▁that ▁he ▁was ▁attempting ▁to ▁convert ▁into ▁a ▁permanent ▁position . ▁ ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁parties ▁in ▁the ▁bank rupt cy ▁case ▁informed ▁the ▁Judge ▁Adv oc ate ▁General ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Army , ▁Joseph ▁Hol t , ▁about ▁Smith ' s ▁b ount y ▁bro ker age ▁scheme . ▁ ▁Smith ▁wrote ▁a ▁letter ▁to ▁the ▁Hol t ▁in ▁response . ▁ ▁Smith ' s ▁letter ▁attempted ▁to ▁cast ▁the ▁scheme ▁in ▁a ▁sympath etic ▁light . ▁ ▁He ▁wrapped ▁himself ▁in ▁the ▁flag ▁and ▁argued ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁been ▁in ▁seven ▁engag ements ▁and ▁had ▁been ▁wounded ▁in ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁Sh il oh . ▁ ▁He ▁port rayed ▁himself ▁as ▁" one ▁who ▁took ▁upon ▁himself ▁all ▁the ▁od ium ▁that ▁the ▁reb els ▁and ▁conserv atives ▁of ▁Louis ville , ▁Kentucky , ▁he aped ▁upon ▁him , ▁by ▁being ▁the ▁first ▁officer , ▁to ▁my ▁knowledge , ▁who ▁comm enced ▁must ering ▁into ▁service ▁the ▁colored ▁man ▁in ▁Kentucky ▁during ▁the ▁year ▁ 1 8 6 3 ." ▁ ▁Smith ▁said ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁sc oured ▁Kentucky ' s ▁prison ▁pens , ▁j ails , ▁and ▁work h ouses ▁to ▁find ▁these ▁men ▁and ▁that ▁his ▁only ▁aim ▁was ▁to ▁serve ▁his ▁God ▁and ▁his ▁country ▁properly . ▁Smith ▁admitted ▁to ▁spec ulating , ▁but ▁just ified ▁it ▁by ▁saying ▁that ▁others ▁had ▁made ▁three ▁times ▁as ▁much ▁money ▁as ▁he ▁had ▁in ▁Louis ville ▁during ▁the ▁war , ▁and ▁he ▁had ▁not ▁def ra ud ed ▁anyone