fort sill
oklahoma indian territory
on july 15, during summer of 1870, belknap lobbied congress grant him sole power appoint , license agents, known sutlers, ownership rights highly lucrative traderships @ u.s. military forts in western frontier. these monopoly traderships considered investments during gilded age , highly sought after. commanding general of army s power appoint traderships repealed, empowering belknap while further eroding sherman s authority. ensure maximum profits, belknap ordered soldiers stationed @ forts having belknap approved sutlers buy supplies through authorized traderships. soldiers on western frontier, forced buy goods @ exorbitant prices far exceeded usual rate, left in debt or destitute result. hostile american indians bought supplies @ these traderships, including high-quality single-shot breech-loaders , repeating rifles. @ same time, army requisitions rifles filled belknap s war department inferior single-shot breech-loaders jammed frequently, , no match superior breech-loaders , repeating rifles. policy affected firepower of u.s. troops , may have contributed defeat of col. custer , 7th cavalry @ battle of little big horn in june 1876, several months after belknap out of office. (however, custer had decided against bringing gatling guns; version of machine gun had ability shoot 300 rounds or more per minute, , have increased custer s firepower, if troops armed inferior rifles.)
belknap s second wife, carita, socially ambitious , unwilling live off belknap s annual $8,000 salary in washington d.c. when couple arrived in washington keokuk, iowa in 1869, belknap rented large house vacated secretary of state william h. seward. in hosting large parties other cabinet members, belknaps on extended invitations; 1 of events had 1,200 guests in attendance, including many young army officers; resulting raucous behavior led extensive damage , vandalism, including destruction of curtains, couches, , other furniture. belknaps not afford pay damages, , had leave washington society , reduce expenses living in boarding house, or find way replenish losses. decided additional income, , carita engineered plan obtain lucrative cash cow indian tradership position @ built fort sill, located in oklahoma indian territory. carita lobbied husband appoint new york contractor, caleb p. marsh, fort sill tradership; john s. evans, experienced sutler, had been appointed , did not want give up. settle question, marsh drew illicit partnership contract allowed evans keep tradership @ fort sill, provided pay marsh $12,000 per year in quarterly installments. marsh, in turn, required give half of $12,000 carita, in quarterly installments. parties agreed arrangement; however, carita received 1 payment before death tuberculosis after childbirth in december 1870.
after carita s death, marsh continued pay quarterly share of profits carita s younger sister amanda, had moved in belknaps, ostensibly hold trust fund benefit of carita s child. profiteering arrangement between amanda , marsh done belknap s full knowledge , consent. after carita s child died in june 1871, amanda left tour europe, , belknap continued take quarterly bribery payments until december 1873, when amanda returned , became belknap s third wife. amanda beautiful young socialite; intending keep modest fortune inherited family while attaining high position in washington society, required belknap sign prenuptial agreement. belknap rented new large house amanda on g street, had been built orville babcock, president grant s personal secretary. time onward, belknap , amanda continued accept marsh s quarterly payments. amanda considered more self-indulgent sister carita, donning gorgeous gowns, jewelry , other accessories parties , other events, , dubiously called spendthrift belle washington society. belknaps extravagant lifestyle entertaining washington society holding lavish parties created envy among democrats , washingtonians. however, not publicly known belknaps receiving kickbacks until february 1876, when democratic-controlled house of representatives launched investigation, discovered belknap , wives had received $20,000 in bribes marsh.
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