The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1874-03-12
STARTLING DISCLOSURE.
Chapter of Secret War History
Conspiracy to Swindle the Gov
ernment.
How Secretary Stanton was I'M
posed Upon.

Ender this sensational! heading, the Gin
cinna,i Gazette Of Saturday, gives from its
Washington correspondent the first install
ment of what promises to be one Of the most
eickening disclosures of gigantic frauds per-
petrated by eminent rersonages and preten-
ded friends of the government during the
war. The story is briefly this: One +. W.
HURT was appointed Quartermaster OF vol
unteers, and stationed as purchasing and
disbursing agent at Cincinnati. He had
hardly reached his post before he began to
speculate in forage and supplies, in connec-
ton with persons associated with him IN the
Ohio State Journal This he continued with
the same parties in purchases for Camp
Chase, and afterwerd at Cincinnati. But all
this was Insignificant compared with the
great villainy which began in the spring Of
1868 at Cincinnati.
He then entered into correspondence with
Henry d. Cooke, formerly of the Ohio State
Journal, then the Washington representa-
tive of the great firm of Jay Cooke & Co.,
the confidential financial agents Of the gov
eminent, and these two, with other members
Of that firm, and with such political fnild-
ence AZ they could command, conspired to
speculate IN quarterulas;ers' supplies, and to
defrand the government on gigantic scale.
After Cooke had cent man 10 Cincinnati
to represent the Washington interest, and
immense transactions were in progress, they
became holder, and joined hands and the
influences they could command to secure
the removal Of Capt. John II. Dickerson,
the senior Qua;termaster at Cincinnati, both
because his honesty endangered their present
operations, and limited their extent. They
They determined to remove him, put HURT
in his place, and associate with him Capt.
C. w. Moulton, a Oua1termaster and broth
er-in-law Of Senator Sherman, to the end,
a expressed in one of the specifications up
on which HURT was convicted, that he
(Hurtt) "might be charged with the heavi-
ct possible disbursements of the govern
funds" Nothing was to stand in the way,
and even the 9uartermaster-Generalh himself
was to he removed, if necessary % accom-
plish their ends. j.,
This last movement was in progress, and
their speculatioDs and ewindlings going on
upon a c--ra scale, when Gen. Burnside,
who taken command OF the Department OF
the Ohio, became convinced that the gov
eminent was being defrauded, and on
the 18th of July, 1863, ordered Major
N. II. Mclean, an Assistant Adjutant-Gen-
eral Of the regular army. to take possession
of Hurts papers, and investigate his trans
actions. Major Mclean made his report,
the terrible nature of which will appear be-
low, September IS. 1868, and on November
%. a t. ur: was ordered to try HURT. All
the Influential parties in interest were In
stantly alarmed, and in seven days after the
court was ordered, it was disc lived upon an
order telegrapbed from the War Depart
ment, and all the papers were sealed and
sent to WASHINGTON, AZ directed. Time had
scarcely elapsed for an examination of the
papers at the Wax Department, when Major
Mclean was pe,emptorily ordered from his
post At Cincinnati, and directed to report for
duty at Fort Vancouver, in Washington
Territory. TIE extraordinary haste eIer-
cised in getting Major Mclean out OF the
country will be explained when the nature
of facts disclosed in his report are considsr-
ed.
Numerous letters follow, apparently SUE
tanning the charge in this report in every par
ticuIar. Here are specimens
HURT TO SCOTT.
Cincinnati, O., March "a, 1863.
L.. "A lad for