Chapter I: K. Shaffer (2)

Soldiers were fleeced out of bounty money. Substitutes, quite frequently colored men, were paid large sums as bounties, more money than they had ever seen before. By collusion between officers and clerks in Blumenburg's office, and the substitute brokers, the substitutes were induced to invest in valueless gewgaws, sometimes paying for a two-dollar Oride watch as much as one hundred dollars.

One of the largest substitute brokerage concerns tried to reach me with an offer of five hundred dollars a week, for a period as long as I would let them alone. The offer was not "dangerously near my price." I cleaned up the whole business very soon.

Blumenburg appointed a lot of cut throats with authority to arrest deserters, paying them ten dollars for each deserter brought in. Their operations were conducted this way: One of these fellows would hail a soldier who was out on pass take it away from him, pronouncing it fraudulent, but would allow him to proceed on his way; shortly he would be hailed again, by a "pal," and having, of course, no pass to exhibit, he would be arrested charged with desertion.

I was over in Anne Arundel County one night with three or four of my men, intending to look after some blockade-runners, when four or five of Blumenburg's thugs picked us up, supposing we were deserters or else persons come to invade their territory. They were going to do all sorts of things to us and pulled out their revolvers. I made no parade of mine though my hand was on it all the time. I quietly informed them of their error, and promised them, each and every one of them, to give them a chance to "play checkers with their noses," and I kept my word, for within a short time I caught them in their nefarious treatment of honest soldiers.

The party was composed of "Boney" Lee, Bob Miller, ---- Fletcher, and two others, each one was known to have "done time," yet Blumenburg licensed them. I broke it all up, and they became as meek as lambs.

FILE XXXIII.

Statement of James Briers, Bollman, McGuarty and Welsh--U. S. Marine Corps.

Office Provost Marshal,
8th Army Corps.
Baltimore, Jany. 26, 1865.

Statement of James Briers, late of Richmond, Virginia, who
says: "I am a native of England, came to this country about
1853, remained in Baltimore, Md., about six months then went
to Richmond, and went into the employ of the Virginia Central
Railroad Co., and remained with them up to this time.

"About December, 1863, I was sent into Lancaster County, by
the Railroad Company, to buy pork for them. I remained about
three weeks, bought a great many hogs.

"November 20th, 1864, was again appointed agent to buy hogs
for the Railroad Company, and was sent to Lancaster,
Westmorland and other Counties, where I bought about one
hundred and fifty head in Lancaster and Richmond Counties, and
then returned to Richmond on night of 25th of December.

"I was sent back about January 9th, 1865, into the same
Counties, to buy pork. Then having a chance to escape I made
my way to Westmorland Court House, and there crossed the river
into Maryland.

"I stopped with Harvey, who keeps the tavern at the Court
House, and who has a boat, with which he runs the blockade.
John J. Spaulding, a blockade runner, keeps a store at the
Court House; he runs over a great many goods; comes over twice
a week for goods.

"I came over with Spaulding. He thought I was coming over on
business for the Railroad Company, and he was to have his boat
over for me, and some goods, in two days' time. I was to be in
the neighborhood of Caywood's place; he, Caywood, was
recommended to me as all right. Spaulding charged me fifty
dollars in gold and was to bring me back. Gilson, a blockade
runner, came over with me. He is a noted blockade runner, and
he is in this city now. He ships his goods from here by
vessel, marked to New York. The vessel on the way puts out the
goods; I have seen the goods. A Confederate Captain also came
over with me; he intended to get a boat and cross the Bay to
the Eastern shore of Maryland, on a visit.

"Watkins and Pumphrey, two blockade runners at the Court
House, also run the blockade on a large scale; also a man by
the name of Hayden.

"Dr. Spaulding, a brother of John J. Spaulding, came over a
few days since and took his wife over the river with him; she
lived near Leonardtown.

"Judge Irving, Captain Thomas, and Fred. Smith, an old
blockade firm on the lower river, are still in that business,
with the exception of Smith, who was captured by Colonel
Woolley with a large lot of tobacco, and now said to be in
Fort McHenry. Their goods are marked for New York, and landed
down the Bay, so Gibson says, and then run to Smith's Point
Light-house, to a man called James Sutton, who lives on the
Virginia shore of the creek running between Smith's Point and
the Virginia shore.

