, 1861-06-04
?. M-Five hundred troops just passe
in sight Of our house
Army S1pp1ies-FIunderIn Contract
0fks

Army Supp1fes-FIunderIn Con1ract-
0r&~
Mich complaint has been made agafnst the
conduct Of army contractors, agents and COM
nIesar1es. They are charged With p1undesing
the Government and imposing On tho soldiers.
Il haf is tsue which is charged, the Goyern-
ment should Indignantly prescribe all such
dishonest and dishonorable characters from
its employ, and the soldiers should isnonln-
iously drum them out Of camp.
Here are few Of the allegations which are
seen in print. We begin with charges made
by the New York Tribune:
ARMY PECuLAToRs-In these yeual times,
Wien men are not ashamed to live by levYiug
black mail upon legislation, We can conceive
how it is possible for peculators to get be-
tween the Treasury and the Army, and, while
can bend ol their energies to making money
out Of the existing war, by Standing Us mid
d1emen between hard pressed Government
and its se1f eacri1cing defenders. A. for ex-
ample: BY buying steamers lor si1 or eight
Thousand do1lars each, aud charte1ing them
dollars per month, with condition thst they
may be paid at the rate Of $4,000 In case Of
loss; and by purchasing tents ot 50 each, and
selling them to the Government for SIT; and
by laying In wait at cattle pens, watching op-
po1tuulties to get lean beeTes at . low figure,
which theyhaYe contracted to the ecommlssarias
st round, tat prices, managing to give the hide
md talloW TO some taYoritc sstriker" for butch
eriug them, when he can get it dono for half
the value Of these items; and generally, By
hanging round the puflleus Of failors' shops
and timers shops, and coopers' shops aud all
other kind Of shops, In order to lew contri-
but1ons upon tradesmen who make proposals
for furnishing the army with coats, and cups,
and canteenB and all other articles for the
camp.
And again, from the same:
Mr. Haywood has transmitted report to
Governor Curtin, In which full detai1s ara given
Of the condition Of the regiments -*rhe Tw-n-
tY.tlfth, Col Cake, q1arered 1T tho Arsenal
md Fort Washington, are not bsdly OF, hay-
Hsrtspuft, acd the Filth, Col Mcdowell, are
suffering greatly. The blouses and pants are
OF all colors, and made Of damased goods OF
inferior quality, monty Of ssho5dT," aud some
Oft Kentucky jean.' The blankets are Of the
quality Of ice blankets, not fit for horses. The
shoes are OF Wretcaed material the heels
ecmc of, and they ara constantly ripping.
Many are almost barefoot. The uudeScloth-
Ing is tolerable, but is IN insufficient supply.
The report among the troops Is, that their mp
peataace Waa 60 bad that Gen. Mansfield said
that they were rot fit to take the field; but
ieA043 At lAC n2kko0af G0EJ a1E Id LIE Ot3t LlAln
for dghhng-lo5al, true, unconplL aing, aud
making fun Of their miseries In sougs-
We copy the following paragraph from the
Nsw York 1Em<s:
Very general, aud, we fear, veu-grouaded
complaints and apprehensions exist Of great
corruption and wa8tefulueas In contracts for
cur Army and Navy. We have heard Of seve-
ral cases Of direct 5obbery, and Of most i'm
proy11ent transactions, which Will enormously
swell the expenses Of the war. We wish to
Fay nothing to discourage the spirit of enttu-
siasm which exists, but 1t is evident that ne
shall need every penny TINT We can get, even
II honestly expended.
How THEY DO IN ISp1ANA-The Lesisl.
ture Of Indiana has brought the Comm.ssazi2t
Of the Army to grief It WIS found that he
furnished twenty pounds Of beans to every
eighty ppunds Of coffee, and that instead Of
t8enty.two ounces Of good pork to the ration,
and for which he got the pay, he only fur.
n'fhed thirteen ounces. He gave them "maa-
gy " meat from his oWn porkhouse, IN article
which had been condemned IS unfit for use.
How THEY DO IN OH1o.-The Washington
correspondent Of the Pittsburg Gazette SAYS
About two Thousand Ohio boys came in last
night They are the poorest clad or uniformed
troops yet here, save aud except those Of Penn
s5ivanla. should judge thefe had been SOME
Of the same work In Ohio that has reduced
our brave Pennsylvania boys to crowd Of
heart. stricken mtD.