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GEORGE BERGNER.
TELEGLIPR.
1 WINCHESTER, VA,
.3 Action with the Rebel Blaok
Horse Cavalry.
of Coal at Martinsburg, Charlestown
and Winchester.
NITIST NUM OF THE UN.
_.--~~--
REBEL GENERAL JACKSON AT
lODDLETOWN, VA.
Wiseman, Va., March 18.
A ft.rl , 6..n while twenty-six of our 011V
,re forming on the Strasburg road, three
•hey cime upon a large barn
-... e \idoxe of having recently been men
, joiby'g black horse men. While the
buffing with bay, about two hun
(itylarer cane near and threw out two
- to kirniish. Our men covered the
,re their teams and prepared to resist
Ak width was finally commenced. At
. 11 men of the Wisconsin regiment
and with their rifles killed two of
city.
ci our cavalry dashed upon the enemy
; ihower of bullets and killed one rebel
spi.tul. The enemy made no effort at
I•nt gradually advanced as our men
ck to ihe town In good order and un•
a n otahlo f.:et that for several months .
11,Molig of We motion have been en
without c o al and with limited means of
ottlg fuel iuto the town.
zai - wfitlig at Martinsburg, Charlestown
'Nincbtlttr, have been closed for want of
:_r cars today only reached Helton, four
otA of Iltrper's Ferry, owing to the pre,
de>trucuc•n of the bridge.
iccrt have }yen no movements of import
- to-nay. Geu. Jackson was In person at
fi:iiletou•a this morning, five miles north of
khbfb cavalry still hangs in the
'l.l' 0: lite JaCklilal retreat.
OM WASHINGTON.
12 ZOE'S ICTION ON IRON CLAD STELII-.
ENSIMERSED.
Ile Remains of Colonel James Cameron.
NM PORTER'S BO= SQUADRON.
WASHLNGTON, March 14. •
Sow Naval Committee have reversed
deti.n favoring iron clad steamers, and
. ...cid:{l to report a bill for "the construe
at: .it twenty iron-cased gun-boats.
r of interest comes to us from the
tr side of the Potomac to-day.
ieLate'reonflrmation yesterday, of Gen.
u Brigadier-General of Volunteers,
.intfaction. The General is an experi
gallant soldier
son of Col. Elliott, of the Bev
.utt 11101 T Seventy-eighth) New York
:t has gone to the Brill Run battle
:, try and recover the remains of the late
tat, Cameron.
ktelligencer contains the following
,nph
letter received here yesterday by a
rerptetable gentleman from his son, an
&L boot of Porter's Bomb Squadron,
general impression to be that they
:- in New Orleans by the 81st of the pro
:, Lai
iiNSION OF THE REBEL GENERALS
PILLOW AND FLOYD.
ISS AGE OF JEFF.
Extensive Damn:rein,
March 11, 1862. )
'Nfro" of the Rouse of Representatives:
it htrewith copies of such official
ligve been received at the War
.` - ' 4 lit of the defence and fall of Fort
I' ' 4l l be found incomplete and twat's
' Itmruct ions have been given to furnish
vorm “ion upon the several points not
b y the reports. It IS not
te
'tit •
morcemets were at any time attk•
• tor i t it demonstrated to have been
•' 'le to Lave caved the army by evacrut
-2,..:,:'100n ; nor is it known by what
found practicable to withdraw
garris.n, leaving the remainder to
4 ,, r upon what authority or pried
4c't(Ri the senior Generals abandon
Le
dty
r transferring the commsind to
• %
6reler c ommunication to Congrets,l
"...""1 the propriety of a suspensFort ion of'
te the disaster at Donal
official reports could be received. I
Sat the i nformation now furnished is 00
Ia the meantime hopeful that Ba
made, ia-
Iplasstion may be I have di
'Pon the exhibition of the case asPro'
b
the two senior Generals, that they
.! re,ie r2 lieved from command, to await
whenever a reliable judgment
lervlered on the merits of the case.
JEFFERSON DAVIS.
' 4 ' the Lower Mississippi
tiffi FIRING HEARD AT COLUMBUS
41111411 BiTTLII T NNW Ethall)
r:itoscat dispatch to the Times 1
4 ''eavY
414, Catcall°, March ''
Manonadiug was newt+ , w"
t the d irection of New Madrid. The
, e t t li d `,` take Erie number two, alkyl It • I f",
'erY i ttinctly , at Columbus firqn four •
o loroua' g.
XXXVItth Congress...4lrd Session
WAqzkarN, Ii i 4
SIM= ' r;
=I
Mr. Henan (N. Y.) Introduced a bill to con
fwcate. , MPFrt3r - rebels;
ferred.
