distinctly that they shall be disinterested men such as the commanding officer of the post and the contractor may select

and could not possibly have any influenceor control in the investigation. Asto his charge of subjecting the Government to heavy expense in wighing out and issuing rations Ihave already stated that the word issue in the contract meant just what may advertisement said, the delivery of such stores in bulk as I wished to issuefrom day to day and nothing more.

As to assertion numbered by him four I have clearly shown that all the stores ever in my possession at one time were simply for that day's issue and that the large amount ofstores seen by Captain Lazelle werein the hands of the contractor in his own house and kept at his own expense and risk and my statement in the papers,* marked by him D and E, meant this and nothing more. The tare war never guessed at. The cases wereinvariably weighed and deducted from gross amount. As to the issuing of neck and shanks it was never done. See affidavits* of White and Rusk. As to his charge of absence from duty, either with or without leave, [it] is absolutely false and in evidence refer you to statement* of W. J. Holmes, military secretary of the post.

As to the complaint of wastage it was well known to Captain Lazelle that Camp Chase was a camp for recruiting, a depot for prisoners, a camp of rendezvous for paroled and furloughed soldiers, and that at the very time he was there these different classes were arriving in squads of from two to fifty every day and that all had to be furnished with rations. How then could I or any other officer receive pork or any stores in barrel or package at one draft and then weigh out in fifty drafts avoid wastage, and very nearly all the wastage complained of occurred in this way, and notwithstanding this mode of issuing the loss on no single article has exceeded the loss allowed by the Army Regulations.

In conclusion permit meto assert that in making contrct for subsistence stores I did so by order of the Commissary-General. A copy of the advertisements for bids and the contract were always sent to him and in no case did he ever make complaint of my manner of conducting my department nor give me orders to change it. Also that during almost my entire service at Camp chase there were more or less prisoners and that Colonel Hoffman frequently visited the camp and I have no recollection of his ever being in camp that he did not visit my department, examine stores, see the issues and in no instance ever expressed himself other than well pleased. Also that during Captain Lazelle's first visit to camp I saw him frequently about camp and was told he had something to dowith prisoners but have no recollection of his being in my deprtment. Hemay have been there, and I [not] noticed him, as he always came in citizen's dress, and there was nothing to distinguish him from any other visitor. On his second visit I met him, gave him all the information in my power, and repeatedly told him that any orders hemight give in realtion to prisoners would be cheefully oeyed by me.

I also assert that the quality of rations issued at Camp Chase was as good and at as low rates as those issued at any other point in the Government. I also assert that the charges made by him, as they will themselves show, are nearly all made up from hearsay and not from personal knowledge, and that in a camp of 5,000 or 6,000 soldiers [one] can hear complaints against every officer of the Government from the

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*Not found.

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