Daily Kennebec journal., 1876-06-13

| To tie Editor Of heantJec journal.
| In the local column Of your paper issued on sat
urday mornn notice an item atrlbuting to a
gentleman not named, a remark made in public
place in relation TO the acquisition Of the wealth
supposed to be possessed by Mr. Blame.
The comments ard allusion. point so clearly
to the gentleman who made the remark,
which l am told has not been correctly re-
| ported to vou that no one can doubt that refer
| ence is made to Col. G.. W. Stanley, and my rela-
! tions with that gentleman were so close and lntl
mate at the time alluded to- that feel called upon
| to correct some impressions which j am satlshed
| you could not entertain with full knowledge OF
| the facts in the case. The charge made in your
article is that during the of the rebellion Col.
| Stanley enriched himself by the profits secured IN
the purchase Of horses for the use of the State and
| United States. 1t so happened that was IN po-
sition to be cognizant of the conduct oil Col Stan
| ley, in the matter aludedto and am able to speak
| from actual knowledge. | know well the labors
and sacrifices of Col. Stanley, in the work he was
called upon to perform the patriotism he exhibit
ed, the fidelity with which he acted and the pride
he took in serving the State, without solicitation
| on his part. Col Stanley was called upon by Gov.
Washburne to superinten nd The purchase of a large
| number of horses for the use of the army, Gov
Washburne being fully aware of the large expe-
rience and great fitness of Col Stanley for the PC
culiar business, and it only after much reluc-
the Governor, that Col Stanley consented to enter
upon the work. In all the purchases made by him
| he had associated with him, men Of unquestloned
| integrity belonging to the republican party among
! them Hon. Nathan Dane, formerly Treasurer OF
| State, and the late Philander Coburn, Esq. A
| large number of horses were purchased. involving
| great amount of labor, by night and day and
| the expenditure of a large sum of money. Pay
ment for the purchases was required to be made on
the spot and the risk of the transportation and the
! necessary,
the risk Of Col. Stanley more than this, Col Stan
| ley was called upon to furnish all the necessary
| means. tie State not proridihg a doltar. Beng
| at the time cashier OF the State Bank, Of which
Col Stanley was President, at his request, open
ed the bank safe and delivered to him its entire
contents, and he was thus enabled to 90 forth upon
his mission. This act involved the issue OF the
bills Of the State Bank 10 more than double the
amount it was legally authorized to issue, and one
entire Sunday was occupied in the signing of new
bills for the purpose. SO large was the issue that
felt it necessary to notify the redeeming agent
of the bank in Boston, and explain the circum-
stances under which they were put out, and quiet
any alarm which the unusual flow OF cur bills 1or
| redemption might create. Tue funds thus fur
nished by the direction Of Col. Stanley, and for
which he become individually liable to the bank,
were the means by which the State was able to
pi ovide the horses demanded by the emergency of
the country, and which could not then have been
obtained iIom any other source, public or private
The State had the use Of these funds for from SIX
to nine months, and when the bank was rcimburs-
cd, not cent in the way of interest was allow
ed or ever received. MoIe than 100 horses were
purchased in various sections of the State, requlr
ing Col Stanley to devote the nights to riding over
the country to meet engagements made for HIM
by the advertisements OF Gov. Washburne. In
the purchase OF every horse Col. Stanley had the
concurrence of his republican associates on the
commission. Three vouchers were taken for every
horse purchased Every voucher was examined
by the State Government and by the National Gov
eminent. and are now on file in the archives OF
the war department. The horses of the I'd Maine
Cavalry, portion of those purchased by Col. Stan
ley, excitei the attention and admiration of army
officers and foreigners, for their perfect qualities
when they reached the National Capital and when
the fact was made known that their average cost
was but one hundrtd and fire dollars, great credit
was awarded on all hands, to Col Stanley for his
Judgment, skill and economy. In the settlement
Of his accounts with the State, Gov. Washburne
highly complimented Col. Stanley for his great
success and for the economy with which the pur-
chases had been male. He has many times since
privately expressed his appreciation of the faith
and honest manner in which Col Stanley perform
ed the worked committed to his charge, and in my
presence once made the remark, that, if all the
transactions growing out of the war, had been As
faithfully and economically performed, the public
debt would have been materially lcssened in lis
proportions. have no hesitation in referring you
to Gov. Washburne for full and eXpicite con-
frmation of what l have written. The bill of
Col Stanley for his services, and expenses and for
furnishing the requisite funds, amounting to four
dollars per day uhiie actually employed, was
promptly allowed, the remark of Gov. Wash
burnc being "ehedp eRough". SO far from Col.
Stanley having made any money for himself in the
purchases made for the State (wh ch it was not
possible for him to do under The circumstances),
the services rendered by him were entirely pa
trotc, at the sacrifice Of health and comfort, and
without adequate compensation. In my judg-
ment he pecuniarily the loser in his efforts TO
the State in the field of labor to which be
urged by Gov. Washburne.
do not write this in any spirit of controversy,
bu. simply to correct an error into which you have
fallen from Misrepresentation misapprehen-
sion of the facts, not doubling that you will be
ready to do justice to the labors and sacrifices of
patriotic and loyal citizen rende red in the hour of
his countrys need
Very respectfully,
VIM. II. SMITH.