On sootion of .1111 r. llzatas, (loara„) the bill
to authorile thersettlenitinz of certain lamb sold
by the United States in the State of Louisiana
was taken up and prism'.
the awe of SiMaWeliiivell 'was 'taken.p •
Mr. Powszt said he hoped to treat the subject
dispassionatelderately. He though
hie colleague hilMatu zither, personal and un
gracious. Courtesy might have led lue colleague
.to notify him that he was going to m the such
a complaint. His colleague bad said that he,
(Mr. Poiell,) attended 'a treasonable 'meeting
in the county of Owens, and that he
knew Humphrey Marshall was. organizing
troops to attack Frankfort. The fact was,,Gutt
he bad not been in the county of OWens since
1806, and had no knowledge of Marshall doing
any such thing. Inoeed, he had a lettet from
Marshall, in which he denies any such thing;
If be was as popular in' Kentucky as his col
league had still, it was because he' had always
acted with strict integrity. 'He denied that he
had advocated neutrality with any intention to'
deceive the people, but had acted honestly.
gi simply metint to keep Keetticky'as a peace
maker for the sake of preserving the Union.
He referred T to the resolutions adopted at a
meeting which Mr. Davis was one of the
commlttee on resolutions. They advocated the
adoption of a compromise as an amendment to
the Constitution, or else those States that did
adopt it should form a separate 'confederation,
and yet his colleague says he has been always
an unconditional Union man. He (Powell) was
then in the Senate urging the Compromise as a
means of peace, but he never hinted at a con
tingency which could separate the Union. He
teferred to several other meetings where reso
lutions were passed to show that the Union
mcn in Kentucky favored neutrality, and the
Governor's refusal to raise troops and opposition
to coercion,as there was certainly nothing worse
than this in anything that his colleague had
charged egainst him. Ite then read 'several
resolutions of the Legkilatnie of Kentucky in
favor of neutrality, and opposing coercion.—
From all these facts he contended that he,
(PoWell,) had faithfully followed the voishectif
the people •of Kentucky, and of
Union party which his colleague eulogizes; and
yet now he was to be driven from the Senate
by one of his colleagues.
Mr. Davis replied to Mr. PowelVdefending
the Union men of Kentucky, and';his own
course, and contending that the cow.. of Mr.
Powell, especially since the battle of Bull Bun,
had been in a state of pasalve hostility to the
government. ' -
Mr. Wintnocer said, as be bad prenatal :the
'resolution,lie would- stsy , fele wordi wh the
resolutions were presented to him.' He looked
them over and concluded theta° loyal man
could preside over such a meeting that passed
resolutions like these in charge wainst Powell .
But the dharusion bad taken a curious turn, and
he bad listenedwith attention to the remar ks of
Senator Powell, from'which it appears thet the
whole people at one time advocated the doc-,
trine of neutrality, and perhaps the fiermtor
might have been actuated by the same feelings
as actuated many who now are Union men, and
be, Wilkinson, had now little feeling about it
one way or the other.
Mr. TII3IO3ITM, (r 11461111 the committee had
reported against the expulsion not because
they believed in the doctrine of neutrality; for
they thought it misohievous and wholly with
out excuse. But the whole people .of Ken
tucky seeomed to take that position, and the
United States government at lean paid some
- respect to it, but at last the time gime when
the people of Kentucky had to eff one aide
or the other, and traitors went on the side of
the Provisional government, but the Senator
came to the Government of the United States,
and has discharged his duties here; and although
opinions differ from the, majority, yet that did
not, canes expulsion, and there was no evidence
- before the committee to show that since the
people of Kentucky had taken that position,
the Senator had committed any overt act of
favoring the rebellion. These considerations
governed the committee in their report.
Mr. Two Bran could not ape how a Senator of
the United States, as late as the tenth of Sep
tember, could council the State to resist the
United States in an attempt to come into that
State to (gush out the rebellion.
A vote wae.theu taken on the tO
expel
The yeas and nays were as follow:
Yam—Messrs. Davis, Dixon, Harlan, How
ard, Howe, Lane, (Ind.;) Pomeroy,. Sumner,
Ten Eyck, Wade and' Wllliainson-11.
Nan—Messrs. Anthony, Browning, Carlile,
Clerk, Cowan, Doolittle, Fessanden, Foot,
i Aba
ter, Hale. Harris. Henlersori; Kennedy . , King,
lone, (Kansas,) Latham, MoDongal, Nesmith,
Pearce, Moe, Saulsbury, Stalk, Thom pson, .
