the documents for this case was at that very time spending hundreds of
thousands of dollars in Washington for a mail steamship concern； in the
effort to procure a subsidy for the company…a fact which was a long time
in coming to the surface； but leaked out at last and underwent
Congressional investigation。＇
This is history。 It is not a wild extravaganza； like 〃John Wilson
Mackenzie's Great Beef Contract；〃 but is a plain statement of facts and
circumstances with which the Congress of the United States has interested
itself from time to time during the long period of half a century。
I will not call this matter of George Fisher's a great deathless and
unrelenting swindle upon the government and people of the United States…
for it has never been so decided； and I hold that it is a grave and
solemn wrong for a writer to cast slurs or call names when such is the
casebut will simply present the evidence and let the reader deduce his
own verdict。 Then we shall do nobody injustice； and our consciences
shall be clear。
On or about the 1st day of September； 1813； the Creek war being then in
progress in Florida； the crops； herds； and houses of Mr。 George Fisher；
a citizen； were destroyed； either by the Indians or by the United States
troops in pursuit of them。 By the terms of the law； if the Indians
destroyed the property； there was no relief for Fisher； but if the troops
destroyed it； the Government of the United States was debtor to Fisher
for the amount involved。
George Fisher must have considered that the Indians destroyed the
property； because； although he lived several years afterward； he does not
appear to have ever made any claim upon the government。
In the course of time Fisher died； and his widow married again。
And by and by； nearly twenty years after that dimly remembered raid upon
Fisher's corn…fields； the widow Fisher's new husband petitioned Congress
for pay for the property； and backed up the petition with many
depositions and affidavits which purported to prove that the troops；
and not the Indians； destroyed the property； that the troops； for some
inscrutable reason； deliberately burned down 〃houses〃 （or cabins） valued
at 600； the same belonging to a peaceable private citizen； and also
destroyed various other property belonging to the same citizen。 But
Congress declined to believe that the troops were such idiots （after
overtaking and scattering a band of Indians proved to have been found
destroying Fisher's property） as to calmly continue the work of
destruction themselves； and make a complete job of what the Indians had
only commenced。 So Congress denied the petition of the heirs of George
Fisher in 1832； and did not pay them a cent。
We hear no more from them officially until 1848； sixteen years after
their first attempt on the Treasury； and a full generation after the
death of the man whose fields were destroyed。 The new generation of
Fisher heirs then came forward and put in a bill for damages。 The Second
Auditor awarded them 8；873； being half the damage sustained by Fisher。
The Auditor said the testimony showed that at least half the destruction
was done by the Indians 〃before the troops started in pursuit；〃 and of
course the government was not responsible for that half。
2。 That was in April； 1848。 In December； 1848； the heirs of George
Fisher； deceased； came forward and pleaded for a 〃revision〃 of their bill
of damages。 The revision was made； but nothing new could be found in
their favor except an error of 100 in the former calculation。 However；
in order to keep up the spirits of the Fisher family； the Auditor
concluded to go back and allow interest from the date of the first
petition （1832） to the date when the bill of damages was awarded。 This
sent the Fishers home happy with sixteen years' interest on 8；873the
same amounting to 8；997。94。 Total； 17；870。94。
3 。 For an entire year the suffering Fisher family remained quieteven
satisfied； after a fashion。 Then they swooped down upon the government
with their wrongs once more。 That old patriot； Attorney…General Toucey；
burrowed through the musty papers of the Fishers and discovered one more
chance for the desolate orphansinterest on that original award of
8；873 from date of destruction of the property （1813） up to 1832！
Result； 110；004。89 for the indigent Fishers。 So now we have： First；
8；873 damages； second； interest on it from 1832 to 1848； 8997。94；
third； interest on it dated back to 1813； 10；004。89。 Total； 27；875。83！
What better investment for a great…grandchild than to get the Indians to
burn a corn…field for him sixty or seventy years before his birth； and
plausibly lay it on lunatic United States troops？
4。 Strange as it may seem； the Fishers let Congress alone for five
yearsor； what is perhaps more likely； failed to make themselves heard
by Congress for that length of time。 But at last； in 1854； they got a
hearing。 They persuaded Congress to pass an act requiring the Auditor to
re…examine their case。 But this time they stumbled upon the misfortune
of an honest Secretary of the Treasury （Mr。 James Guthrie）； and he
