north america-2-第40章

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en　forts　for　the　protection　of　that　city。　　These　forts　have　since　been　pronounced　as　useless；　and　the　whole　measure　has　been　treated　with　derision　by　officers　of　his　own　army。　　But　the　judgment　displayed　in　the　matter　is　a　military　question　with　which　I　do　not　presume　to　meddle。　　Even　if　a　general　be　wrong　in　such　a　matter；　his　character　as　a　man　is　not　disgraced　by　such　error。　　But　the　manner　of　building　them　was　the　affair　with　which　Mr。　Van　Wyck's　Committee　had　to　deal。　　It　seems　that　five　of　the　forts；　the　five　largest；　were　made　under　the　orders　of　a　certain　Major　Kappner；　at　a　cost　of　12；000l。；　and　that　the　other　five　could　have　been　built　at　least　for　the　same　sum。　　Major　Kappner　seems　to　have　been　a　good　and　honest　public　servant；　and　therefore　quite　unfit　for　the　superintendence　of　such　work　at　St。　Louis。　　The　other　five　smaller　forts　were　also　in　progress；　the　works　on　them　having　been　continued　from　1st　of　September　to　25th　of　September；　1861；　but　on　the　25th　of　September　General　Fremont　himself　gave　special　orders　that　a　contract　should　be　made　with　a　man　named　Beard；　a　Californian；　who　had　followed　him　from　California　to　St。　Louis。　　This　contract　is　dated　the　25th　of　September。　　But　nevertheless　the　work　specified　in　that　contract　was　done　previous　to　that　date；　and　most　of　the　money　paid　was　paid　previous　to　that　date。　　The　contract　did　not　specify　any　lump　sum；　but　agreed　that　the　work　should　be　paid　for　by　the　yard　and　by　the　square　foot。　　No　less　a　sum　was　paid　to　Beard　for　this　workthe　cormorant　Beard；　as　the　report　calls　himthan　24；200l。；　the　last　payment　only；　amounting　to　4000l。；　having　been　made　subsequent　to　the　date　of　the　contract。　　Twenty　thousand　two　hundred　pounds　was　paid　to　Beard　before　the　date　of　the　contract！　　The　amounts　were　paid　at　five　times；　and　the　last　four　payments　were　made　on　the　personal　order　of　General　Fremont。　　This　Beard　was　under　no　bond；　and　none　of　the　officers　of　the　government　knew　anything　of　the　terms　under　which　he　was　working。　　On　the　14th　of　October　General　Fremont　was　ordered　to　discontinue　these　works；　and　to　abstain　from　making　any　further　payments　on　their　account。　　But；　disobeying　this　order；　he　directed　his　quartermaster　to　pay　a　further　sum　of　4000l。　to　Beard　out　of　the　first　sums　he　should　receive　from　Washington；　he　then　being　out　of　money。　　This；　however；　was　not　paid。　　〃It　must　be　understood；〃　says　the　report；　〃that　every　dollar　ordered　to　be　paid　by　General　Fremont　on　account　of　these　works　was　diverted　from　a　fund　specially　appropriated　for　another　purpose。〃　　And　then　again：　〃The　money　appropriated　by　Congress　to　subsist　and　clothe　and　transport　our　armies　was　then；　in　utter　contempt　of　all　law　and　of　the　army　regulations；　as　well　as　in　defiance　of　superior　authority；　ordered　to　be　diverted　from　its　lawful　purpose　and　turned　over　to　the　cormorant　Beard。　　While　he　had　received　l70；000　dollars　（24；200l。）　from　the　government；　it　will　be　seen　from　the　testimony　of　Major　Kappner　that　there　had　only　been　paid　to　the　honest　German　laborers；　who　did　the　work　on　the　first　five　forts　built　under　his　directions；　the　sum　of　15；500　dollars；　（3100l。；）　leaving　from　40；000　to　50；000　dollars　（8000l。　to　10；000l。）　still　due；　and　while　these　laborers；　whose　families　were　clamoring　for　bread；　were　besieging　the　quartermaster's　department　for　their　pay；　this　infamous　contractor　Beard　is　found　following　up　the　army　and　in　the　confidence　of　the　major…general；　who　gives　him　orders　for　large　purchases；　which　could　only　have　been　legally　made　through　the　quartermaster's　department。〃　　After　that；　who　will　believe　that　all　the　money　went　into　Beard's　pocket？　　Why　should　General　Fremont　have　committed　every　conceivable　breach　of　order　against　his　government；　merely　with　the　view　of　favoring　such　a　man　as　Beard？　The　collusion　of　the　Quartermaster　M'Instry　with　fraudulent　knaves　in　the　purchase　of　horses　is　then　proved。　　M'Instry　was　at　this　time　Fremont's　quartermaster　at　St。　Louis。　　I　cannot　go　through　all　these。　　A　man　of　the　name　of　Jim　Neil　comes　out　in　beautiful　pre…　eminence。　　No　dealer　in　horses　could　get　to　the　quartermaster　except　through　Jim　Neil；　or　some　such　go…between。　　The　quartermaster　contracted　with　Neil　and　Neil　with　the　owners　of　horses；　Neil　at　the　time　being　also　military　inspector　of　horses　for　the　quartermaster。　He　bought　horses　as　cavalry　horses　for　24l。　or　less；　and　passed　them　himself　as　artillery　horses　for　30l。　　In　other　cases　the　military　inspectors　were　paid　by　the　sellers　to　pass　horses。　　All　this　was　done　under　Quartermaster　M'Instry；　who　would　himself　deal　with　none　but　such　as　Neil。　　