New Orleans Republican., 1872-08-17

Department in Texas-An Inquiry Or
deFed.
We reproduce the following from Wash
ingtOn specials to the New York Herald:s
The War Department, through the De
paBtment of Justice, has referred to the
United States district attorney for Western
| Texas for the institution OF criminal pro
ceedings under the statutes relating tC
frauds upon the United States, the papers
in the case of II. ]. Thompson, Of JacksbOr
| Ough, Texas, who presented a claim fol
1900 trees, alleged to have been cut and
| used by officers of the United States in the
| construction of Fort Richardson, one of the
| large military posts established to protect
| the northern boundary Of the State from
| incursiOns of Indians located in the Indian
! Territory. The claim was for $4,000, and
had the certificate and approval of various
| military officials in the Department of
| Texas, including that of General James A.
Ekin, the chief quartermaster; but Quarter
| master General Meigs, who had but just re-
turned from tOur of inspection of the
! Texan posts, declared the claim to be ini-
! quitOus at once, and refused to allow it to
! be paid until it had been specially investi-
! gated and reported on by board of survey
appointed from the roster Of officers on duty
! at the post. This board, to the astOnish-
ment Of the Quartermaster-GeneraI re-
| ported the claim to be correct and just and
| recommended its payment, which recon-
mendation was ind0rsed by Chief Quarter
master Ekin, who added warm eulOgium
| Of the personal and official integrity Of Gen
| eral Oakes, the post commander, who had
Joined in approving the claim.
General Meigs, who knew approximately
the quantity of timber used in the post
and the value of standing timber in that
part of Texas, was obstinate in resisting
me efforts made to secure the payment of
the award, and at his suggestion the War
Department sent Inspector General Absa-
lOm Baird to make q personal investigation
into the whole affair. That officer has re-
ported that the number Of trees actually
cut from the claimants lands was not over
300 instead of over 5000, and that their
value was not more $1,000 instead Of $4,000.
This report, which is conclusive upon
the subject, placed the officers com
posing tie board of survey - the
post commander and the chief
Guartermaster-in a very questionable
position, from which they have attempted
to escape by pleading culpable but not
criminal reliance upon Captain Potter, the
former quarCeTmaster of the post, who now
happens to be dead and unable to explain
or cOntrOvert anything. But as Captain
Potter was, during the many years he was
in the service, one of the most trustworthy
officers of his department, the War Depart
ter in train for a thorough judicial investi,
cation; and it is not improbable that the
general inquiry into the military admins
tration of public affairs in Texas, which has
been for some time in contemplation by the
department here may be hastened by the
revelations just made.
Il was but lately that General Auger was
transferred from the command of the De-
partment Of the Platte to that of Texas,
and General Ekin removed from the charge
Of the QuaTtermasteFs Department, for the
purpose of ending the scandals and irregu-
larities which had become notorious III the
State and at Washington, owing to the cen
traliZation of Dearly-Jhe whole of the vast
army business in that great department in
the hands of the firm Of Adams & Wickes,
who OsmOnOpOlized for four years the army
treightiDg contracting, trading and sutler-
ing for the numerous posts, and so virtually
controlled the financial and political inter
eSts of the State. The responsibility for this
state of affairs is held to lest chiefly with
General Ellin, whose relations with tue
firm named we're Of the most intimate char
aCter, as attested, in some measure, by his !
alledged acceptance of a carriage and ele-
CANT pair Of horses at a nominal price, paid /
in part by a pTOmissOry note. In one in |
stance, now on record, efforts were made to !
compel General Mackenzie, a post COM
mander, to receive 800, ,000'pOunds of corn |
from Adams 81 Wickes, when he only |
needed 500 900 pounds to last till the time |
when q new contract at a lower price should !
90 into operation. Mackenzie positively /.
declined, in spite of the pressure from ,
headquarters, aud wrote to Washington, !
boldly denouncing the whole thing as a
fraud. This led to the interference of the ,
Secretary Of War, but before his action !
could be made effective the corn had been !
forced upon the temporary commander |
during brief absence Of General MaCken- /
zie in. tie field. This one affair cost the /
government $4,000, but a much greater /
loss took place on a transaction directly at /
the chief Quartermaster's office.
Proposals were invited for supplying !
various kinds of forage, and though no bids !
were invited for furnishing oats, which, by |
a prior arrangement, were to be procured |
at New Orleans and shipped to Texas as a ,
matter of economy, Texas being a poor .
market for oats, Adams & WiCkes were /
found to be unlimited bidders on the sealed (
proposals for oats, and contracts for large /
quantities Of oats, without any show Of .
were awarded them. Mean
while the quartermaster's department at |
New Orleans had made large purchases for |
to Texas, and these latter were |
left on hand with no alternative but to re- /
sell at a great loss or hold them for future .
use at q heavy, if not total, depreciation in
quality.
The papers in this case of the manage
ment of the Guartermastcr's business in |
Texas under General Ekin, who was a
prominent official and politician at Wash
ngtOn during the war, are vOluminOUs, and !
contain many such exposures as are herein