Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1912-05-30

NJ HE story of Joseph a. Maddox
and his claim against the gov
eminent is one of those won

ana MS claim against the gov
y. eminent is one of those won
derful recitals which are
stranger than fiction. The claim has
been before congress since 1874. At
first it was the claim of Joseph a.
Maddox. He died, and it was then
presented for Laura 3. Maddox, his
widow. She died, and the claim is
now pending for the legal representa-
lives of Maddox. 1t has been the sub
ject of thirteen different reports in
senate and house, eleven times favor
able and twice adverse. The bill once
passed both houses of congress. but
was vetoed by President Cleveland.
The Maddox claim involves Presi-
dent Lincoln, Secretary Fessenden,
Secretary Seward, Secretary Stanton,
Charles A. Dana, General Grant, Gen
eral Butler, Judge Advocate General
Holt of the Union interest, President
Davis, Secretaries Randolph and Sed-
don and a number of officials of the
Confederacy. many army officers, treas
ury officers and others who were well
known during the civil war. With his
name on the records of several de-
partments of the United States and in
the Confederate archives, with vast
amount of documentary evidence, it
has not vet been determined whether
Maddox was loyal Union man and
valuable spy, whether he was true to
Dixie and spy within the Union lines
or whether he was shrewd trader u.s.
ing two governments to make vast
fortune.
Maddox, according to his own state
ment, was born in Georgetown, D. O.,
and was about thirty-three years old
when the war began. Just previous to
the war he bought farm on the banks
of the Potomac in st. Mary's county,
Md. He was at one time editor of the
New Orleans Crescent and had also
lived in Virginia He acknowledged
that his sympathies were with the
south at the beginning of the war, but
that he opposed secession. Previous TO
the battle of Bull Run he was in Rich
mond and soon after returned to the
north side Of the Potomac. In 1861 he
was arrested for disloyalty and con-
fined at Fort Warren, but was subse-
quently released and soon after again
went to Richmond. He had pass
from Secretary Seward countersigned
by General Mcclellan. He said he
went on business for Mcclellan and ac-
complished what he went for.
After one of. his visits to Richmond
he called on Colonel j. L. Mop hail, pro-
vost marshal for Maryland, and con-
WINGED that officer that he could obtain
valuable information about the Con-
federacy, and through McPhails infiu-
ence he became connected with the
government service, but was never in
the government pay. He became a
trader in products Of the south, carry
ing goods from the Union side into the
Confederacy aud purchasing tobacco,
turpentine and resin. which he brought
through the Union lines, disposing of
his wares south and north at a large
profit. He traded upon Confederacy
currency and, in fact, was doing a very
extensive business. His last venture
and the one upon which his claim is
based was in 1865. Through agents in
Richmond he bought 4,042 boxes of to-
bacco, paying for it $1,921, 944.50 in
Confederate money. This tobacco, I'M
der orders Of General Grant. was cap
tured near Fredericksburg, large por-
ton burned and the remainder TAX
en- and distributed to the colored troops.