Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-03-10
STARTLING DISCLOSURES.
Chapter of Secret War History.
The treat Hsrtt Frauds Brought 20
B.fsht-A Conspiracy to Ruin Honest
Wen and swindie the Government
what's tho Use Of a Penitenfiars
I7ro,n the CiueinnHfi ylAzeiia

wen and suindie the Government
whats tho Use Of a Penitenfiary
From the Cineinnsti Gazette.
WASHINGTON, March 3.--An incident in
the preliminary steps taken TO secure an
Investigation of the affairs Of the District OF
Columbia first suggested an examination OF
the startling history which follows. The
records which set it forth first became known
10 The present administration the week pre-
ceding the INAUGURATION of Gen, Grant, Its
minor details were vaguely understood Id a
limited circle ddring the war, and part of
the facts were Published at the West. But
the whole power of the War Department,
and the influence of several Of the most
prominent politicians, were actively exerted
to suppress all knowledge of the real facts
brought to light.
The documents now in the files of the
War Department are but the outline history
Of the great outrage which men high in
position and high in the confidence OF the
loyal people conspired to perpetrate, and
executed in part.
The papers given were connected with
the trial of +. w. HURT, purchasing and
discussing Quartermaster of Volunteers,
v 10 d SlsttlOlCQ al OluCllllldbl, anu NAOoC
trial, exciting great interest at the time,
was concluded at that place in March, 1864.
The most strenuous exertions were made
there then to obtain the reports and evil
dence In the case, but the authorities and
politicians succeeded in concealing nearly
everything.
HURT was commissioned Assistant
Quartermaster of Volunteers Oct. 81, 1861.
He had hardly reached his post before he
began to speculate in forage and supplies,
in connection with persons associated with
him IL the Ohio State Journal. This he
continued with the same parties in purchas-
es for Camp Chase, and aterward at Gin
cinnati. But all this was Insignificant
compared with the great villainy which be-
gan in the spring of 1868 at Cincinnati.
He then entered into correspondence
with Henry d. Cook, formerly of the Ohio
State JORrndi, then the Washington repre-
sentative of the great firm of Jay Cooke x
Co., the confidential financial agents of the
Government, and these two, with other
members of the firm, and with such politi-
cal influence as they could command, con
spired to speculate in QIarternlaster's sup
plies, and to defraud the Government on
gigantic scale.
After Cooke had sent a man to Cincin-
natl to represent the Washington interest,
and immense transactions were in progress,
they became holder, and joined hands and
the influences they could command to Sc
cure the removal of Capt. John IL. Dicker-
son, the senior Qaartermaster at Cincin-
natl, both because his honesty endangered
present operations, and limited their extent.
They determined to remove him, put
HURT in his place, and associate with him
Capt. c. w. Moulton, QuarteTnaster and
brother-in-law of Senator Sherman, to the
end, as expressed in one of the specifica-
tions upon which HURT was convicted,
that he (Hurtt) ''might be charged with the
heaviest possible disbursements of the Gov
ernment funds" Nothing was TO stand in
the way, and the QuartermaSter-General
himself was TO be removed, if necessary TO
accomplish their ends.
This last movement was in progress, and
their speculations and swindlings going on
upon a great scale, when Gen. Burnside,
who had taken command Of the Depart
ment of the Ohio, became convinced that
the government was being defrauded, and
on the 2Sth at July, 1858, ordered Major
y. II. Mclean, an Assistant Adjutant-G Gen
eral of the regular army, to take possession
of Hurts papers, and investigate his
Major Mclean made his re-
port, the terrible nature of which will ap-
pear below, Sept. rs, 1868, and On Nov. %
a court was ordered to try HURT: All the
influential parties in interest were instant
IL alarmed, and in seven days after the
court was ordered it was dissolved upon an
order telegraphed from the War Depart
ment, and all the papers were sealed and
sent to Washington, as directed. Time
had scarcely elapsed for an examination of
the papers at the War Department, when
Major Mclean was peremptorily ordered
from his post at Cincinnati, and directed to
report for duty at Fort Vancouver in
Washington Territory.
Much was said in Cincinnati of the dis
solution of the first court, and severe criti-
cisms of the authorities INDUCED in. These
finally caused a second court to be convened
early in the following year, and before this
court, upon charges that left out all that
would involve any parties of position eX-
cept the Cookies, HURT was convicted and
dismissed. Just before the proceedings in
his case were ready to publish, the general
distribution of courts martial orders was
s opped by direction of the War Depart
ment, and little ever became known OF this
disgraceful case.
Many readers will ask why did man Of
Mr.. Stanton's iron nerve hesitate to put all
these offenders, high and low, on trial at
once? The reason given by one acquainted
with all the facts as they were known here
is significant: He 1cGs drireH In the 0ppO-
site direction by military necessity. His
first impulse was to try all concerned, but
men so high in the nations cOunsels and
in the confidence Of the people were COM
promised that to uncover their iniqGity,
perpetrated in the very darkest days of the
war, would result, as he feared, in de-
stroying the confidence of the people
Just in the darkest days of the whole war
these men had been pressing their diaboli-
cal schemes. The defeat at Chancellor
vile had enabled Lee TO invade the North.
Vallandigham was exciting rebellion from
the Canada border. There were peace
flags flying in the North; there was resis-
lance to the draft in Ohio and Indiana, and
in the latter State the Sons Of Liberty were
planning an outbreak. There was great
gloom everywhere, and it may shake the
confidence of loyal people beyond reStora-
ton, reasoned Mr.. Stanton, if they are al
lowed to know that the financial agents of
the government and some of its most prom
inent political supporters had been in such
league for plumber during the darkest
days of the war. And so he strove TO
cover the most startling points from the
public eve. And so the court was dis
solved, and the officer who knew all the
facts, and who had the full confidence of
his commanding general, was obliged TO
leave with his family, in the dead of win
ter, for the most distant point on American
soil, lest the facts in regard to a band of
robbers, holding high position, should by
any possibility come to light.
EXTRACTS FROM MAI. MLEAN'S REPORT.
therefore report as follows:
That he Capt. HURT, A. Q. NJ, in order
to promote the pecuniary interests of
himself and friends, and beingsolicitous as
to the success of the Ohio State Journal
on account of the results therefrom benefi-
cial to himself, did enter into a correspond
ence with certain influential, moneyed
and political parties, soliciting their aid,
and, through them, to secure aid from other
parties to effect the removal of brother
officer at Cincinnati, o., that he (Hurtt)
might secure his position, and be charged
with the heaviest possible disbursements of
government funds, stating in such CORE
spondence that the securing of such posi-
ton would enable him to further the pecu-
mary interests of the Ohio State Journal,
and that it would be all right for his
fha4 x.-o,lI