American citizen., 1876-03-11
SECRETARY BELKNAP.
The Important Evidence of Caleb p.
Marsh Before the Congressional Conn


| WASHINGTON, FEB. 2J.-lne committee
met at 0:30 a. Observation-Disclosures. ely
mer, Blackburn and Robbins.
| Caleb p. Marsh, one Of the witnesses or
dered to he subpGnaed by the committee, |
being present, was duly sworn according to
law:
Question (by the Chairman) Where do
you resides
Answer. reside at 80 West Fifty seventh
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, 1. T., in the fall of 1870, by the
| Secretary of War? If so, under what cir
cumstances was said appointment rendered
you? State also if you We're commissioned
by the Secretary such post-trader, or if
| not, who was commissioned, and If any
other person than yourself was so commits
stoned; give his name and reasons why he
was commissioned. If any agreement was
made between you and the appointee, state
it, or produce it if 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 if you were
specially iuterrogated in regard to the sew
eral transactions, and so fully as to save the
necessity of repeated interrogations.
A. In reply to your question, l 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. Belknap's
sister and the present Mrs. Belknapl, by our
invitation, came for visit to our house.
Mrs. Belknap was ill, 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 one
day, in the course of a conversation, why
did not apply for post-tradership on the
frontier. l asked what they were, and was
told that many of them were the most lucra-
tive offices positions within the gift of the
Secretary of War, and that if I 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 if had
a valuable post of that kind would remem-
L Der her, but L do remember her saying
something like this: elf can prevail up
: on the Secretary of War to award you a
post, you must be careful to say moth
:. ing to him about presents, for man
once offered him $40, 900 for leadership
: Of this kind, and he told him that if he did
: not leave the office he would kick him down
: stairs. Remembering, as 1 do, this story,
D presume the antecedent statement to be
n correct. Mrs. Belknap and Mrs. Bower re-
turned to Washington, and few weeks
thereafter Mrs. Belknap sent me word to
q come over. 1 did so She told me that the
IL post-tradership at Fort Sill was vacant-that
it was valuable post, as she understood,
| hat .ha I,.A aif fbor l-a1 form m
G 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
y near as 1 can remember, made application
g for the position in a regular printed form
d The Secretary said he would appoint me il
could bring proper letters and recommends
u tions, and this 1 said 1 could do. Either
Mrs. Belknap or the Secretary told me tha
the present trader at the post, John S
!: Evans, was an applicant for reappointment
u and that I had better see him, ht
J. being ill the city, as it would not bt
d fair to turn him out Of Office without some
=, notice, as he would lose largely on his build
ings, merchandise, ETC., if the office wa
:, taken from him, and that it would be proper
and just for me to make arrangements will
= him for their purchase, if 1 wished to ruI
the post myself. 1 saw Evans and founc
ullu Ileu tuC plospCSb VI ioSihS th'
;, place. 1 remember that he said that firm
of Western post-traders, who claimed
J. good deal of influence with the Secretary o
" War, wished to have him appointed. HI
vt found, on coming to Washington, this firm
to be entirely without influence. Evan
first proposed a partnership, which l de
:. | clined, then bonus Of certain portions o
- the profits, if 1 would allow him to hold th'
} position and continue the business. W.
n finally agreed upon $15 200 per year. Evan
|, and myself went on to New York together
. where the contract was made and executed
, | which is herewith submitted. During
our trip over, however, Mr.. Evans saw
e something in the Army and NaUy .JOurnd
II which led him to think that some of thu
e troops were to be removed from the fort
|. and he had offered too large a sum, and be
fore the contract was drawn it was reduced
by agreement, to 1900, the same being
payable quarterly in advance. When tn,
! first remittance came to me, say probably il
November, 1870, sent one-half thereof t.
Il Mrs. Belknap, either, presume, by GER
tificates of deposit, or bank notes by ex
y press. Being in Washington, at Mrs
:, Belknap's funeral, some weeks after this,
:, had a conversation with Mrs. Bower [th'
u present Mrs. Belknapl to the following pur
port, as far as 1 can now remember:
e went up stairs in the nursery with Mrs
l., Bower to the baby. 1 said to her
- ''This child will have money coming to i
before a great while.'' She said: eyes
IL the mother gave the child to me, and tolt
u me that the money coming from yoI
d I must take and keep for it,
o said, can right;'' and it seems to me sait
that ''perhaps the father ought to be con-
}, sulted.'' L say it seems so, and yet l car
give no reason for it, for, as far as l know,
the father knew nothing of any money trans
actions between the mother and myself.
y have faint recollection of remark of Mrs
Bower, that if sent money to the father
!, it belonged to her 1.-THE babel and that she
would get it any way. l certainly had some
understanding then, or subsequently, will
her or him, for when the next paymen
came due, and was paid, L sent one.
half thereof to the Secretary of War
o. and have continued substantially from tina
4 day forward to the present time to do the
same. About, should say, one and a half tt
% two years after the commencement of these
l. payments L reduced the amount to S6, ,00t
IS per annum. The reason of this reduction
l. was partly because of the combined com
plants on the part of Evans and his partner
:. and partly, so far as 1 now remember, il
- consequence of an article in the newspapers
u about that time rejecting the injustice
o done to soldiers at this fort, caused by eXor
bitant charges, made necessary the par
II of the traders by reason of the payment O.