Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1870-02-11
NUMBER a.

residents OF the city, town or plantation
to which they were so allowed, and were
returned as such over the signature Of
the municipal officers for the time being.
Why then should they have been purchas-
ed by the same municipal officers, at .
high price, of some substitute brokers ?"
Further investigation, however, brought
out the fact that these purchased naval
commission men, were not residents OF
the towns to which they had been SO sold.
that the names are strange and not recog-
mixed by the present officers Of the towns
as names of men ever residing in these
places. This discovery did not serve to
make the matter less mysterious than be-
| fore The men were claimed apparently
in good faith by the present municipal
oflicers-proof was presented that they
had been bought and paid for. We could
find no trace of them in the records as in
any regiment or company of the land
service, nor rs enlisted recruits for tho
navy but we did find them in the list OF
names in the proper book, purporting to
have been allowed by Naval Commissions
ers rs residents of that city or town
claiming them. on the written statement
of the officers of that city or town. And
yet the present officers of that city or
! town assured us very positively that no
such men were ever known there. In all
such cases we struck the names from tho
claims as disallowcd, and waited for
further dcvelopcments. And now IN
closing our labors we are only prepared
TO explain the matter in part. 1t seems
that of the twenty-five hundred or more
names OF naval men allowed by the War
Department to the State of Maine. as be-
fore stated, a portion-how large portion
We know not-were left unclaimed ny
any municipality, after the blanks sent
out by the Naval Commissioners for that
purpose had been returned oraflera sutici'
en-. time had elapsed for them to have
been returned. Ofthcsc unclaimed men.
! it is said that a part were assigned to some
small towns and plantations upon whose
people the draft, from peculiar train OF
circumstances, was bearing with more
than common hardship. But even yet a
considerable number seem 10 have been
left. How these men or names should
have been disposed of. it Is no part VI
our duty TO say. One gentleman oi some
note and prominence in the State has
publicly stated that he was permitted by
the officials having control OF the matter.
10 sell some eighty OF more OF these
names 70 various municipalities in order
10 get re. imhursement for money he had
paid out in Washington and in Virginia in
/ bounlics To men whom he had induced TO
enlist or r1 enlist and " hose names he had
forwarded 10 the Adintant General here.
expecting them To be quoted to certain
towns whose quotas lie had contracted TO
I'll. but who ON his retum home, he found
had been credited TO the place OF their
residence.
He further states. if We have under
stood him correctly that in every instance
where he sold these naval commission
men ~ towns orciiios he wrote the names
80 sold. or caused them Ia be written, up
on one Of the.printed blanks such rs had
beeu sent out of the Naval Commission
ers. and had the municipal officers exc
cutc il n return 10 the Naval COmmis-
sioney,, thus certifying in their official ca
pacity that the men so bought were the
residents, oi their town or city. 30 Tar rs
we have examined the files. we have seen
no reason for doubling the substantial
correctucs, of his statement in this respect
But the eighty or Whereabouts which this
gentleman acknowledges 10 have so sold,
by no means account Tor the many that
we have found claimed and bought as we
have before stated, and allowed by Naval
Commissioners in much the same manner.
That any of the men whose names were
sold out OF Maine rs serving or rather
having served in the navy. received any
OF the money paid to the men, who as
sumed 10 sell their names, is not at all
probable.
How many ofthis class were sold in the
way above named, il is not possible for US
to state. We can only say that books show
that about three thouand names were al
owed by Naval Commissioners. The
number for which rcimbm sment has
been claimed may be spoken OF as num-
dreds. And con siderng what municipal
officers had TO do to get such names al
lowed upon their quotas after purchas-
ing them, it may well be supposed that
only y portion so obtained have been
claimed for reimbursements. especially
in cases where the same men were IN
office then and now.
The Commissioners do not take upon
themselves to characterize the proceed
ings herein described They assume
only 10 rive a statement Of the facts rs
appearcd in the course of their investiga-
tons, anc leave it for the people OF the
State to approve or condemn as the facts
may seem to warrant.
But there is another and perhaps a still
LARGER class o.. names for which reimburse
ment has been claimed snd disailowed.
Perhaps the well known term paper
credits will best designate this class. In
tho latter summer and autumn of 1864.