Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-11-23
A War Time Incident in the Sec
retary's Office.
TIE War DEPARTMENT MAIL BAG
Interesting RecoI!ections Told by
Mr.. Stanton's Confidential Clerk.
A RKABLE ORDER


been investigating the War Department
to advise him of any facts which they
knew of secret enemies in the department.
He wanted to know particularly if any
thing had been disclosed against the hon.
esty of a certain high civilian official, very
near him. and If there was anything
against the honesty of a certain high off,
Ger of the army, who occupied rooms on
the floor below him. He wanted to know If
there was anything against any of the per-
sons whom he had to trust, and if there
was they must go before he began. He
could have no suspect IN the department.
He wanted to know if, in their investiga-
tons, anything appeared against the Off
Ger in the room below. whom he had to
trust with business of the last Importance
to the government. He had heard his
name mentioned in connection with the
disclosures of army movements to the
enemy.
About a month afterward both of these
persons were relieved from duty N the
War Department and sent way down south
to make very extensive Investigations and
reports. One of them never returned to the
department, but sent his resignation with
his report.
The War Department Mail.
Certain clerks were known to be in col
fusion with the high civilian officer who
IVES sent away in defrauding the govern
army and Assistant Secretary Peter H.
Watson at once set about to get evidence
of such frauds. In this business l was to
take an important part. The official mail
of the Secretary was used by these clerks
in their frauds with contractors. The mes
senger who had charge of the Secretary's
mail. In bringing it from the post othce,
would empty it from the pouch ON table
in the corridor, and distribute the letters
which were addressed to the clerks of the
Secretary's office. The mail pouch hung
open at the messengers table, in the cor
ridor. and was the receptacle for coliec ing
letters brought in by people almost daily,
addressed to people in Maryland who sent
them to Richmond. This messenger was
relieved from this duty, and was put IN
charge of the mail by Mr.. Watson, to tenn
porarily perform this messengers duty. l
daily got the mail from the post office, and
took the outgoing mail to the post office.
l had to walk, and often found the pouch
quite load to carFy..H
One day Mr.. Watson told me to empty the
letters from the pouch on the table when l
reached the post office and to pick out and
bring him two letters which / would find
addressed to certain persons whose names
he gave me. He told me that he had ar
ranged for my searching for the letters
with Mr.. Lambert Tree, the then city post
master. 1 found the letters, and as l was
putting them In my breast coat pocket saw
a number of clerks in the large distributing
room looking at me with wondering eyes,
and which 1 returned, with manners and
These two letters were the evidence upon
which Mr.. Watson at once ordered the ar
rest of two officers Of the army, who were
directly involved In the frauds. By these
frauds the government was being swindled
out of large sums of money by the collnsion
of clerks and high official In the War De
partment. The persons arrested were OF
considerable Importance, politically, and
President Lincoln's influence was invoked In
their behalf, but Mr.. Watson was ineXorabks
The two clerks who wrote the letters were
dismissed. and 1 afterward learned that
they were appointed to positions in the
Treasury Department-one of them to an
important position. The high civilian Off
cial Mr.. Watson could not dismiss. but told
the Secretary that one of them would have
to leave. When preparing to leave, this
high official was asked by the President,
who happened to be there at the time, where
he was going, and the reply was. Il am
going up in balloon" l never knew how
Mr.. Watson found out that the two letters
were in the mail pouch that day, but think
his informant was clerk. This ended my
duties as mail messenger for the Secretary,
and several months after Mr.. Stanton had
me transferred into his own room as his
confidential clerk, where 1 remained until
after he left the department as Secretary.
While l was doing messenger duty 1 was
at the same time making the Geographic
history of the war. yet had not received
any appointment, nor taken the required
oath of Office passed any examination nor
received any pay for three months. 1 had
to borrow money from Mr. Watson to buy
bread for my home.
When. the safety of the republic was at
issue and the control of an empire was TO be
determined by battles between the great
est people of the world. what relief it is
to find in that dark period the republic had
at least two honest servants in the persons
of the Secretary and his assistant.
The Secretary's first order was to close the
department four days in the week, giving
Monday to the public and Saturday to mem
bers of Congress and Senators.
He Cleared the City of Officers.
The city was full of idle officers. and the
Secretary issued AZ order that sent them
very quickly to their camps on peril of
being dropped from the lists. The camp,
he said, was the place for the preparat ton
for the business of war. In his first order
of January %. giving thanks to our troops
who had vanquished greatly superior
force, he said: That alacrity, daring,
courageous spirit and patriotic zeal, on all
occasions and under every circumstance,
was expected from the army of the United
States. and that the people would rejoice
to honor every soldier and officer who prov
ed his courage" Nothing gave him more
pleasure than to promote a soldier for
courage and patriotism displayed in some
daring act.
A Spy in the Secretary's Room.
On the night of Saturday. February 8,
1862. tall, fine-looking man by some means
passed the Waterman at the door, came up
to the second floor. and entered the room
of Assistant Secretary Watson. which then
adjoined the room of the Secretary. This
man at once engaged Mr.. Watson, and had
long talk with him. The Secretary was
alone at the time, but Mr.. Watson held the
man in conversation As long as he could
keep him talking, intending himself to an
nounce his presence to the Secretary and
to warn him against the man. Suddenly.
the man came to me at my desk IN the
room. and handing me his card, asked that
it be taken to the SECRETARY Not thinking
of any wrong, 1 took 1t in and the Secre-
tary gave him audience. AS soon as the
man had gone into the room and the door
was closed. Mr.. Watson became very angry,
and, turning on me like a tiger, told me I
should have given hint the card, and never
to do such a thing again. When the man
left Mr.. Watson went into the Secretary's
room to advise him Of the character Of his
visitor. That night Mr. Watson called in
the services of detective and sent him
after this spy. This man was DR.. Ives,
correspondent of the New York -.
Two days after this the man was arrested
by order of the Secretary.
A Remarkable Order.
Ordered. That a person calling himself
DR.. Ives, a native of rebel state, whose
brother, lately in the military service Of the