"Bows, Wells, Hayden and Pumphrey, a party of blockade
runners, have a plan laid to bring over to the father of a
late Confederate soldier, living in St. Mary's County, a noted
horse upon which the son was killed in battle; they are to
come over the first dark night when the ice gives away in Poor
Jack Creek.

"The names of the blockade runners I know are J. J. Spaulding,
Dr. Eck Spaulding, Frank Simms, Warren, Hayden, Bowers, Wells,
Watkins, Pumphrey, Harvey.

"The blockade runners generally sink their boats in the creek,
when not in use."

(Sworn and subscribed.)

460 15th Street,
Washington, D. C.
Feb. 3, 1865.

Lt. Smith,
Chief of Detectives.

Sir.--I desire to call your attention to the cases of Bollman,
McGuarty, Welsh and another, privates in the U. S. Marine
Corps, wherein I submitted affidavits to you some weeks since.

Their commanding officer has once or twice enquired of me what
disposition had been made of their matter. I told him that I
had in accordance with the instructions of Colonel Woolley,
submitted the papers to you and that you had told me they
would be attended to in due course of business. He is,
however, very anxious to have the matter disposed of as soon
as possible, as the men are at any moment liable to be
detailed on distant duty.

If you will, kindly inform me, as soon as practicable, what
determination you have come to in these cases.

Very respy.,
SELDEN HETZEL,
Attorney at Law.

I cannot recall the cases.

FILE XXXIV.

General W. W. Morris in command in General Wallace's absence--General Sheridan's order to arrest E. W. Andrews, formerly adjutant general to General Morris.

General W. W. Morris, who had been in command of the First Brigade, with headquarters at Fort McHenry (of whom I have spoken before), was placed in command of the Department.

To make himself familiar with the work in the departments, he interviewed the heads; finally he wanted to see me. He made the call pleasant by saying: "I hear your work well spoken of," for which I of course thanked him. I told him I had been Assistant Provost Marshal under him at Fort McHenry. The old soldier brightened up and remarked: "Oh, yes, now I remember; my Adjutant General blamed you for all his troubles. Do you think Andrews was wrong?" I answered: "Yes, he ought to have worn the grey."

Not many days after, I received a telegram from General Sheridan, directing the arrest and confinement of E. W. Andrews, captain, and formerly Assistant Adjutant General.

Believing that if Andrews was in Baltimore he would first call on General Morris, I went there at once, and showed the General the telegram. Very soon Andrews, with his usual pomp, came in. He espied me at once. I showed him my authority from General Sheridan, to arrest him. I permitted him to see General Morris--in my presence, however--and extended him all courtesies I consistently could; finally taking him in a carriage to Fort McHenry, I obtained the following receipt:

Feb. 25, 1865.

Recd. from Captain Wiegel, E. W. Andrews, a prisoner, for safe
keeping.

DAN. MACAULEY,
Col. 11th Ind. Vet. Vols.,
Commanding Brigade.

This receipt was given me in the room formerly occupied by E. W. Andrews, as Adjutant General. What a fall was there!

This was Andrews's exeunt, for I have never seen him since. I subsequently, however, learned of his offense in the Valley. It was more flirting with the enemy. Some of Mosby's men had been captured, and Andrews came to their rescue and vouched for them as being peaceful citizens, upon which they were released, but in a few days they were again captured while committing warlike depredations.

FILE XXXV.

Ordered to New York--Interviewed Secretary of War Stanton relative to an independent command and extension of our territory--Major Wiegel's weakness exposed.

Headquarters, Middle Department,
8th Army Corps.
Baltimore, Feby. 10, 1865.

Special Order No. 27.

Lieut. H. B. Smith, 5th N. Y. H. Arty. and Commanding
Detectives, Middle Department, 8th Army Corps, with one man,
Lucius Babcock, of his force, will proceed to New York City,
on special government business. After transacting same, he
will at once return to these headquarters.

Quartermasters will furnish transportation.

By command of Bvt. Brigadier General Morris.

WM. H. WIEGEL,
Capt. & Actg. Provost Marshal.

The following refers to my seeking extended territory:

Headquarters, Middle Department,
8th Army Corps.
Baltimore, Feby. 21, 1865.

