr.. |
Cobb, situation in the Post-ofacs De- |
partment, and another written to MT.
asking him for a situation
N the Treasury Department. I (Bakerl 1
believe her Mrs. Cobb to be a disreput-t /
able woman; or in other words, a wo- /
men of the town.
In reply to q question whether Mrs 1
Cobb told him (Baker) that the Prssi- /
lent knew that she was getting money i
or pardons, Mrs. Cobb told him the /
President knew all about it. She stated |
hat for two pardOns she secured for two /
men in Richmond; she got three thous-
ind dollars that she bought pair of /
Kid elOves for Colonel Robert johnson.
.ook two five hundred dollar bills, put |
)ne in each glove and presented the
doves to Robert johnson.
She went on to state that the Presi-
lent, on one or two occasions, made adj
yanees, asking her to his private rooms
It the KirkWood House while he was
Vice President. She stayed in his room
me night all night, and on another oc-
,REion until 2 O'clock in the morning.
She afterwards detailed a conversation
he had with Mr.. johnson, in which he
laid he was going to muster out the
Radical officers, and among them Mr..
stanton.