Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-02-24

:. ! !. J
INN 10y IA hitherto been made.
H>fLtl YrlH and as very few per-
II4Es.AtslWI sons, even in the Of
ciSyAI ] flee itself, are aware
/EiW of the existence of
IT N these relics, some ac-
~ " count of them, to-
v gether with a brief
statement of the circumstances under which
they happen to be in the auditors posses
sion, will, doubtless. interest the thousands
of Grand Army men who read The Star, IS
well as the public at large
The law, set forth in the 125th 10th
and 121th articles of war (section 1912 u.
S. Revised Statutes), directs that the eff
fects of deceased officers and soldiers shall
be Immediately secured by the major Of the
regiment in cases of officers, and by COM
pany commanders in cases Of enlisted men,
and an inventory thereof forwarded TO the
War Department; also that Officers charg-
ed with the care of effects of deceased Off
GERS or soldiers shall account for or deliver
the same or the proceeds thereof, to the
legal representatives Of such deceased OIL
GERS or soldiers" The old army regulations
required that the effects of enlisted men, If
not claimed within short period after their
death, should be sold. and the proceeds de-
(
law and regulations clearly contemplated
the sale of all unclaimed effects, it often
happened that watches, pocketbooks, rings
&c, were sent to the adjutant general of
the army, by whom they were kept until
! 1854, when Gen. Townsend prevailed upon
! the second auditor (E. B. French to assume
charge OF them, although the latter was
/ satisfied that he had no legal authority to
| receive them. In the same year the War
! Department issued a general order that
! upon the death of an officer his effects IF
not claimed within two months should be
| sold and the proceeds sent to the treasury
SWORDS, watches, trinkets. and similar ar
| ticles were, however, not to be sold, but
| forwarded through the adjutant general to
| the second auditor TO await the application
| or heirs. Though not strictly warranted by
| law, the War Department may be JUSTIFIED
| IN exempting from sale such articles as
would be priced far above their intrinsic
value, by the heirs of soldiers, as memen-
| tos or their deceased relatives. and as the
second auditor is charged with the settle
ment of claims for arrears of pay &C. due
| the heirs of deceased officers and soldiers
| 1t is not improper that at the same time he
| shall determine to whom the effects shall
| go. During the last thirty years many par
cells OF effects have been delivered to the
| heirs of soldiers by the auditor but large
/ and heterogeneous collection remains ua-
| claimed, including articles left by officers
| aid soldiers of the regular army who have
| died since the war.
Bonds for DOunties.
| Among the war relics there are some
| bounty bonds, amounting to upward of S.
! 600, which deserve special mention. When
| the President called for 100000 three-year
| volunteers in 1868 and 1854 large bounties
were offered in many states, not only by
/ the states themselves, but also by counties
cities and townships in order that quotas
| might be filled without recourse to q draft.
! In several cases these bountieS were paid
| in bonds running for different periods with
| interest. AS a partial security against de-
| sertion, the United States took possession
| OF a soldiers bounty. whether in cash,
! checks or bonds, and did not deliver It to
| him until he Joined his regiment in the
| field. On the settlement of the Elr1ira and
| Harrisburg draft rendezvous accounts a
| considerable amount of bounty remained in
| the hands of United States disbursing Off
| GERS In consequence of the death or deser-
| ton of recruits All bounty money was de-
| posted in the treasury. and ultimately paid
| to the National Home for Disabled Volun-
| teer Soldiers. Such bounty bonds and checks
| as were left unclaimed were turned over TO
| the second auditor Among the bonds were
some issued by Albany, Cayuga, Erie Mon
| roe, OsWcgo and Yates counties New York
| also by the city of Utica and town of Riga,
! New York. and by Chester county, Pennsyl-
vaRia; Penn township, Easton and Middle
| town, Pennsylvania,an and other places. Checks
| aggregating more than $1,000, drawn by a
! disbursing officer of the state of PennsyI-
| vania, formed part of the Harrisburg as
| sets.
| An Old Scandal Recalled.
| The mention of bounty bonds recalls an
| old scandal which caused some sensation
/ at the time and gave rise 20 many state
ments more or less Incorrect The real
| facts in the case were known only to
three or four persons, who observed dis
| Greet reticence on the subject There is
now, however no valid reason why the
facts should not be made public Briefly.
they are as follows: When the bounty
| bonds and checks above referred to rea che,l
| the second auditors office they were placed
| in large envelope which was sealed with
| several imposing dGbs of red wax and de-
posted in a private drawer Of the disburs-
! ing clerks safe, the envelope being proper
| ly indorSed by the chief of division who
| was inme 1iately responsible for the safe
| keeping of its contents. The chief cierl,
| kept the Key OF this private drawer and
| also had the combination of the safe He
was appointed deputy auditor, and n few
| years later died. After his death an eX.
amiua ton of the contents If The priyat,
| drawer led to the discovery that he had
broken the seals Of the envelope intrustet
| TO his care, distracted six Monroe county
y. y, bounty bonds, amounting. with ac
crued interest, to $3.50 - ana coIlectef
the money through Adams rsXaress Con-
pany. Three 800 United States seven.
thirty coupon bonds were also MISSING to
| Setner Nltn' Si,6!1 IN cash. The cUCbOT
bonds belonged to descrters, and the casf
was interest on overpayments Collect e6
| from volunteer officers The amounts OF
I the overpaymentS had been properly de
posted in the treasury and credited tt
the officers on the le1gers. but the intcres
(Which had not been charged 10 the off
cers) was handed to the deputy auditor
who kept an account of it, ana also KEEP
the money, instead of depoSi.ing il in III,
treasury miscellaneous receipts" Tn,
total amount of bounty bombs, interest
&c, found missing was A,74O.
| The case was referred TO the secret yery
| ice division, whose Operators made n,
thorough an investigation as possible, tn,
only result being pretty exhaustive air
ing of the deputy's record from his you'll
| upward. There were more shadows in i
than any one had suspected. 50 far as IN,
Monroe county bonds were concerned tn,
deputy had left very plain trail WheY
he broke the seals of the envelope withou
| the knowledge of the chief of division VIII,
| had intrusted 1t to him, he made an in