On our tours of Historic Sugartown you may have encountered the name of Wilson M. Matlack.  Matlack and his wife, Angela Matlack, purchased the Garrett House in 1878 and lived there for a number of years.

Wilson M. Matlack was a Civil War veteran, having served in several battles, including Gettysburg.  After the war he remained active in veteran’s social life and when a National Guard Troop was organized in this area, Wilson signed up.  In 1874, after the former leader of the guard troop, the Washington Troop, stepped down from his position, Wilson Matlack was elected to lead the troop.  In 1879 he was elected again, unanimously.

But on our tours, we mention that all was not entirely rosy with the Washington Troop.  Matlack was accused of embezzling money from the Washington Troop in 1881.  While he was eventually acquitted of all charges, he would no longer be a member or serve as the leader of the Washington Troop.

So what is the whole story?

While it is often difficult to read the minds of people in history, especially when they didn’t record much, or any of their thoughts, we can make a good guess.  My best guess is simple:  many of the members of the Washington Troop were upset because he was a strong disciplinarian and also felt that Wilson Matlack had deserted them for his new farm in Virginia.

It is a messy story.

How much money was Matlack accused of embezzling?

The Washington Troop first accused Matlack of embezzlement in July of 1881.  It isn’t clear how much they originally thought he stole, but it was reported later in the year that it was estimated to be about 600 to 700 dollars.  However, when his case actually showed up in court in February of 1882, the amount was only 200 dollars.  In today’s dollars, that was about $6500.  Not peanuts, but Matlack and his wife were fairly well-off.

What makes them think he stole the money?

The money they claimed he embezzled resulted from two checks received from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.  Each year, the state provided each National Guard Troop with $100 to use for renting an armory to store uniforms, weapons, ammo, and supplies.  Preston Lewis claimed that Matlack received these checks in 1879 and 1880 but never deposited them into the Troop’s accounts.

Did Matlack embezzle the money?

Well, that’s where it gets sticky!  Each year Matlack cashed the checks from the state and he never gave the money to the accounts of the Washington Troop.  Matlack testified that he kept the money.  The money was supposed to be used for paying rent for the armory.  The problem was, between 1874 and 1881, Matlack’s house was the armory!  When he took over for the previous leader of the troop in 1874, Matlack paid $45 for back rent on the place where the armory had been stored, he then moved all of the gear to his house and barn.  His 2nd floor parlor was full of uniforms, his third floor and barn held other gear and the troops regularly met at his house.  In 1879 the Washington Troop began to build their own armory on Paoli Battlefield, but it was not formally opened until early 1881.  When Matlack testified at his trial, he stated that he felt that if he had to estimate what he would charge someone for taking up all that space in his house it would be more than $100 per year.  Other witnesses agreed that the amount was fair. He also stated that all other monies he received for the Troop were placed in the Troop accounts.  Legally, he probably should have kept better paperwork on this arrangement, but, as he noted in his trial, this had never been an issue over the years he was leader and it had never been raised as a problem during the audits of the Washington Troop accounts.  In early 1881, after the opening of their new armory, Matlack paid out of his own pocket to have all the gear transported from his home to the new buildings.

What did the courts say?

Matlack was acquitted on February 2, 1882.  After the defense provided their witnesses and the prosecution closed, the judge asked if he could address the jury directly.  The prosecutor agreed and the judge turned to the jury and told them he felt the prosecutors had no case, that he felt it didn’t meet the standard of evidence for embezzlement.  He felt that if the Troop was upset at how Matlack was spending the money to pay himself rent for the armory, they could file a civil lawsuit, but it wasn’t criminal.  The jury never even left the room.  They acquitted him in seconds.

Did Matlack get kicked out of the National Guard or his position of leadership because of the accusations?

Not really, and in fact, this is where you start to see that there may have been other motives for these accusations.  The Washington Troop sent their accusations to the National Guard leadership following their meeting on July 4, 1881.  Within two weeks,  Brigadier General George R. Snowden ordered that Matlack be relieved of his leadership position with the Washington Troop.  But not for the accusations of embezzlement!  

Snowden’s order on July 16, 1881 relieved Matlack because he felt (or someone suggested!) that Matlack’s move to Virginia made it impossible for him to serve in his role.  But even this was questioned, because on July 23, 1881 Brigadier General Reeder reversed Snowden’s order because he had spoken with Matlack about the issue several months earlier when Matlack began to make frequent, long-stay trips to work his new farm in Virginia and Reeder gave him permission to do so.

In December of 1881, the National Guard was asked if it would court martial Matlack for the embezzlement accusations.  The National Guard refused, saying that the court case would be a waste of their time and money and the only thing they could do as punishment would be to dishonorably dismiss him from his service if he were found guilty.  Instead, the National Guard gave Matlack an immediate honorable discharge, avoiding the situation altogether.

So, why did all of this happen?

During the trial, there was lots of testimony from defence witnesses that went unreported by the press.  But, even from the bits that are there, they suggest that the tensions between some members in the Washington Troop and Matlack were high for several years.  He was well known for his disciplinary demeanor in keeping the Troop in order.  It is clear that some wanted Wilson Matlack out of the organization.  But the straw that broke the camel’s back appears to have been Matlack’s Virginia farm.  Wilson Matlack purchased 350 acres in Virginia in 1880.  The previous owner had not been able to care for the farm for a few years and it needed a lot of work.  Matlack began to make these extended stays in Virginia more common and longer in 1880 and early 1881.  When Matlack testified in court he suggested this connection when he told the court that he hadn’t experienced any problems in his role with the Washington Troop until he bought the farm in Virginia.

A recount of Wilson M. Matlack’s Feb 2, 1882 trial appeared in The Jeffersonian, printed in West Chester, PA on February 4, 1882.