Trumbull, Wiley, WIWI]. .0 11 10 Wilson,
(M 0.,) and Wright--22.
The Senate then went into executive session,
and adjourned till,Monday., •
HOUSE OF REPRPSENTATIFES.
On motion of Mr. Eodgwick, the House took
up the Senate joint resolutkin tendering the
thanks of Congress and the American people
to Com. Foote, and the officers and men of hie
flotilla, for the gallantry exhibited,by : them in
the recent naval victories.
Mr. Swam= briefly, urged its passage. He
said Com. Foote was employed in a dangerous
service and if he should fall his heirs may re
member with greatful recollections the thanks
voted to 'him to-day.
The resolution was unanimously passed.
The Senate -tesolntion tendering, thanks- to
Capt. Worden; was referred to the Committee
on Naval Affairs. •
Mr. 0411PBEIL, from a special committee,
reported the Pacific railroad bill and it was
made the speCial order one week from Tuesday
next.
MARKETS BY TELEGB/14H.
Cotton steady, sales of 500 bales at 27®280.
Flour heavy, Bales of 12,500 bbls. Wheat firm,
sales of 22,000 bus. at $1 40 for red. Corn
firm, sales of 42,000 4 1m5. at 59(4,610. Pork
quiet at 18 50. Bacon firm. Hogs quiet.
lard unchanged. Whisky steady, at 2540,26}.
Government sureties active.
Bows of the oonfederatee are consoling them
selves ' with . the thought that their reverses
• 1-do them good. Yes, these reverses will-do
thotaztodr—do good to the whole coiuttry,
hell sundae patriots., ;
is Sz t :ti . , ,
HARRISBURG, PA., SATURDAY MORNING, MARCH 15,. 1862.
S'FATENENT OF ALEXANDER CUNNINGS,
sseply to the charges contained in the Report of the
. ,
"Van Wycic Invettigating CSmanittee.'
Hort.,Wrirra.ur 1). Hamar;
Member &ripest Fourth /Adria, Pa.:
A severe anVotracted illness, from which I
have as yet o ' partially'recovered, has. pre:
vented me, uri now, from responding to, or
in any way noticing, the extrarordinary assault
upon' my charioter, contained In the report cit
etkeit is known let the "VanliVick Committee,"
Made to the of Reirlasentatives thei
17th of r I embrace the earlier%
Moments olemtirnsitig health to "rireet,reel, es
' ute the Wounded allarattexur.-eindffnal
that Report.
I address you because. I am your constituent
.-;--long and well known to you—mid need -no
farther commendation. I ask you, therefore,
- upon the first fitting occasion, when this sub
ject , may be before the House, to introduce
this o letter; that it may have the same publi
city !with the slanders that have been uttered
against me,
Towards the middle of December, not long
after ()congress had convened, hearing, greatly
to rey surprise, through a friend, that the Re
port,of the Committee about to be made, con
tained statements injuriously affecting my
reputation, I came to Washington from a sick
bed,.against the earnest protest of my physt
cian,o with the view of seeing the members of
the COmMittee, to ascertain, if possibje, what ,
was the question, if any,in their Minds in re
lation to my trensactions. I waited in person
upon a 'majority of the members of the Com
mittee, although scarcely able to leave the
hotel, ; and, while I obtained no information,
yet
„I' inferred, from certain circumstances, tb t
they Were 'about to allege 13011110 diecrepancies
in relation to my accounts. I' knew, if the
accounts were all before them, that there could
be nd complaint alleged against me, and earn
eetly requested the delay of the Report for a'
single day, stating to them that I would 'de
spatch, and subsequently that 'I had sent a
special messenger to New York for Mr. Bletch
ford, who had in his poeseiiiiion fads and
vouchers Which would relieve me frOm the
slighted - suspicion in relation to the tarmac
dons' which have received the auimadversion
of the Committee, end which I understood
they were about to'piiticise.
Tbough refusing, by a vote of the majority
of 'those present, to grant my request on these
urgent, specific, and manifestly just grounds,
and, instructing their ehainnan-lo• make the
&Pert forthwith; it happened,(by some acci
dent, that the Report was delayedlor the length
of time I- desired, during which' interval Mr.
