A Defaulter’s Confession

The following is the letter sent by Maj. Hodge to Paymaster Gen. Brice, on the discovery of his huge defalcation. It is dated, Washington, D.C., Sunday afternoon, Sept. 10^th. Hodge says:

Gen. B. W. Brice: Sir,--I have to inform you that I am unable to close my account, and I owe the frightful amount of about four hundred and fifty thousand dollars, which sum I have lost during the last years in stock speculations, going deeper and deeper, in hope of retrieving myself. I have no excuse or mitigation of my course to offer, and propose to take the full consequences of my sin. I thought a week of escaping from New York, but I believe I have done better in returning to deliver myself up, as I felt I was bound to do. I can, of course, make no pretension of excuse for the systematic deceit I have practiced on you and the advantage I have taken of the special position I have held, and feel that you especially have cause to be justly inexorable against me. I have been led on by the infatuation which always attends the course I entered upon, hoping always to recover my loss and conceal my crime. I believe it is really a relief to be discovered, for I have been in a hell on earth for years, and the alternations of hope and constant care to avoid detection, are becoming too strong. I desire to turn over any property I have as a small set-off against my deficiency, and after giving any information will assist in settling my accounts, or, if possible, in recovering a portion of what I have lost. I expect to take the full punishment awarded for my offence. In justice to two parties in this city, through whom I have made some speculations, I wish to say that they are perfectly innocent of any knowledge that I was using public funds. There are small balances with each of these parties to my credit whenever the accounts are closed. The losses I made almost entirely in New York, with one house there, whose accounts I hold subject to your order. I endeavored to induce them to make good the amount lost with them, which they knew was public money, but they have refused. I have been trying to make up my mind to this confession for some days, and was on the point of doing so this morning in your office, but I could not bring myself to say it, and wanted time to write to my innocent wife, whom this frightful information will kill. God forgive me for what I have done to her and my children. All I ask of you or the authorities is if possible that some small sum may be left her. I enclose the keys of my safe and a box containing all my old accounts, &c. My present vouchers, receipts, &c, are in the hands of my clerks, who are all of them perfectly innocent of any knowledge of my deficiency. I shall remain at the house No 1423 K street till informed what action you have taken concerning me. There is no fear that I will go away now.

[Signed] J. Ledyard Hodge.