Jacob "Howling Wilderness" Smith-- Part 2: Questionable Business Ethics

CIVIL WAR SERVICE

Jacob Smith enlisted in the early days of the Civil War but was disabled at the Battle of Shiloh.  He tried to return to duty that summer but the wound did not heal properly so he became a member of the invalid corps where he served out the remainder of the war in Louisville as a mustering officer/recruiter for three years.  His  service record says he was particularly good at recruiting "colored" troops.

After the war he was active in the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States.

MISCONDUCT?

After the war, he married  Emma L. Havrety.  Her father, Daniel,  was accused of fraud by bankruptcy and the investigation believed Daniel had transferred large amounts of money to others.  Then they noticed that Jacob Smith's assets had grown, during the war, from $4,000 in 1862 to $40,000 in 1865.

Smith claimed ignorance in the transference of money, but said he had made his money during the war by a bounty brokerage scheme.  Eastern states were offering recruits as much as $700.  Smith and a group of eastern recruiters made plans to use Midwest recruits (who were paid $300) to fill the eastern quotas and pocket the rest of the money.

Smith claimed he didn't know this was illegal.  He had also taken $92,000 the eastern recruiters had deposited with him  and made speculative investments in whiskey, gold and diamonds and turned a huge profit.

--CootIDidn'tKnow