Blatchford arrived in Washington, for the ex
press purpose of appearing before the Commit
tee. I immediately and personally eomniuni
qpitelif the fact of Mr. Blatchford's presence to
the Committee.. . •
I'wes advised by a physician in Washington,
whowas in oomitent attendance upori me--and
warned by my oirislinitivledgett ooficlitio
—that, WI would 'secure or regain my health,
I must speedily return home.. I left Washing
ton, not entertaining a doubt that Mr. Blatch
ford, who remained there would be called upon
by the Committee to furolish the important in
formation I Iminisured them was in his poi
sessieri, and which would have saved , me from
the least suspicion of wrong. • The public will
`besurprised, as I have been, to learn that Mr.
Blatchfordwas not Allowed to appear before the
Comniitteis, tingle after the Report with all its
reckless 'errors and . calumnious misstatements,
was launched upon the House and the'country.
I submit to you whether there ever was'Conduct
more Unjustifiable?
My illness--a severe attack of gastric fever—
proved of loug continuance, and fora conside
rable portion of the period of doubtful result,
I with utter inability and entire prohibition to
even think of business of any kind whatever..
Daring all this time, unconsciously to myself,
the misrepresentations of the 'Committee have
been poisoning the'ublic mind. I haie tont
quite recently been able to leave my , room, and
I, have within the last three days, forlhe first
time, even seen a copy of the ' Report. It -is
only since my arrival in' Washington 'that I
have learned of the extent of its injurious char
acter. You may'judge, if you can; how I haver
been astounded at its contents.
The extraordinary and unprecedented course
of the; Committee seemed to flow from a desire
which, wronged as I have been, I will not im
pute to them, to produce an immense sensation
with tart* and unproven facts ; and that
course' has given rise to an impression which
the Committee owe it to themselves and the
:actuary promptly to dispel, that they delib
erately and of purpose exduded'the testimony
of one: of the most prominent citliens of New
York, lest it should in any way conflict with
the supposed developments with which they
appeared to be eager to startle Congress and
the people. •
For myself, the best reply, and the moat
eomprehensive and conclusive defence *ill be
contained in a simple, brief and impartial re
dtal of, all the transactions referred to by the
Committee.' lito rapid his. been the currant of
eventri, and so fleeting Is memory, that it is
neceseary, by way of premise, to recall the ex
act condition of the country at the period
referred to. Rebellion had not only engulphed
all south of the Potomac, but the insurrec--
tionary- spirit had spread over Maryland, imbed
its metropolis and cut' off 'all communication
between the capital of the nation and the loyal
portion of the people. !rhe terror and, the
Pude throughout the land for the fortnight
succeeding the tragedy in Baltimore, on the
19th of April, Were appalling; and well nigh
paralysing to' the courage and the energies of
all. The . national authorities at Washington
were astonished and perplexed, and scarcely
knew which way to turn for relief. They had
found the officers or the'regular army arid navy
Idesertiog them by scores, arid enlisting under ,
a traitor ensign ; and they knew not whom to
trust, even among those that retained an out-',
ward allegiance to the ." old flag"—Many of
whom, by'subsequent desertion, have justified
the suirecioes then entertained of their loy
alty. In this perilous emergency, the corpo
ration of the city of- New York, prompted by
the impulses of the • popular mind, came for
ward with an Appropriation of $2,000,000
for the national defense ; and the authorities,
at Waslington—so soon as they could in any
way convey a communication to New York—
called to their aid persons intimately known to
them, in whose.judginent end integrity they
had confidence, and of whose patriotic loyalty
there was not a•tinge of doubt. In pursuance
of this design, measures were adopted by,the
I Treasury and War Departments, (and . the
Navy, also,) as set forth in the following com
munications:
-
Nsw Yoits, March 14
TBRAPIET •DBPANEMINT6 Aril 24, 1861:
Gzeweiouv : ' Telyinrupon To' w weli.b 4 ory
tatelifit7 shd dexothei.to,,,t4 o best interests of
theemetty, the Preildent his Iliiiiday antboil t
,41, •
'zed an advance to - made to you of $2,000,-
.000 as a fund from which legal and proper de
., ands upon the Treasury may be met without
- ;ihe delay consequent upon the present inter
ruption of all reguier communication with this
`Department. TWO drafts for $1,000,000 each
halm this day gone forward, which will place
inch sum to your credit with , the Assistant
! Treasurer at New York. The' purpose of this
una is to meet only such requisitions as may
be :directly consequent ripen the •military and
naval measures necessary for the defense and
support of the Government. You are therefore
tartio-pay such demands'
Above limit;•as are pre
constituted agents of
not your 'willingness
ee In yottlAW
tmto - 11
I
14oWeror, fro% any
Minot be lid, a'
Nil 'authoritrifsen
extraordinary bitter,
eceadty, tor It, any Brie
mai do so
~ i ~ Very respentfull, _
__
(Bigned,) • ' 8: f CHASE;
, • • - ' tlecndarY of 11,,nTrealtiry.
ilLesps.: Smut A. Dut, • ' -
.. GroncirOringa, ' ••" • '
11. r it: Brainsuottn, Neerork:
„, ..'