Unofficial.
Captain:

General Morris desires you to write a letter about Lieut.
Smith, asking such an appointment as will suit him. Address it
to the Adjutant General and send it to me and I will get the
General to put an endorsement on and forward it.

Don't you think you could take it to the Secretary and
accomplish something?

Yours truly,
SAMUEL B. LAWRENCE,
Assistant Adjutant General.

To
Capt. Wiegel.

Pending the issuance of a commission which was to give me an independent command, to operate in the Shenandoah Valley, and also south of the lower Potomac, I had been striving to get authority to extend our operations to the Rappahannock, to avail ourselves of the valuable data we had accumulated.

Captain Wiegel and I went to Washington, as suggested by Colonel Lawrence, to see Secretary Stanton. When we arrived at Mr. Stanton's door I discovered the mental makeup and character of Wiegel. Mr. Stanton, in manner, was not pleasant to interview. He was brusque, rough, and appeared to think the world was made for him. Wiegel had much avoirdupois, but not deep brain convolutions. He had been on General Butler's staff in New Orleans. He was full of egotism, but when he approached Mr. Stanton's door he wilted, and asked me to do the talking, while he listened.

Mr. Stanton did not eat me, and on March 20th our request was granted. I have always found it pleasanter to do business with the proprietor than with the man that sweeps out.

There is no doubt but that Secretary Stanton made many critics by his brusque manner. One did not need to waste words with him, but if a communication was couched in terse language it pleased him. He disliked a cringing interviewer. I did not dislike to have business with him, nor have I ever with men similarly constituted.

Wiegel was a domineering blusterer to his subordinates, but a cringing sycophant to those over him. Stanton's office was not a congenial climate for him.

Secretary Dana was a most agreeable gentleman and no less an executive than Stanton.

FILE XXXVI.

Paine, who was afterwards one of the conspirators in the assassinators' plot, in my custody--Miss Branson appeared to plead for him--Paine released on parole, lacking evidence to prove him a spy.

I will now introduce the material from which was builded an actor. Lewis Paine, who brutally hacked at Secretary Seward while Booth was assassinating the President. He was one of the characters produced for the closing scene in that greatest tragedy.

Headquarters, Middle Department,
8th Army Corps.
Baltimore, Mch. 12, 1865.

Major Wm. H. Wiegel,
Actg. Provost Marshal.

Major.--I have the honor to report the arrest of Lewis Paine,
a refugee from Fauquier County, Va.

He was arrested at the house of Miss Maggie Branson, No. 16
North Eutaw Street. She is a noted Rebel.

I was promised evidence to prove that he had been in
Baltimore before, but the witnesses are not forthcoming, and I
believe him innocent of that charge, but I think it would be
well to remove him from that family. I would respectfully
recommend his release.

Very respy. your obdt. servt.,
H. B. SMITH.
Lt. & Chief.

When I entered my office on Friday morning March 10, 1865, Captain Webb, my clerk, was trying to obtain from Paine some part of his pedigree, but was baffled by the prisoner's dumbness. Then I tried with the result as follows:

Baltimore, Md.,
March 10, 1865

Lewis Paine, refugee from Fauquier County, Virginia, my
parents reside near Orleans, in that County. I am eighteen and
a half years old. I have not been out of Virginia since the
war commenced, until this time.

I was never in the Rebel army. Mosby used to stay at the house
of Joe Blackwell, until his house was burned.

Willie Tung, of Warrenton.

Daniel Moffit, of Fauquier County, members of Mosby's command.

Miss Maggie Branson, with whom I was stopping, is related to
me by marriage.

I bought the coat and vest of grey cloth in this city,
since I came here; my pants of grey I bought in Washington.

I don't remember of hearing any disloyal remarks from any of
the boarders at the house No. 16 North Eutaw Street. I whipped
a colored woman at that house on Monday last, because she
insulted me; her name is Annie.

(Signed) L. PAINE.

Sworn and subscribed to, before me, this 10th day of March,
1865.

H. B. SMITH,
Lt. & Chief.

Paine was a sullen, dumb looking, overgrown young person. To get anything out of him I alternately prodded and fondled; he was a cross between a big booby and a sullen animal.