In　one　instance；　one　Elliard　got　a　contract　from　M'instry；　the　profit　of　which　was　8000l。　　But　there　was　a　man　named　Brady。　　Now　Brady　was　a　friend　of　M'Instry；　who；　scenting　the　carrion　afar　off；　had　come　from　Detroit；　in　Michigan；　to　St。　Louis。　M'instry　himself　had　also　come　from　Detroit。　　In　this　case　Elliard　was　simply　directed　by　M'Instry　to　share　his　profits　with　Brady；　and　consequently　paid　to　Brady　4000l。；　although　Brady　gave　to　the　business　neither　capital　nor　labor。　　He　simply　took　the　4000l。　as　the　quartermaster's　friend。　　This　Elliard；　it　seems；　also　gave　a　carriage　and　horses　to　Mrs。　Fremont。　　Indeed；　Elliard　seems　to　have　been　a　civil　and　generous　fellow。　　Then　there　is　a　man　named　Thompson；　whose　case　is　very　amusing。　　Of　him　the　committee　thus　speaks：　〃It　must　be　said　that　Thompson　was　not　forgetful　of　the　obligations　of　gratitude；　for；　after　he　got　through　with　the　contract；　he　presented　the　son　of　Major　M'instry　with　a　riding　pony。　That　was　the　only　mark　of　respect；〃　to　use　his　own　words；　〃that　he　showed　to　the　family　of　Major　M'instry。〃　General　Fremont　himself　desired　that　a　contract　should　be　made　with　one　Augustus　Sacchi　for　a　thousand　Canadian　horses。　　It　turned　out　that　Sacchi　was　〃nobody：　a　man　of　straw　living　in　a　garret　in　New　York；　whom　nobody　knew；　a　man　who　was　brought　out　there〃to　St。　Louis〃as　a　good　person　through　whom　to　work。〃　　〃It　will　hardly　be　believed；〃　says　the　report；　〃that　the　name　of　this　same　man　Sacchi　appears　in　the　newspapers　as　being　on　the　staff　of　General　Fremont；　at　Springfield；　with　the　rank　of　captain。〃　I　do　not　know　that　any　good　would　result　from　my　pursuing　further　the　details　of　this　wonderful　report。　　The　remaining　portion　of　it　refers　solely　to　the　command　held　by　General　Fremont　in　Missouri；　and　adds　proof　upon　proof　of　the　gross　robberies　inflicted　upon　the　government　of　the　States　by　the　very　persons　set　in　high　authority　to　protect　the　government。　　We　learn　how　all　utensils　for　the　camp；　kettles；　blankets；　shoes；　mess　pans；　etc。；　were　supplied　by　one　firm；　without　a　contract；　at　an　enormous　price；　and　of　a　quality　so　bad　as　to　be　almost　useless；　because　the　quartermaster　was　under　obligations　to　the　partners。　　We　learn　that　one　partner　in　that　firm　gave　40l。　toward　a　service　of　plate　for　the　quartermaster；　and　60l。　toward　a　carriage　for　Mrs。　Fremont。　　We　learn　how　futile　were　the　efforts　of　any　honest　tradesman　to　supply　good　shoes　to　soldiers　who　were　shoeless；　and　the　history　of　one　special　pair　of　shoes　which　was　thrust　under　the　nose　of　the　quartermaster　is　very　amusing。　　We　learn　that　a　certain　paymaster　properly　refused　to　settle　an　account　for　matters　with　which　he　had　no　concern；　and　that　General　Fremont　at　once　sent　down　soldiers　to　arrest　him　unless　he　made　the　illegal　payment。　　In　October　1000l。　was　expended　in　ice；　all　which　ice　was　wasted。　　Regiments　were　sent　hither　and　thither　with　no　military　purpose；　merely　because　certain　officers；　calling　themselves　generals；　desired　to　make　up　brigades　for　themselves。　　Indeed；　every　description　of　fraud　was　perpetrated；　and　this　was　done　not　through　the　negligence　of　those　in　high　command；　but　by　their　connivance　and　often　with　their　express　authority。　It　will　be　said　that　the　conduct　of　General　Fremont　during　the　days　of　his　command　in　Missouri　is　not　a　matter　of　much　moment　to　us　in　England；　that　it　has　been　properly　handled　by　the　committee　of　Representatives　appointed　by　the　American　Congress　to　inquire　into　the　matter；　and　that　after　the　publication　of　such　a　report　by　them；　it　is　ungenerous　in　a　writer　from　another　nation　to　speak　upon　the　subject。　　This　would　be　so　if　the　inquiries　made　by　that　committee　and　their　report　had　resulted　in　any　general　condemnation　of　the　men　whose　misdeeds　and　peculations　have　been　exposed。　　This；　however；　is　by　no　means　the　case。　　Those　who　were　heretofore　opposed　to　General　Fremont　on　political　principles　are　opposed　to　him　still；　but　those　who　heretofore　supported　him　are　ready　to　support　him　again。　　He　has　not　been　placed　beyond　the　pale　of　public　favor　by　the　record　which　has　been　made　of　his　public　misdeeds。　　He　is　decried　by　the　Democrats　because　he　is　a　Republican；　and　by　the　anti…abolitionists　because　he　is　an　Abolitionist；　but　he　is　not　decried　because　he　has　shown　himself　to　be　dishonest　in　the　service　of　his　government。　　He　was　dismissed　from　his　command　in　the　West；　but　men　on　his　side　of　the　question　declare　that　he　was　so　dismissed　because　his　political　opponents　had　prevailed。　　Now；　at　the　moment　that　I　am　writing　this；　men　are　saying　that　the　President　must　give　him　another　command。　　He　is　still　a　major…general　in　the　a