• , , Asap 21 1-1.,
4 D 81a. : You will, receive another letter •
tto me :with this. ' ' - • • •
d te a.s.
• shall need suppliee tea very large amount
litpta, here froM New. York, since the interrup
ttonito putchdies in Bait:broils. ' They will, - I
*in much of them; have to come via Easton
a, much
and the rest. by sea, visi
•” pollat • rhaVe balled on Thomas A. Scoot
4 i r
~., t otake charge of. the Vailroids, and I want you
J l6 . 43 ' hi 4 n th g e fo btkil risrar u."l &the ll ir etl .sa allt ripli d ee q , ua as Tte wel, nn l ilsteri as in
',.'''Wh Y : t eed lrkt4il' mien° making
'n .N.l4, * without , do eg laY a ; t a:d from'
61 P
i d
•tillealehould siontnitiailjt theisi.'if possible.
.ilef:: • SIMON CAMERON.
i •
•ns A i Omormos. ,• '• ' '" - ,
"":" DZIWITIONT OR -WAR, April 28,1861.
In consideration •Of the extraordinary emer
rides which demand and decisive
• - for the preservation of the national
.14111 and the defence 'ofthelzationd Govern
ment, I hereby . authorize Edwin -D: Morgan,.
ehlbvernor of-the State of New York, and Alex
spider Cuinmiiigsitiowiii:thtifiq'of New York,
to 'make all nemeciarr• manta for the
tranerrtion of troops Sons of war in
aid a d assistance of thi ,offieers 'of the army
of th e United States •eittil 'oemmtmication by
•maihz and , telegraph' is oximplately re-established
tween the dties and - " New
'Todd Either of them, id case of inability'
consult with t hoe other, may exerolee the author
* herebtgiven: '; •
4
ar.
'Under , the authority thus conferred. purcha
iee of clothing, arms, and other supplies were
made by me, and ships were chartered to carry
troop), 5r.0.,t0 the gross amount of $221784,40,
for which' I-haire filed in the Treasury Depart
ment•fonehers in detail—a full etatement of all
of which= Wee ftl7.lliShed to the Committee in
New IYork, in • September lad. And I 'told
then Oat the same time that. the remainder of
the vouchers were in the hands of Mr. Blatch
ford,for other purchases made by my authoritY
which would complete the whole account.—
The balance in ray , hands, 68,198 62, was 'sub
sequently deposited with Mr.. Ohm, the Assist
ant, Treasurer at New York, for which I have
his certificataqn copy of which is filed In the
Treasury Department. The vouchers and cer
tificates together amount to $224,928 01. The
vouchers in the hands of Mr. Bletchford,which
he had with him; when here, in Deoember,and
reedit° exhibit to-the ComMittee, ail, assured
them, with a balance in his hands of , about
$8,06-.—since delimited with the U. S. Treasu
rer iniNew /York—Amountto the sum of $165,-
071 99—making all together three hundred
and ninety , thousand dollars — whichl was the
total:amount drawn from that portion of the
-two nfillions Dittoed in the hands of Messrs.
Dix, Blatchford and Opdyke, subject to the
draft of Gov. Morgan and myself, for the pur
l:Kees indicated in the above letters.
The! vouchers in the hands of Mr. Blatchford,
which;l have beforestated, the Committee so
unreeOnably and ruthlesely refused even to
'look at; 'contained - not only the authority of
the mime of Mr. Blatchford himself, but most
of them- are endorsed by the signatures of
Moses H. Grinnell, Captain Charles H. Marshall,
and Samuel Sloan, all alike eminent for their
integrity and intelligent devotion to the inter
ests of 'the country. Many of the articles whose
purchase is thus endorsed by these vouchers,
were bought under the• direction of General
Wool and Genertd. Dix; and not a small portion
were directly Purchased by General Wadsworth
in pezion, for the purpose of freighting the
steamer Kill-von-Kull, which he sent forward ,
)vith these stores for the relief of the Govern-'
men t; all of which the Committee would have
seen if 'Amy had yielded to my importunity - and
called , Mr. Blatohford, and thus the whole
question of the rightful'expenditure of all the
monerwould have been disposed of.
'lt is thus made evident, by authentic anti
well-attested vouchers, -that the money drawn
from the "two-million fund was honorably ex
pended' for what was thought to be; and really
Was, the necessity of the Government.
