Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1876-03-07
How the Business was Aanaged-Wha
Captains Armes and Robinson Have
TO Say The Ex-Secretary
Under Police SUrV6il-
laHce.
Hon. Geo. III. Pendlet0n and the BOWles
Estate A TOO-Penetrating DOcu-
ment More Important Testi-
mODy-In the House and
Senate.
Grants Surprise, and the Story rs Pub
Iisbed in February, 1872 What
GOsSips Have to Say About
the Belknaps ste.

ST. LOUIS, March 6.-The Times will
to morrow publish, on the authority Of q
gentleman who has been engaged in
frontier trading for the past eighteen
years, some interesting facts connected
with that business. He states that Or
vile Grant, brother of the President,
has been interested with Belknap in dis.
posing of the trading-posts for money.
Shortly sfler the appointment Of Belk-
nap SIS secretary OF war be visited most
Of the poets on the frontier, and can
cslled sll licenses Issued by Secretary
Rawlins. Durfee & Peck, extensive gov
eminent freighters and merchsndisers
on the frontier, held the principal sut-
tlerships a. this time, and were aston
ished at this unexpected charge. Peck
investigated the matter, and found that
Orville Grant had full authority from
the secretsry of war to dispose OF all the
traIing-pOs's as he thought fit. Peck
applied TO Grant for authority to retain
certain posts, where the firm had invest
ed large sums OF money in buildings and
goods, AID he would agree to it only on
the terms Of so much cash down and q
certain share of the prOfi!s-prSctically
the same arrangements that existed be-
tween Marsh and Evans 81 Co, ct Fort
Sill. Peck refused to comply with these
terms, and others received the appoint
ment5. At Forts BufOrd and Peck A. G.
Leighton was appointed sutler on terms
proposed by Orville Grant, but the bonus
required was so large that helost money,
and subsequently offered to sell to Dur
fee & Peck. The latter agreed to buy,
but Leighton had first to obtain per-
mission to sell from Grant. This Grant
refused, and made easier terms with
Leighton. The Fort Sully leadership
was taken from Durfee & Peck and given
to John 7. Athey. Athey paid all the
money he had TO get the post, and was
obliged to make terms with Darfee q
Peck to run it. The latter firm leased
from him and carried on the business for
year, when the profits accruing to
Athey enabled him TO run the business
himself DUrfee q Peck had the trader
ship al Fort Sill, but If was given to
Evans d Co. Durfee & PECK attempted
to carry on business in opposition to
Evans IL Co., but the officers of the post
vera forbidden tc give the soldiers Or
deTs on any firm but Evans & Co., and
they were forced to abandon the post.
o. Grant went SO far in his opposition to
AJhA4O "a L GShj OL1AL lC lO1baNC AAOsC W
whom he gave appointments, to
tirEn. Grant also had arrangements
with the interior department by which
he controlled many of the Indian lrad-
ing posts. These he disposed OF in the
same manner, to the highest bidder.
Grant was in the habit OF visiting the
military posts and Indian trading sta
ffnnE fn 0nIlppf tho
due him and his partner, Bslknap, and
for this purpose he had authority from
Secretary Belknap to draw on any mil
itaFy posts for ambulances aud teams,
and such aid as he might require. His
authority was generally recognized, and
he was greatly feared all along the
frontier. The authority fJr these state
ments is DR.. Terry, for many years past
actively connected with the firm of Dur
fee & Peck, and who has spent much of
his life on the frontier. He says the
congressional committee Will open q
Iich lead if they will investigate affairs
at Fort Buford.
ARMIES AND ROBINSON.
WASHINGTON, March 6.-In reference
to tue dispatch of March 4th, ,asseciating
Captain Gee. A. Armes with Captain
Geo. 7. Robinson in criminal practices
while officers Of the United States
arny, Captain Armes says although
they belonged to the same regiment
they were not friends or associates" 1t
appears from official documents that
Armes was tried and dismissed from
the service on special charges preferred
whom Armes had preferred charges,
o. vul,srh trsnA
two months there after, found guilty and
sentenced to be dismissed, cashiered and
imprisoned in the penitentiary for three
years and fined five hundred dollars
each. The military committee of each
house, on February l4th, in their report
on the bill authorizing and directing the
OF war to give Captain ATmes
an honorable discharge, say that there
was nothing on record to justify the SEN
tence by court martial; thsf the charges
were preferred through motives of jeal-
ousy and revenge, and the proceedings
show that there was determination on
the part Of the officers who investigated
the proceedings to have Arme5 dis
missed ST any cost. The bill TO which
aliusion is above made became q
law, under which he was hOnOrably
discharged with one years extra pay.
A letter is on file ia the war department.
written by Captain George Robinson, OF
Baltimore to Secretary Belknap on the
second Of April, 1875, while the findings
\ f the cOurJ-martiaI IL mis- case and its
of dismissal on &C.
count Of his selling duplicated pay sc-
counts, etc, were pending before that
In his letter Robinson
wrote that he had heard J. s. Evans &
Co., pCs'-traders at Fort Sill. assert that
they had 10 psy OUT money for General
BslkDsp's beL eft, etc, and that he was
at that time april 2, 1885, preparing
charges against them fJr malicious
slander OF toe secretary OF war He
continued: Il honestly believe that
these ISLANDERS on your name and action
are false, and / shall bring this firm TO
speedy justice, whether l am in or out Of
the service. shall, il you Gesire, trans-
NIT all documents entire to you for
your information, aud for such action as
you may see fit to take" His letter ex-
plains that these documents consis ted OF
S memoranda ne had made Of things he
had heard said by Evans and other
members of the firm. The findings OF
the court were approved by the Presi-
dent, sud Robinson was shortly after
ward csshierei on the grounds therein
stated.
TAKE AWAY THE PEELERs.",
WASHINGTON, March 6.-Ex-Secre-
tary Belknsp remains in his own house,
which be has not left since rendering
lis resignation, and is to sll purposes u
prisoner. The entrances hack and front
are guarded by policemen. Messrs.
and Blair, counsel for Gene
raj Belknsp, appeared at the attorney
generals Cffice to-day, and asked that
the police be removed, a. the secretary
had no intention whatever Of attempt.
ing fight from Washington. To this
answer was made that as soon as sn in
dic.ment was f0uEd, the secretary would
Le arrested, and he could then give bail,
which would rsileve him from the sur
veilance to which he is now subjected.