, 1856-08-29

citizens and the volunteers, largely indcbt-
ed for the prompt and efficient manner in
which transportation has been provided
supplies of subsistence purchased and for
war,lcd to the volunteers in the fcld--clo-
thing secured, and all things needful fur
nishcd for the furthcrance of the public ser
vice, and benefit of those engaged in it.
All who are familiar with the duties Of
the Quarter Masters Department, particu-
larIy in time of war, and more especially
where ererythiag that goes into the public
service has to be obtained on crcdit, is well
aware Of the delicate and responsible du-
ties of its head and subordinatcs, as well
as the difficulties and perplexitics that arc
obliged to be met and overcome. Whilst
its management requires unceasing-" eter-
nal vigilance" energy and labor on the
part of all connected with its operations, it
is, at the same time, Of all others, the most
thankless and illy-requited of departments
receiving, as general thing, larger
amount of abuse than credit for services
performed, or at least sought to be consum-
mated. The management Of that depart
ment in this territory, however, during the
past six or eight months Of our Indian war,
appears TO have been an exception to the
general rule, and as far as we have been
able to learn, general satisfaction has been
given, and great praise accorded to all con-
nected with it. 1t would have been ex-
tremely difficult, perhaps, forGen. Miller to
have provided himself, or been provided
with class of men more prompt in the
discharge Of their duty, or better calcula-
ted to meet favor with the service and the
public in their respective spheres, than Post
Quarter Masters and Agents Charles +.
Weed, James X. IIurd, Warren Cove,
Frank. Matthias, G. G. Pagett, r. s. Rob
inson, c. II. Armstrong, Whitfield Kirtlcy,
Wm. P. Wells, 10. Cushman, c. c., Lewis
Ensign, Ellis Barnes, Grimes Cushman, w.
b. ID. Newman, John Scott, w. S. Ebey,
Capts. o. Shed, Humphrey O'Bryan, John
Remley, and the wagon masters, teamsterS,
and pack-masters in general.
|, Intimately connected with the chief of
this arm. of the service, are the regular ex-
pressmen, who, by night and day, through
rain and sleet-over mountains and swim
ming streams, were constantly on the move
between head quarters and the volunteers
in the field, where Indian ambuscades might
have picked them of at any Understanding
from Olympia to near the base of the mount
aims, and stretching from Bellingham Bay
and Port Townsend, TO forts Vancouver,
Dallcs, &C., on the Columbia river. And
in this connection it is but just to say, that
Messrs James II. Goudy, B. D. Wright,
T. Hughes, John Dunn, G. A. Wallace, j.
I. Bush, Messrs. Pierson, Phillips, Phelps,
and others, deserve to share equally with
the volunteer forces, and all other branches
of the service, in the honor and success of
our territorial arms, over the hostile Indi-
ans. Our regular expressmen, and per-
sons in the quarter masters employ, have
rendered as necessary and important duties
as any other arm Of the service,
But there is another matter connected
with this subject of the most pleasing char
acter. 1t will be found, when the accounts
of the Quarter Masters and Commissary's
Department are fully audited and given to
the public, that this war, as far as the vol
unteers are concerned, has been an economical
car. That the government Indebtedness
in its prosecution by our authorities will
not, perhaps, amount to more than one-hdB
what the public has estimated it at. From
what data we have been able TO obtain, we
are led to infer that 81 900, 900, or at the
highest figure, $l,2OO,O 900, 'cM cOrer all in
deJiedness-Q Quarter Masters and COmmis-
sarys Departnent-MusAr Rolls aud al,
and all supplies obtained on credit, for scrip
al that. According to the manner VIC have
seen the indebtedness figured up, for the
past six months, the Quarter Masters and
Commissary's Department, at all the posts
throughout the territory, have issued, say
100000 in scrip. Estimating that the
properly of the department will sell for
scrip, at the lowest figure, say 500, 1000,
would leave 100000 indebtedness; and
then the clothing, &c, furnished the volun-
teers from the above departments, will pass
to the muster rolls against the volunteers,
making q still further large reduction
leaving the residue of the maximum
81, 200, ,000-to be absorbed by the pay of
the volunteers, eXpressmen, &c, &c. 1t