Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1861-07-24
y Paw the soldtar,.

~ fsg iss Pay the soldiers.gg "a gD.Fg9a Il
we are the sworn friends Of the officers and SOL
diers who have taken their lives in their hands to
Eight for North Carolina and the South We can
forgive and forget athe assaults upon us personally
or politically, if the authors of them will shoulder
their muskets or draw their swords and 60 fortttto
battle. But our soldiers must be paid All over the
land they are complaining, We find the. following
in a late Wilmington Journal We advise the au-
thors to come up with their bills properly auhenti
Gated, and our friend, Maj. Lewis, will, no doubt
foot the bills ss. H.,
Messrs Editors Of the Wilmington Journal:
1t is generally thought that Editors of newspapers
know, or ought to know, more than other people,
and it is for this reason that apply to you for in
formation, which we have been unable to procure
elsewhere. If you can give the necessary instruc-
lions and directions we will give you creditor know
ing more than all the officials, both civil and militia
~, of the State Of North Carolina and you will not
only be entitled to the gratitude Of those who have
been long seeking for without finding it. but win do
good service towards increasing the military strength
of the Southern Confederacy.
QUERY LIST. Are the volunteers who have been IN
the service of the State at the Forts or other sta
tons entitled to pay, and if they are, how they
to get it? epg
QUERY End. Are those officers of State Troops
who have their companies full and regularly mus
tered into the service-who have paid the bounty,
for the equipment of all descriptions, and in many
instances for the subsistence of their men, and now
in camp hold themselves ready to march at any mo-
ment, to be reimbursed for the money actually paid
out and so, by what process it to be accomplish
ed What vouchers are required, and to what de-
partment or departments of the State applications
to be made for settlements?
Now, Messrs. Editors, when you have answered
these queries, there are many more with which we
should like to trouble you, and as we do not now
propose any pecuniary return for your trouble, we
will suggest as speculation that you publish
hand book" for the benefit of those who have ad-
vanced to the State either money, labor or mate
rial with directions and forms necessary, if full and
explicit to obviate the necessity of visiting
Raleigh, and after having time and time again called
at every Department and on every official, from the
Military Board at the South end of Fayetteville to
the Act Quarter Masters Office at the West end of
Hillsboro' Streets we have to return home minus
our time and expenses. We will guarantee the book
great run and quick sale at panic prices
We have not time to say more at present, but ex-
pect to say great deal more many times, unless
there can be some remedy found for the "circumlo-
cution" process with which every one having any
settlement to make with the "powers that be- have
been heretofore disappointed perplexed and annoyed
MANY w AlllNu.
Wilmington, July 10, 1861.
The above article was prepared for our last issue,
before We Col. Branch's statement in the Regis
ter We gladly give place to his expose below, and
feel gated that our article has elected at least that
amount of information. So many and frequent were
the complaints which came to ears, that we felt
it incumbent upon to call the attention of the
Governor and public officers to it.
The reader will, however perceive, from the above
article that the information furnished below by Col
Branch does not fully meet the case. According to
the letter of the Quarter Master General of the Con-
federate States, that government assumes the pay
ment of or promises to pay soldiers wages, from
the time they enter the service of the State Con-
federate States the transfer of the muster rolls
are to be paid, e. SO soon as iuster rolls are
transferred. But Col. Branch's comment leaves out
that important item, and merely reiterates what
stated in former article, that the Confederate
States the payment of the soldiers from the
time they enter the service.
We think we cannot be mistaken as to the cor
rectness of statement of the terms stated by
OuT SOmuiISSiouciSs Ill SouSoullol, upon WHICH
the Confederate States accepted the transfer of
troops &C. We understood them distinctly to stat
that the Confederate government would begin to pay
the soldiers so soon as the transfer was made, bu
that the State would defray all expenses incurred
prior to that time, to be reimbursed at the close
the war. The arrangement to our mind, was mos
business-like, just and proper. Whether the Con
| e L.. -.
We cannot say. As the State became responsible
for the payment; as our soldiers knew no othe
party in the contract but the State; and as it wa
important to them that they should receive their pa
monthly or quarterly at farthest, the most naturs
conclusion was that the State was to pay them an
all other debts incurred up to the time of the trans
fer; especially when the State had the money to pay
and was paying Paymaster and other officers t
pay off the debts
But who pays the bounty money, and the exper
ses incurred by the officers. individuals, or Counties
Does not the State? We learn that many have M
received their bounty money, or had not short tim
ago? great many orders have been issued, b.
many people are still ignorant as appears from tt
above article to the Wilmington Journal as to sOho
and when they are to apply for pay.
Now, we deem it of the first Importance, in ord,
to successful prosecution Of the war and to pr
mote the ready enlistment of our people as volul
tsers, that the government be prompt in paying i
liabilities, and that our brave shall have no got
cause of complaint. This was our object in callir
. attention to ii.
But our brave soldiers will fight pay or no pa
They will never desert their flag, nor have we om
ted to urge this duty upon them, whatever may
or may have been the course Of public officer
We regret that our officers should have withhe
from the public important information for ifte'
days. when they must have known the public nee
ed and desired it 81
Bnt we will detain the reader no longer from G.
Branchss statement
fs0rIos QUARrERxAsrER AND
5 SsSszssasiS8 PAYMAsTER GEN., N G. !