The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1879-03-07

| " As''et'et''g ~ ~ 4HuytF, boF
e'nOr Of Oregon: SiR-Tho report nd
dressed to you by tho investigating
committee appointed by the last legis
lature, makes number Of charge.
against myself and other officers con
nected with the Modoc war, to which
wish to reply:
The service of the state troops in the
Modoc war embraces two distinct peri.
DDS, tho first for two months, being
called the first service" and the sec
ond for two months and half, being
called the second service" with an in
tervening period between the two ser
vices of nearly two months and half,
occupied principally in peace negotia.
tions by the so-called "peacc commits
sion"
The committee states that tho sup
plies purchased . for our troops have
never been accounted for. This state.
ment is wholly untrue Every article
that was purchased, whether OF subsis-
tence or quartermaster's stores, was du.
ly accounted for, on regular returns
Gen. James \. Hardie, Inspector gen
eral, U. ). a, made thorough inves.
tigation of this whole business during
the summer of 1874, under orders from
the secretary Of war, authorized by an
act of congress approved June Is, 1874.
From his report TO the war department
| make the following extracts: "The
purchasing officers, for supplies pertain
ing te the quartermaster's department,
were quartermaster general, j. y. Bar.
ker, and W. 4. Owen. The subsistence
supplies were purchased under the di.
rection OF Col J. y. T. Miller, commis-
sary general. Returns were carefully
made at the close Of the second service,
of all transactions pertaining to the
quartermasters aud subsistence depart
ment.
The foregoing extracts state ths sim
pie truth, from which il will be observ-
ed that ] was not an accounting officer
Col. Miller, rs the commissary general,
was the accounting officer for all subsis-
tence supplies. and hc has duly account
ed for the same. Col. Barker, az quar-
termaster general, was the accounting
officer for all quartcrmasters stores,
and he has duly accounted for the same.
This explanation is necessary to !, cor
rect understanding of the subject, and
to remove any false impressions created
by the erroneous statements of the com.
mittee.
My services in the first service"
were in the capacity of clerk To Meior
w. \. Owen, stationed mt Jacksonville,
TO act as purchasing and forwarding
agent. The supplies purchased by him
were taken up and accounted for on the
returns of the quarterfnastcr and com
missary generals. In the "second ser.
vice" | was commissioned assistant
qaartermaster general, and discharged
the same duties at Jacksonville that
bad previously been performed by Ma
jor Owen, the supplies purchased aud
forwarded being taken up and account.
ed for on the returns of the same oil
GERS. The committee gave it az their
"opinion" that "more than $4,000 was
plundered from the state by niii 'cr,
having charge of the commissary .nd |
quar:ermastrr's department" After
wards, it yeems, the feelings of thecJn-
mitLee became more ''toned down" aud |
as a result they became more moderate |
in their statements, for in recapitulating |
the grand results of their labors they !
reduced the deficit to $13,I86 This is |
quite ''falling off" and if Your Excel !
lency will carefully examine the re-
turns, you will be able to reduce the !
amount still lower, bringing it down, in
fact, to nothing.
The rations in cur volunteer service /
we're the same as in the regular army,
With the addition of yeast powder, Tor
cream tartar and soda), and the cost Of
L ration was 80 cents. 1t is true that
IN some instances rations were issued to
officers, but the price was
deducted from their pay. All articles
Of clothing were charged at cost prices,
TO the men by whom they were received,
and the amounts deducted from their
pay; such deductions being also report
sd as stoppages on the muster rolls.
Gov. Grover laid before the state board
IF audit, and as before Gen. Hardie,
he entire accounts of the war, includ-
ng all certified vouchers that were is
'ued, abstracts of Indebtedness, com
nissary returns, quarteImaster returns,
medical returns, and all staff and COM
,any muster rolls. Gen. Hardie men
,lona the following papers FURNISHED to
~ him Gov. Grover) as accompanying his
'eport to the secretary of war (see page
L5) viz: "Muster rolls of officers and
roops," abstracts of Oregon indebted
less," "returns of quartermaster de-
Jartment," returns of subsistence de.
Iartment," "returns of medical depart
nent." These papers are perhaps still
IN file at the var department.
The committee in their report men
ion the names Of Gen. John +. Miller
md his aids, Col. VIM. Thompson and
Jol.C. b. Bellinger. Theservices of these
gentlemen were wholly in the "frst
Iervice," during which period served
,lerk under Major w. A. Owen, aid on
he staff of Gen. John Il. Ross. This
John Il. Ross is the identical individu-
Il whose name is appended to the re-
port under consideration, as one of the
investigating committee. Major Owen,
lnder written orders from Gen. Ross,
lated February l, 1873, was charged
With the duty of settling up all bills,
and Indebtedness, of every de-
icription, incurred in the service. 1t
was then supposed that the war was
arar. oE Iaast ,1oya of =, 1.oocooJ tb,4