spoiled everything。 He said in very plain language that the Fishers were
not only not entitled to another cent； but that those children of many
sorrows and acquainted with grief had been paid too much already。
5。 Therefore another interval of rest and silent ensued…an interval
which lasted four yearsviz till 1858。 The 〃right man in the right
place〃 was then Secretary of WarJohn B。 Floyd； of peculiar renown！
Here was a master intellect； here was the very man to succor the
suffering heirs of dead and forgotten Fisher。 They came up from Florida
with a rusha great tidal wave of Fishers freighted with the same old
musty documents about the same in immortal corn…fields of their ancestor。
They straight…way got an act passed transferring the Fisher matter from
the dull Auditor to the ingenious Floyd。 What did Floyd do？ He said；
〃IT WAS PROVED that the Indians destroyed everything they could before
the troops entered in pursuit。〃 He considered； therefore； that what they
destroyed must have consisted of 〃the houses with all their contents； and
the liquor〃 （the most trifling part of the destruction； and set down at
only 3；200 all told）； and that the government troops then drove them off
and calmly proceeded to destroy
Two hundred and twenty acres of corn in the field； thirty…five acres of
wheat； and nine hundred and eighty…six head of live stock！ ＇What a
singularly intelligent army we had in those days； according to Mr。 Floyd
though not according to the Congress of 1832。＇
So Mr。 Floyd decided that the Government was not responsible for that
3；200 worth of rubbish which the Indians destroyed； but was responsible
for the property destroyed by the troopswhich property consisted of （I
quote from the printed United States Senate document）：
Dollars
Corn at Bassett's Creek； 。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。 3；000
Cattle； 。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。 5；000
Stock hogs； 。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。 1；050
Drove hogs； 。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。 1；204
Wheat； 。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。 350
Hides； 。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。 4；000
Corn on the Alabama River； 。。。。。。。。。。。。。 3；500
Total； 。。。。。。。。。。。。。18；104
That sum； in his report； Mr。 Floyd calls the 〃full value of the property
destroyed by the troops。〃
He allows that sum to the starving Fishers； TOGETHER WITH INTEREST FROM
1813。 From this new sum total the amounts already paid to the Fishers
were deducted； and then the cheerful remainder （a fraction under forty
thousand dollars） was handed to then and again they retired to Florida in
a condition of temporary tranquillity。 Their ancestor's farm had now
yielded them altogether nearly sixty…seven thousand dollars in cash。
6。 Does the reader suppose that that was the end of it？ Does he suppose
those diffident Fishers we： satisfied？ Let the evidence show。 The
Fishers were quiet just two years。 Then they came swarming up out of the
fertile swamps of Florida with their same old documents； and besieged
Congress once more。 Congress capitulated on the 1st of June； 1860； and
instructed Mr。 Floyd to overhaul those papers again； and pay that bill。
A Treasury clerk was ordered to go through those papers and report to Mr。
Floyd what amount was still due th emaciated Fishers。 This clerk （I can
produce him whenever he is wanted） discovered what was apparently a
glaring and recent forgery in the paper； whereby a witness's testimony as
to the price of corn in Florida in 1813 was made to name double the
amount which that witness had originally specified as the price！ The
clerk not only called his superior's attention to this thing； but in
making up his brief of the case called particular attention to it in
writing。 That part of the brief never got before Congress； nor has
Congress ever yet had a hint of forgery existing among the Fisher papers。
Nevertheless； on the basis of the double prices （and totally ignoring the
clerk's assertion that the figures were manifestly and unquestionably a
recent forgery）； Mr。 Floyd remarks in his new report that 〃the testimony；
particularly in regard to the corn crops； DEMANDS A MUCH HIGHER ALLOWANCE
than any heretofore made by the Auditor or myself。〃 So he estimates the
crop at sixty bushels to the acre （double what Florida acres produce）；
and then virtuously allows pay for only half the crop； but allows two
dollars and a half a bushel for that half； when there are rusty old books
and documents in the Congressional library to show just what the Fisher
testimony showed before the forgeryviz。； that in the fall of 1813 corn
was only worth from 1。25 to 1。50 a bushel。 Having accomplished this；
what does Mr。 Floyd do next？ Mr。 Floyd （〃with an earnest desire to
execute truly the legislative will；〃 as he piously remarks） goes to work
and makes out an entirely new bill of Fisher damages； and in this new
bill he placidly ignores the Indians altogether puts no particle of the
destruction of the Fisher property upon them； but； even repenting him of