The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-11-21

eXertions his nomination and election
had finally been brought about AT the
same time he understood perfectly that
we of New York and our associates in
the Republican body had not gone to
Chicago for the purpose of nominating
any one in particular, but only to beat
Mr. Seward, and thereupOn to do the
best that could be done regarding the
selection Of the candidate
My acquaintance with Mr.. Stanton
had come about through an editorial
which [ had written for the Tribune on
his entrance to the war department,
and which I had sent to him with a
letter calling his attention to certain
facts with which, it seemed to me, the
war department ought to deal.
A few days after this I wrote Mr..
Stanton a second letter. in which
asked him to give General Fremont a
chance. At the breaking out of the war
Fremont had been a major general in
the regular army, and the command of
the western department had been given
him. His campaign in Missouri in the
summer Of 1861 save great dissatisfac-
ton, and, in November, 1851, he was
relieved, after an investigation by the
secretary OF war. Since that time he
| had been without a command. l be-
lieved, as did many others, that politi-
cal intrigue was keeping Fremont back.
and [ was anxious that he should have
fair play, in order that the great mass
of the people who had supported him
for the presidency in 1856, and who still
We're his warm friends, might not be
dissatisfied.
Very soon after Mr.. Stanton went into
office, military affairs were energized,
and forward movement of the armies
was apparent. 1t was followed by sew
eral victories notably those of Fort
Henry and Fort Donelson. On different
occasions. the Tribune credited to the
head of the war department this new
spirit which seemed to inspire officers
| and men.
Thus when the newspapers announced
my unexpected retirement from the
Tribune. / was not unknown to either
the president, or the secretary of war.
| To Mr.. Stanton's letter asking me to
! go into the service of the war depart
ment, l replied that [ would take any
| thing he wanted me to, and in May he
wrote me that l was to be appointed on
commission TO audit unsettled claims
! against the quartermaster's department
at Cairo. Ills. I was directed to be in
! Cairo on June II.
| On reaching Cairo on the appointed
day, [ found my associates, Judge Lo-
gan Of Springfield, HIS, one of Mr.. Lin
coins friends, and Mr.. Boutwell, OF
achusetts-afterWard governor OF
that state, secretary of the treasury
and senatOr-both present. We organ
lied on the 18th, as directed. Two days
after we met Judge Logan was com
PEELED by illness to resign from the
commission, and Shelby NJ. Cullom now
United States senator from Illinois, was
appointed in his place.
The main Union armies had by now
| advanced far to the front but Cairo
was still an important military depot
| almost an outpost, in command of Cen
J eral William 4. Strong whom | haC
known weH in New York as a Repub-
lican politician. There was a large
number oe troops stationed in tht
town, and from there the armies OF
the Mississippi, in Missouri. and Ken
lucky got all their supplies, and NUM-
tons of war. The quartermaster's de-
partment there had been organized has
tily, and the demands upon it had in
creased rapidly Much of the business
had been done by green volunteer of
ficers who did not understand the tech
meal acquisitions and returns; the re.
suit was that the accounts were il
great confusion, and hysterical news
papers were charging the department
with fraud and corruption. The MATES
could not be settled by any ordinary
means, and the commission went there
as kind of supreme authority, accept
ing Or rejecting claims. and payins
them as we saw fit, after examining tn,
evidence.
Sixteen hundred and ninety-si7
claims, amounting to $3.50. 219.36. wer,
examined by us. Of those approved
and certified for payment, the amour
was $451 80.
I. Of the claims rejected a consider
able portion were for losses suffered il
the active operations Of the army
either through departure from disci
pine on the part of the soldiers. O
from acquisitions made by officers VIII
70, cirr ~ nd r.,