His statement is disjointed. Between the joints you must imagine my questions, eliciting his words; for instance, "I am eighteen and a half years old," was in reply to my query about his pretensions to never having been in the army. To my remarks about his new grey clothes, certainly pointing their use, where grey was worn, he tried to explain his innocence, etc, etc.

While in the midst of his examination, Miss Branson, accompanied by a Mr. Shriver, came in. Miss Branson pressed right up to my desk, enquiring what charge was against Mr. Paine. She said he was her cousin, and that she knew he had never been north before, etc.

I informed her that her word on such matters was not valuable, since I had her history for disloyalty in my cabinet. I said to Mr. Shriver, whom I knew to be reckoned as a loyal man, that he should not have lent his presence.

I was not in good humor because persons who had promised to testify that Paine had been in Baltimore before had failed to respond. I felt in my bones he was a spy, but could not prove it, and therefore could not hold him, hence my recommendation for his release. Finally, on the 12th, he took the oath of allegiance, before me, and I paroled him, inserting in the parole, "to go north of Philadelphia and remain during the war."

After the assassination, this paper was found on Paine, but he had obliterated the restriction "to go north of Philadelphia," etc.

I took from him his pass and parole, issued at Alexandria, Virginia, January 13th, 1865. In it he was described as of dark complexion, black hair, blue eyes, height six feet one and a half inches.

I will now leave Paine until after the assassination, which was just one month later, April 14th, 1865.

I presume my order to go to New York (following) may have hastened my disposition of Paine.

FILE XXXVII.

Missionary E. Martin, an agent of the Confederate treasury department, arrested, his big tobacco smuggling scheme exposed--Kidnapped him from General Dix's department--Manahan involved.

Headquarters, Middle Department,
8th Army Corps.
Baltimore, Mch. 12, 1865.

Special Order No. 44.

Lieut. H. B. Smith, 5th N. Y. Arty., and Commanding Detective
Corps, 8th Army Corps, with one man of his force, will proceed
to New York City, arrest a certain man, and return to these
headquarters without delay, with his assistant and prisoner.

Quartermaster's Department will furnish transportation.

By command of Bvt. Brigadier General W. W. Morris.

WM. H. WIEGEL,
Major & Actg. Provost Marshal.

The cause for this trip will be explained by the following copy of a letter, and a contract.

New York, Mch. 10, 1865.

Dear Manahan:

It is said Fredericksburg and tobacco is captured. I feared
this.

Have written to Maddox and sent him a copy of contract. I
enclose yours.

Now it is for you to go to work at once and see that this
property is taken care of. I believe you will both do it; see
to it that no innocent parties suffer. Act promptly, for I
assured my friends that the property was safe at that point,
and I did it on your representations. Let me hear from you,
care of Burnett & Funkhouser, this city.

Yours truly, M. E. MARTIN.

Baltimore, Md.,
Dec. 8th, 1864.

I hereby agree to deliver to Mess. Maddox & Manahan, during
the month of Feby. and March, 1865, at Fredericksburg,
Virginia, on the Rappahannock River, Four Thousand Boxes
(4,000) of good sound merchantable tobacco, to be paid for on
delivery, by my Agents at said point, in United States
currency, at the rate of Forty-seven and a half (47½) Cents
per pound.

Said tobacco to be of the quality known as good manufactured
Virginia Leaf. I reserve to myself the privilege of increasing
the quantity to 5,000 boxes, if I see proper.

(Signed) M. E. MARTIN.

Manahan was of the firm of J. F. Manahan & Co., No. 17 South Charles Street, Baltimore, Md. This letter, by mistake, fell into my hands on March 12th. It was necessary to act quickly in order to intercept communication twixt Martin and Manahan, and for that purpose I left Baltimore on the 12th, and had my man wire to Martin, as follows:

Baltimore, Md., Mch. 13, 1865.

M. E. Martin,
c/o Burnett & Funkhouser,
New York.

"Your letter here. Shaffer, my friend, will call to-day. Let
me know the result by telegraph immediately."

MANAHAN,
Maltby House.

I assumed that if Martin wanted to reach Manahan, he would address him at the Maltby House, the telegraph office there was in my possession.

I at the same time had myself wired to as follows:

Baltimore, Md., Mch. 13, 1865.