It is made equally evident that the statement
of therOport—still more plainly and offensively
repeated in' Congressional speeches by members
of the' Committee—that a large balance of
$140,000 was retained in my possession,is
deatitute of the slightest semblance or shaow
of trutli,—the only ground for which at any
time, seems to have been a singular misappre
hension or an ingenious and wilful alteration
of the language
,of my note to the Committee,
and appended to 'my testimony, the note, as
written to the' Committee, and which• is now in
their potteeision, is literally and legibly , as fol
lows. Mark the words:
'There retained—under authority of the
Secretary• •of the Treasury—by Mears. Dix
Blatchford, and Opdyke, one hundred and forty
thousand dollars, be si de, what I have stated in
My testimony, which is accounted for by the
vouchers."
The Oriel& draft of the note, still in my
posseesion, is as follows:
"There was retained—under authority of the
Secretary of the Treasury—by Messrs. Dix,
Blatehford, and Opdyke, one hundred and forty
thousand dollars, besides what I have stated in
my testimony; which is accounted for by the
vouchers."
In cbpying it very hastily for the Committee
loam to have omitted•the word "was ft - but ,
the,litast - intelligent reader- would in an instant
}kayo supplied it, and indeed without itilift
mill14111:11'11171/14ift _
The Committee, is their report, printed it as
follows, and founded upon their version an ar
gument that I had possession of $140,000.
Their whole line of arguinent and injurious
deductions is thus based upon an alteration of
My language : • -
I have, retained, ender: authority, of. the
Secretary of the • Treasury, by Messrs. Dix,
Blatchford and Opdyke, one hundred and forty
thousand dollars, besides what I have stated in
my testimony, which is accounted for by. the
Vouchers." . . . -
It Will thus be seen Ott, in nhanightf the
word " there," to the wads' " I haire; the
Report net only reduced the language - of the
note to an absurdity, but, so far as it left any
meaning in it all, it changed the depository of
the $140,000 from Means, ix, Blatchford and
Opdyke, (by whom it ld by proper au
thibjity,,)'• to tdj i r‘ho, "to 'their
Insiorketionei, ned it out vouchers of
any character whatever. , •
abide`nt frOffi, and indePendently of, this
critical exposition of the inanition of my lan
guage by the author of the. Report, fivm
which Lhave been suffering, I,• have happily
at 'command official ,papers sustaining, in
and in 'detail, itirstatement on this
point—all of which-Mr. Blateh&rd would. have
exhibited, to the Oommltteeif he had been al
loWed to appear before them.
Ihehrgvutl deposit of the $2,000,000 in New
TOrk, by. Secretary CAMS,' (Wide Soli the
cifficial requisition of the Secretory of War
and Secretary of the Navy, for $1,000,000
eabh,) and the authorization, by Secretary
Dameron, to use that portion appropriated • to
the War Department, were procedures gnawing
out of the imperious necessity of the hour, and
justified by this necessity, as at least partially
conceded by the Committee in their Report.
When the exigency was removed; by the re
eatablishment of communication between the
loyal states and. the capitol, the deposit of the
money was , very properly withdrawn by Secre
ted,: Chase, as will be seen by the following
letter: • • '
TaiLEttar DVAII:TMStiT, 6th ittiy, 1861
Chnixrandsr: Regular oommunidatione with
Newt York having been establishekelthough
not as frequent nor as;rapid as bestefore, thus
removing the absolute necessity- which existed
on the 24th April last for special'disburaing
officers in the city of New York, aka referring
to nsy letter of ipstruotious ofAbier• date, I
request, that such sum as may be recidrsing in
,your; hands Of the amount of $2,-000,000 ad
.vanced to you on tbat date, to "meet legal and
proper demands upon the , Trainman?, 'They be
depoSited with the , Assbstant Tresuancr at New
-York to the credit, of the Treasurer,ofthaiinited
States; and that you will, slearlY asPrectieable,
render your account 'with tbe - voucher% tb this
pepartment, that the same may be prothptly
.settled.
There is no doubt that your report,
.wh'en,re
calved, will be entirely' , satisfactory, and" that
your proceedings will be found to - have beers in
acsoordance. with the high estimation entertained
Yo l4 u p wi se se e _4 114914 1Mi4 rtfaleiios k
of the authority giveuin my letter of the 24th
ult., and accept the thanks of this - Department
for your patriotic services.
I am, very, respectfully,
S. P. CEASE.
Secretary of the Treasury.
Messrs. Dra,
BLATONFORD, and
OPDTIC; New York.
