The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1876-03-10

The Important Evidence OF Caleb p
Marsh Before the ConCressional Conn
mitter.

mer, Blackburn and RoDDlns.
Caleb =. Marsh, one OF the witnesses or
dered to be subppnaed by the committee,
being present, was duly sworn according to
law:
Question (by the Cbairman). Where do
you reside?
Answer. I reside at 80 West Fify-seyenth
Street, New York have resided in New York
about eight years.
q. (by Chairman). Were you appointed
or rendered an appointment as post-trader
at Fort Sill, |. T., in the fall Of 1870, by the
Secretary Of WARY IL SO, under what cir
cumstances was said appointment rendered
your State also II you were commissioned
by the Secretary as such post.tradcr, or il
not, who was so commissioned, and IL any
other person than yourself was so commits
stoned; give his name and reasons why he
was commissioned II any agreement was
made between you and the appointee, state
1t, or produce 1t II in writing; and was such
agreement with the knowledge Of the Secre-
tary OF War; and state the circumstances
connected with the making Of that agree
ment. and all transactions in detail there.
under fully and particularly as II you were
specially Intercepted In regard to the sew
eral transactions, and so fully as to save the
necessity Of repeated interrogations.
A. In reply to your question, | would
state that in the summer Of 1870 myself and
wife spent some weeks at Long Branch, and
On our return to New York, Mrs. Belknap
and Mrs. Bower 1.-THE late Mrs. Belbnap's
sister aaG the present Mrs. Belknapl, by our
invitation y came for n visit to our house.
Mrs. Beltnap was i'll, during this visit, some
three Or four weeks, and, suppose, in con-
sequence Of our Kindness to her. she felt
under some obligations, for she asked ore
day, il the course OF Il conversation, why I
did not apply for a post-tradership on the
frontier. / asked what they were. and was
told that many of them were the most lucra-
tive offices or positions within the gift OF the
Secretary OF War, and that If ! wanted one
she would ask the Secretary for one. Upon
my replying that | thought such offices be-
longed to disabled soldiers, and that, be-
sides, / was without political influence, she
answered that politicians got places, etc.,
etc. ] do not remember saving that IL | had
Il valuable post OF that kind l would remem
Der her, but | do remember her saving
something like this: ''If ! can prevail up
on the Secretary OF var to award you a
post, you must he careful to say noth-
ing to him about presents, for Il man
once offered him $40, 900 for 4 leadership
of this kind, and he told him that if he did
not leave the office he would kick him down
stairs. Remembering, rs | do, this story,
l presume the antecedent statement to be
correct. Mrs. Belknap and Mrs. Bower re-
turned to Washington, and a few weeks
thereafter Mrs. Belknap sent me word to
come over. I did so She told me that the
post-tradcrship at Fort Sill was vacant-that
it was II valuable post, rs she understood,
and that she had either asked for it for me,
or had prevailed upon the Secretary of War
to agree to give it to me. At all events, |
called upon the Secretary of War, and as
near IN 1 cen remember, made application
for the position in q regular printed form.
The Secretary said he would appoint me il /
could bring proper letters and Tecommendl-
tions, and this | said | could do. Either
Mrs. Relknap or the Secretary told me that
the present trader at the post, John 5.
Evans, was All applicant for rcappointment,
and that | had better see him, he
being in the city, as it would not be
fair to turn him out of Office without some
notice, aS he would lose largely on his build
ings, merchandise, etc., il the office was
taken from him, and that il would be proper
and just for me to make arrangements with
him for their purchase, if l wished to run
the post myself. | saw Evans and found
him alarmed at the prospect OF losing the
place. 1 remember that he said that a firm
OF Western pOst-tradcrs, who claimed a
good deal Of influence with the Secretary Of
War, wished to have him appointed. He
found, on coming to Washington, this firm
to he entirely without influence. Evans
first proposed a partnership, which | de-
clined, then a bonus OF certain portions of
the profits, II ! would allow him to hold the
position and continue the business. We
finally agreed upon $i5, 900 per year. Evans
and myself yer on to New York together,
where the contract was made and executed,
which is herewith submitted. During
our trip over, however, Mr.. Evans saw
something in the A,nly and Nary Journal
which led him to think that some Of the
troops were to be removed from the fort,
and he had offered too large n sum-, and be-
fore the contract was dawn it was reduced,
by agreement, to $12 600, the same being
payable quarterly in advance. When the
first remittance came to me, say probably in
November, 1870, sent one-half thereof to
Mrs. Belknap, either, | presume, by GER
t~iticates OF deposit, or bank notes by eX-
press. Being in Washington, at Mrs.
Belknap's funeral, some weeks after this, l
had a conversation with Mrs. Bower 1.-The
present Mrs. Belknapl to the following pur-
port, as far rs l can now remember: I
went up stairs in the nursery with Mrs.
Bower to see the baby. | said to her:
''This child will have money coming to it
before a great while.' She said: "Yes,
the mother gave the child to me, and told
me that the money coming from you
must take and keen for IT, l