Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1876-03-10
sEcRETARY BELKNAP.
Statement OF Caleb y. Marsh Before
tile House Committee ON ExPendI-
lures in the War Department,


Statement OF Caleb y. Marsh before
the House Committee on ExpendL-
lures in the War Department.
In his evidence before tho House Inves- |
tigating Committee, on the Goth, Caleb p. |
Marsh made the following statement:
ain the summer Of 1870, myself and wife
spent three weeks at Long Branch, and on |
our return TO New York Mrs. Belknap and
Cher sister, Mrs Bowers (the latter the pres
ent wife of the Secretary, tho former having
died in 1870 by our invitation came for q
visit TO our house Mrs. Belknap was i'll
during this visit some three or four weeks,
and, suppose, in consequence OF our kind
nessto her, she felt under some obligations,
for EAe asked me one day in the course Of a
conversation why did not apply for post
leadership on the frontier. l asked what
they were, and was told that many Of them
were very lucrative officers or posi-.
tlons in the gift of the Secretary Of
War, and that If | wanted one she would
ask the Secretary for one. Upon my re-
plying that thought such offices belonged
TO disabled soldiers, and besides that l was
without political influence, she answered
that politicians got such places, etc, etc. l
do not remember saying that II had q val
liable post OF that kind would remember
her, but 1 do remember her saying some
thing like this: IF ! can prevail upon the
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must be careful to say nothing to him about
,frcscni5, for a man once offered him $10,0O0
r tgdersbin 2f 'i,. LID H.; C, % ~ t"ia him
kick him down-stairs.' Remembering,
as do, this story, l presume the
anteccdent statement to be correct. Mrs.
Belllnap and Mrs. Bowers returned to Wash
lngton, and few weeks thereafter Mrs. Bel
knap sent me word to come over. l did so.
She told me the post-tradership at Fort Sill
Vnpnnt thnt IL w n Valnnhlp most
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 as can remember made
application for this pOsition-a regular print
ed form. The Secretary said he would appoint
me If l could bring the proper letters and
recommendations, and this | said could do.
Either Mrs. BellInap or the Secretary told
me that the present trader at the post, John
S. Evans, was an applicant for. rcappoint-
ment, 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 buildings, mer-
chandise, etc, il the Office was taken from
him, and that it would be proper and just
for me TO make some arrangement with him
for their purchase IL wished to run the post
myself. ] saw Evans, and found him
alarmed at the prospect of losing the place.
l remember that he said firm of
Western post-traders who claimed good
deal of influence with the Secretary of War
promised to have him appointed, but he
found, on coming to Washington this firm to
be entirely without influence. Evans first
proposed a partnership, which l declined,
and then bonus of certain portion Of the
profits if would allow him to hold the posi-
ton and continue the business. We final
ly agreed upon $4,000 per year. Evans
and myself went on to New York together,
where the contract was made and exc
cuted, which is herewith submitted. During
our trip over, however, Mr. Evans saw some
thing in the Army and Nary Journal which
led him to think that some of the troops
were to be removed from the fort, and that
he had offered too large sum, and, before
the contract was drawn, 1t was reduced by
agreement to $4,000, the same being pay
able quarterly in advance. When the re-
mittanGe came 1e-d to me- say probably in
certificate Of deposit or bank notes
by express. Being in Washington at a
funeral, some weeks after this, had con-
versation with Mrs. Bowers to the following
purpOrt, as far rs | can now remember, but
must say that Just here my memory is ex-
cecdingly indstinct, and judge in part per-
haps from what followed as to details of the
conversation. l went upstairs in the nurs-
cry wit1 Mrs. Bowers to see the. baby. /
said 10 her: This child will have money
coming to it before great while She said
Yes. The mother gave the child to
me, and told me that The money com
ing from you she must take and keep
for it. / said All right and it
seems to me l said that perhaps the father
ought to be consulted. / say it seems so,
and yet can give no reason for It, for as
| far as knew the father knew nothing of
any money transactions between the mother
and myself. l have a faint recollection of a
| remark of Mrs. Bowers that if l sent the
money to the father that it belonged to her,
and that she would get it anyway. | GER
| tainly had some understanding then or sub
! sequently with her or him, for when the
next payment came due and was paid / sent
one-half thereof to the Secretary of War,
and have continued substantially from
that day forward to the present
! time to do the same. About,
should say, one and one-half to two years
after the commencement of these payments
i reduced the amount to $4,000 per annum
The reason of this reduction was partly be
cause of combined complaints on the part OF
Evans and his partner, and partly, so far as
! i now remember, in consequence OF an artl
Gle in the newspapers about that time re
ficcting on the injustice done to soldiers al
this fort, caused byeXOrbitant charges made
necessary on the part of the trader by reason
of the payment of this bonus. To the bes
ofmy knowledge and belief, the above is {
true statement of all the facts in the case
|
currences of SO many years ago."
In reply to questions, the witness further
stated that subsequent to the death of thu
former Mrs, Belknap, in 1870, the pay
ments were sent according to the in
structions of the Secretary of War
sometimes in bank-notes by express, some
times by certificates of deposit, and some
times he had paid the Secretary il
person, in New York. The payment
thus made would aggregate about 100000
The witness further stated that, in respons
10 the summons to appear before the com
mittee, he had, on the 23d of February, beel
Mt the Seeretary's house and spent the nigh
there. He then detailed at length the effort
made by himself, the Secretary of War ant
Mrs. Belknap to contrive some plan b.
which full exposure would be avoided, hi
own proposition being to leave the country
which act, the Secretary said, would ruin hin
(Belknap) To this the witness responds
that, If he went before the committee,
would also ruin him, for he (witness) woul
tell the truth. After returning to his hom
in New York, witness received a dispatc
from DIR. William TOmlinson, brother-in-lal
of the Secretary, telling him not to leave tn
country, as he had good news. Thinkin
they only wished to fix up some ne'
story, witness continued his preparation
TO leave. DIR. Tomlinson subsequent
called on the witness and suggeste
that he should write a letter, whic
Secretary. II was q very short letter an
contained nothing untrue, but did not te
the whole truth. Arrangements were afte
wards made by which witness was not [
leave the country, and he was summoned I
Washington, with the results now mad
public.
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