To which Messrs. Dix, Blatchford,. and Op
dyke replied, statinik-that there were ontetand-
tug obligations amounting to about $140,000,
which amount they had retained, suWeet to the
gproual of the Secretary of as treasury.
rejoinder, these gentlemen received the
following telegraphic communication :
"WeimpripoN; May 11th
"Your reservation of fond to meek requist
tion of War Department, through Mr. Cum
mings, approved.
" S. P.•OHASE,
" Secretary of-the Treasury."
It was to this aura, and to the action In rela
tion tQ it, that I referred in my note, so
strangely garbled and misused. I referred to it
because it was in addition to what had been at
first expended, as I discovered on examining
my papers, having endeavored in vain to induce the
committee to allow me to furnish them the vouchers and
papa; instead of relying on my recollection; and I
wrote the note that there might not be the
appearance of an omission; But the note
stated, in relation to it, that this sum " is ` ac
counted for by the vouchers," which seemed
to render it impossible for any misapprehen
sion; and I think now that no fair mind could
have misapprehended it, and certainly no
honest mind would have alterel it.
All these facts, so perspicuous, so n i ndeniable.
and so conclusive, , as to the rightful - retention
and appropriation of the sl4o,ooo—wielr the
knowledge and sanction of the authorities of
the Government:—could have been bad by the
committee if they had been willing even to
'heir the testimony of Mr. Blatchford; who had
all the papers necessary to a full understanding
of the case, as previously stated.
It should be remembered that during all my
interviews with the members of the Committee .
I had not the remotest idea of what they were
about-to complain of. I was never once asked
to exPlain a syllable about the $140,000, nor
was it hinted to me that that was a question in
their minds • and, indeed, I had been assured
that they had no serious complaint to make
against me.
The simple' statement of these fade convicts
the Committee of such gross and reckless in-
justice, that I do not feel called-upon to stamp
it or characterize -it with the deserved amd•ap
propriate epithets.
If it be alleged that this alteration of which
I complain was a mistake, unwittingly and not
wilfully made, then, I ask, why did not the
Committee recall me, to ascertain the meaning
of the note which their alteration bad reduced
to nonsense ; or, worse Still, why did they re
fuse so pertinaciously to hear Mr. Blatchford,
whose statement I assured them would make
everything perfectly plain ?
Is it too much to say that, however the al
teration may haire been Made originally, the
Committee, by their subsequent conduct to
ward me, and by the argument of the Report,
made it wilfully their own?
In farther evidence that this authority to act
in New York was regarded as only temporary,
and resulting from a peculiar` exigency, the
following letter was suldregied, by Secretary
Cameron to Governor Horgan and myself at
the same time with thaletter of Secretary Chase,
withdrawing the deposit
WMt DMParr,
W(2thi!ls!tors;ll. l ty 7, 1861
GENTLEMEN : The extraordinary emergency
which demanded immediate aild,dedialvaniea
awns for thepreeervation of the national capi
tal, and thedeferkee of the natimud.Merno
is nii , renaiiied it ikocaisary for tliiB Department
PRICE ONE CENT.
to adopt extraordinary means for that purpose;
and having frill confidence , in your intelligence,
experience, and integrity, you were authorised
to make all necessary arrangements for the
transportation of troops, its., in aid and assist
ance of the officers of the army of the United
States, until the re-establishment of oommuni
cation; by midis and telegraph, between the
cities of New York and Washington.
Uninterrupted communication between the
two cities being now ag tin established, and it
being desirable that the duties heretofore at
tended to by you should be hereafter performed
by the officers Of the army, to whom they pro
perly belong, I beg to ten ler Yon the thanks of
this Department for the very prompt and effi
cient manner in which you have discharged the
duties assigned you, and to request you to omse
basking parches's, procure transports, or at
tending to other duties under authority given,
.whieb could be justified only by the emergen
cy, tad• now happily no longer existing
, Respectfully yours,
SIMON CAMERON.
Secretary of War.
Gov. 'I'D. Monosx, And
Amami mm 01)1001108, ger,
New York City.
I have thus, by a plain statement of facts,
accompanied by 'official documents from the
Treasury and War Deptittments, disposed of the
principal-calumny of the Report In looking
bac). over the history of the last few months,
it see= really marvellous that any portion •of
the 'ptoblic could have believed so prepoeterous
a story—which has been so industriously circa-•
lated through the agency of this Report—as
that the large sum of $140,000 of the public
money would have been allowed by the vigi
lant and honest' head of the Treasury Depart
ment, to remain In any hands unaccounted for.
