The New York herald., 1869-06-16
ARMY INTELLIGENCE.
The Reported Frauds In the Quartermaster's
Depnrtment-Snle Of Public Property at
Fort G.. 4. Smith.

The Reported Frauds In the Quartermas At -
Depnrtment-Snie Of Public Property at
Fort g. r. Smith.
WASHINGTON, June Is, 1869.
1t will be remembered that attention was called
through the HERALD on the oath December last to
some queer developments in regard to the manner in
winch public property was disposed Of by officers Of
the army, who accountable for its preservation
and the circumstance was related that during last
summer Forts c. +. Smith and Reno had been aban-
doned as military posts and the United States
property sold at auction, by which certain parties
realized large SUM OF money.
The publication OF these rumOrs in the HERALD
naturally enough aroused the attention OF Quarter
master General Meigs, who Immediately ordered an
investigation OF the charges. The slip containing
them was forwarded to General william Myers
Chief Quartermaster at omaha, who returned the
following reports which forward entire in order to
give that officer opportunity to place his version
Of It before the puolic:-
GRNERAI-As required by your endorsement Of March 80
1852 herewith forward lists Of the properly sold on the
Of the amour, realized es%ass The value Of the Quarter
on s be- Rsss sold
9usnce Of their being stores that were ,ran:ferred
close of the war and having been transported nearly
ny a ana N The use ssae or on N @ a.
equpage would be about the that Of similar articles
The sum realized from the sale st Fort c. F. Smith
q. ",
wM MYERS, Brevet Brssaier general, c. 2. NJ, &C.
newspaper sp trom the NEw YcnS gERALDl relative to
the the s Of a. Fort Smith h Sm
ments the printed slip Of "aueer dsvelopmens" sght
e maEe
reply attempt determine the wisdom of abandon
The sale Of the pubic properly at Fort G F. Smith having
throughout the country likely 70 contain bidders an9ues
o
those who made their living from their connection with
SSR for hs
the have heard referred to in this conneclon he
ON
Fo Smith nor any large humber Of people pee who
n s s
mens made that the small number OF specific charges may
The facts are Es these in frat Instruction; 70 sell
ss s sm'h OF hs s1
Omaha, Nsb; the Ysapareu, st Council Bluffs, Iowa the
n s G ss :. Virginia " c sS
sne the s s sa % S s Sn S
tana papers sent sent, the advertisement by teegraph
every stage station to Fort Shaw Montana general
impossible The stores at Fort G. F smith We're Valuable to
in that country They were worth transporting to Fort E
but but they Of such value as & make exPssde1, to
donment of the Powder river posts else to subject the
have been the case had Fort Smith been aOandoned in sep.
ember and the other consequently at later Tie
holding of Fort Smith until autumn would probably have
caused Indian troubles The
Powder river posts was imperative, and the disposition Of
the pubic stores at Fort T. r. smith was necessarily the first
There but bidder as the HERALD states and he a
through country infested with hostile Indians, of
and nd the sale
trains 81 my ana hfteen wagons The first train left Fort
9TH of July attacked by 200 Santee Sioux The
train was attacked twice while route to the August
indsns the stock captured and the destruction of the train
Red Clouds camp, with great dcuy IN.
dgced that chief TO release the train the payment
the post traders at Forts Phil Kearny and c. F. smith,
train to fh M. 70 se
his train men unusual wages in consideration of the p
least 600 have lost lives from attacks in this
vicinity, including those killed at the Phil Kearny
% ns
posts being and two saSaterns OF the
army barely escaped with their lives have stated the
was but one na % bidder ample evidence Of the risk
% s sV sssd IL s 9 wa! !a
ana the ga advertisement ne was thorough and ample
fer Forts Reno and PHI Kearny to Fort Fred
cheaper have abandoned these Fort Phil Kearny
20 w wG s of
when considered that the stores these posts
were by wagon hundred miles to these
posts remained there three with inferior storage and
Of tse sores a. PS Keany viii Apply w shs @
force to the stores at Fort c. smith being 80 miles gong
could been Steele or any other
ernment.
The fvoi,y Of these charges viii become apparen,
have been written in a spirit OF recrimnaton.
VS.. MYERS, Brevct Brigader General,
Chief Quartermaster, &C.