The Portland daily press., 1880-08-04
FOGG AND BLOOD.
The Men who Tried to Foment
Civil War.
JOSEPH l.. SMITHS OPINION OF THEM
AND THEIR SCHEMES.

The following is the testimony of Frederic
r. Guernsey before the committee on illegal
enlistments March 10, 1880:
FREDERIC r. GUERNSEY, sworn, testified.
| Q.-Where do you reside?
| A.-Boston.
| Q.--And what is your business?
| ADDITIONAL writer and correspondent on
the Herald
| Q-And were you in this State at any time
during the early part of the year 1880 or the
last part of the year 1879?
airy in the city of Augusta, representing the
| Herald.
Q.-Do you know Joseph Smith, of Old
town?
| Ayes, sir.
| Q.-And at the time when you were here
| did you meet him?
Al met him several times, obtained inter-
| views with him.
| Q.-And at those several times when you
| met him did you have conversation with him
| about various matters?
| Ayes, sir, regarding the political stua-
ton and especially with regard to this enlist
ment of troops which interested me more than
anything else, of course.
| Q.-And will you please state the CONVERSE
ton you had with him and the information
| you derived from him in reference to the en-
| listment OF troopser the use of any force?
Ayes; will particularize one special eve
| ming. because that was more important than
| any think That was the evening, l think,
| of Tuesday, the 9th of January, when the
| news first came of the decision of the Supreme
| Court, the second decision. 1 gave Major
| Smith his first information of this second de-
| cision.
Q.-That was really the third decision, the
| answer to the Fusion committee, wasn't it?
Ayes, perhaps it was. That was the very
| last decision.
O. was really the third. Gov. Garcelon
| had one?
A.-Oh, yes, had forgotten that. On that
| evening Major Smith said in substance
''Some day the secret history of this thing will
come out, and it will be seen that have acted
like conservative man." (These are just his
| words) "Only to-day was visited by a dele
CATION from neighboring county and asked to
authorize the bringing of a thousand armed
men to this city for the purpose of capturing
the State House. And this very night Tues
day, the 9th of january I was labored with
by certain men to consent to a plan which
hardly could have failed to put us in the State
January, two days later. 81 refused to enter
tain the plan. Had the Court recognized our
government as the legal one | should have
taken the necessary steps to enforce its author
ity." Major Smith then said that he thought
he was entitled to the respect OF conservative
men, for he had resisted the intense pressure
upon him by the radical men of his party, and
had been censured by them for the conserva-
tive course which he had pursued. He also
said if he hadn't held back the reckless adven-
turers whom he named as Fogg and Blood,
men who had no stake in the community, no
property, who were simply adventurers-he
spoke OF them twice as adventurerS-if he
hadn't held them back there would have been
civil war. He said they were ripe for it. de
said they had nothing to lose and everything
to gain.
Q.-And he mentioned Fogg and Blood?
Ayes, he mentioned Fogg and Blood.
We talked about them, and he said it to me.
OF course [ knew him, as an old citizen of
Bangor, living in Bangor, and he talked rather
freely with me about it.
go 9;-lby Mr. Lord 70" had lived in Ban
| Ayes. was born and reared there In
| previous interviews Major Smith told me that
| the fusonsts had several thousand men armed
and equipped, who had been enlisted through
| out the State and organized into companies.
| And he told me that he could throw into Au-
gusta within "a hours certainly 1000 men, pro-
| V1ded with several days ammunition and ra-
| tons. He also stated he had received tenders
| of troops from other states amounting in num-
| Der from three to five thousand men, and that
these men were armed and equipped. He
would not state definitely what organization
| they were. tried to find out from him wheth-
| er he meant the 9th Mass. Regt which is
known to be an Irish regiment, but he would
| not say. And | asked him if they were So
| cialists, and he would not commit himself on
| that point; was rather ambiguous. He was
| especially emphatic when he stated to me the
fact that he had been pursuing a conservative
| policy, trying to gain his ends by methods OF
law, and not by force; buthe said there was a
| large and dangerous faction, he characterized
| them as a dangerous faction, in his party, who
| would be willing to precipitate civil war. And
as for himself he said he was going home and
| mind his own business and leave politics.
That is about in substance what he told me-
| If amplfed it it would not be any more to
the point
Q.-[By Mr.. hutchinson That is the sub
stance you now recollect OF what he told you
OF the matter?
Ayes, sir.
| Q.-And very much of it is almost in his
| own words?
A.-Amost in his own words
| Q.-You took it down at the time?
Ayes, sir; by the way, he authorized me
| to interview him as much as was necessary,
because he wanted to have what he said to go
| out with some authority. That is, he wanted
to have one with whom he could talk, and
| then he would know it would be all right and
| l submitted the paper to him most every day
when there was anything in it, and he never
| found any fault.
Odd you cause this statement to be pub
| lished in the Boston Herald?
| A-Yes SIR
| Q-Substantally as you have stated il?
A-Substantially as have stated it, almost
| in the same language.
| Odd you submit that to him afterwards
| do you remember?
| A-Tuesday.
Odd you submit it to him afterward, or
did III submit to HIM what you had written
| down before it was sent?
| Al didn't submit it to him. but he said he
| would rely upon me not to misrepresent him
and there never was any question about it.
Q-The statement published in the Herald
was never mentioned to your knowledge by
| him?
| A-No, sir. In fact, he suggested to me thai
l see him perhaps few months later, when he
would have a large amount of documentary
evidence, which would go to show that he had
resisted the opportunities of those factionists
who wished to bring about hostility in the
state. He said he could yindicate his own
| course by the evidence that he had in his pos
session; he had letters from people offering
troops, offering to enlist troops. We had very
pleasant chats, and when he left we were OIL
the best of terms. really think Major Smith
did put his foot down against Fogg and Blood
and upon that crowd; because he said to me-
''you know have got property and something
to risk in this community. l have GOOD
name, l hope, and considerable property
which have accumulated by my exertioAs
while these people have nothing This was
his language, they can leave the state after
| they have made trouble, but I cannot dc it. ,
He was very emphatic in most every interview