I have this satisfactory . reflection : that, not
withstanding the criticisms of the Committee
about the looseness of tho se transactions, and
the'account pertaining to them, they never
could have been taken up for settlement with
out a perfect vindication of my character in
relation to the whole affair. My note, as altered
might have remtiine i unexplained, but nothing
else. The fade and figures are in proper order,
and would speak for themselves in all time,
with or without my presence, and I ECI assured
my friend, to whom I have alluded in the first
part'of this letter, who was shouted for my
sake, by the rumor that seemed to have leaked
out of the Committee.
I might close here, bat for the labored at
tempt of the Committee, while admitting, in
languge, the integrity of bile purpose, yet at
tempting-by insinuation to fix a stigma upon
me for some of the minor acts connected wish
the execution of 'my trust. Of these, the one
most.. harped upon the purchase of linen
pantaloons and straw hats for the troops. It is
not alleged that a high price was paid for these
articles ; on the contrary, it is well known that
they were purchased at a very low rate—being
about ninety cents a pair for the pantaloons,
and sixteen cents a piece •for the hats. The
most, therefore, that can be charged in this
affair, and .others of similar character, is an
error of judgment. On that point I am not
sensitive; but I may be excused for still believ
ing that large bodies of men, suddenly trans- -
ferred from the northerly climes of Maine and
Miehigan where tbe chill of winter was still upon
them, to a latitude where the heat was ranging
trom seventy-five to eighty degrees, would find
great relief , end comfort, and, indeed, an
exemption from the danger of sudden over
heating and sun stroke—many awed of which
actually occurred—by the seasonable clothing
thus provided. These men were not solders,
in the technical sense of that term, long enured
to woolen uniforms, but they were volunteers
from all the walks of life ; and in New York,
and in Washington, elso, at that time, it was
thought sensible to provide for them each
clothing as in similar climate they would pro
vide for themselves. They werefully the equals
of, living in like manner with, the rnembers
this Committee, adapting their clothing to the
change of the seasons—a fact which seems' to
have been utterly' forgotten by the Committee.
The eagerness with which the articles in ques
tion were sought by the troops—who would
have been glad to, purchase them at the price
they were procured by the Government—may
be' uoted as some proof of the wisdom of the
purchase. They were no more outside 'et the
army regulation than the purchase of winter
gloves for the soldiers on picket duty. The
Committee, it , is fair to presume, from their
action on this question, would let the soldier's
fingers freeze fast to their musket-locks rather
than,have a sound discretion exercised in such
an emergency. So much for that large point
which occupies a considerable _ portion of the
Report, and whose vast importance has called
fqrth speeches in both Howes of Congress
With regard to the purchase of ale, about
which so much is said, the same character of
reply, to some extent at least, may be made.
No one will deny that it might have been
made useful both in the hospitals and out of
them ;. and I doubt not ft was used advanta
geously. .But if it were not, it is surely no
fault of mine.
The accusations of the Report do not stop
with 'these matters with which I was connected,
but there seems to be a desire to drag me into
others with which I had no connection what
ever. ;Of those the most unjustifiable is the
insinuation that I had some connection with
the chertering of the steamer Catalina—an in
sinuationinade indirectly, but significantly, after
I had on'oath averred that I had no connection
whateVer, in any way, direct or indirect, with
that steamer, nor even knowledge of its owner
ship or charter. I repeat that averment in
the most emphatic and unqualified manner.
This averment be in no way affected by the note
which the Committee publish, showing that I
had ordered freight on board of the Cataline.
She had been chartered by Colonel Tompkins,
U. 8. Quartermaster at New York, as the Com
mittee ascertained, and I told them that it was
very likely some of the articles I had purchased
were forwarded by her,
. because they were sent
by any Iv, anal thht was in the service and ready
to go.. In the note which the Committee
parade; in connection with this subject, two
other vessels are named as well se the Catalina
—the Roanoke and the Chesapeake es having
freight on board from me—and I I:alee not, to
this hour, the remotest idea of who owned
them then or now, nor who chattered them for
the Government ; and I knew no' more of the
Catalina than I knew of them. It was not at
all necessary, nor 'hardly even within my pro
vince, Ve inquire who owned or chartered them.
Withbut going farther into detail upon the
various i matters embraced in the report of the
Committee, I content myself with the declara
tion AO the money expended by myself and
those erith whom I was associated, was dis
bursed i economically and .wisely; and that in
the whele vast outlay that , has attended this
war hi no Instance has the Government more
tray or more fully gaits =ones worth, or
the diebinshsg agents 'Woke strictly and eon
-I.9fflizorm "no[ nos]