The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-06-12
YearIy Cost of the War.

gagged in " counting the cost OF the war Pef
year. 1t assumes that there will be, Wniie
the war lasts, in the pay of the United States
over and above its regular army and navy
establishments, no less kan 2l5,ooo soldiers
and Is 900 sailors. With These data as a basis
of ejaculation, 1t figures out the proxinaate
yearly cost of the campaign as follows:
The annual pay of an infantry regiment of
$50 men, from the colonel down 10 the drum
mer boys, including officers rations, which
are commu ted for III money, is over Sl4S, 900
at which, i'll round numbers, we Will estinat 10
1t. In the drdgoon service, TO which a por-
lion of the increased regular army Will be as-
signed, the prIyate's pay is 81 Il month more
than In the infantry out OF tnat small differ
ence we will make no counts. Multiply ing
the number OF regiments in the increased
army t2'5j by the annual pay OF one, aud we
find, for salaries alone the lleIn OF $40, 100000
year. The annual pay Of Is, ,00o seamep, ut
sl2 month, Is 81, ,592, ,V00-makIng the total tor
both branches OF the increased service s43,-
| 292 600.
Volunteers having been placed on the same
| footing, TO clothing, as the reg ular army,
| we learn from the table OF articles and stand
ard prices published in this paper several
days ago, that each infantry private is entitled
| 10 about sS2 worth OF clothing yearly, The
| cost for the first year alone is much higher
| than that; but we proceed upon the suppOsi-
| ton that the soldiers are TO be under pay at
| least three yearsi'--the minimum term fixed
| by the President in his second levy. Leaving
| out the OtlCerS, VINO purchase tnsir own uni
| forms, we find that the yearly cost ot clothiug
our soldiers in this war will be So, ,le0. 600 For
| guns, mapsacks, and armament compiete,
| moderate estimate would be s20 msu for the
war, making a. total outlay Oh those accounts
| of 8, ,S5o, 600.
The lowest average cost of ratious for our
army and navy, during the war, Will be 60
cents day. circumstances may make II tar
| above that; but even a. that low figure. the
yearly board OF extra soldiers and sailors will
be sl5, $50 900. In this calculation officers ra-
| lions are not counted, as they ara incioded lie
| the item OF sdlarieS.
The cost Of transporting troops by land and
| sea, of chartering steamboats, 10 assist In the
/ blockade, OF providing coal and other neces sa-
| ries, cannot be correctly estimated; but it is
safe to put IL at 81 600 600 month, sl2, ,000,
900 a year.
Omittlng from our estimate the probable
cost of medicines and hospital attendance,
| ambulances, baggage wagons, ammuniCiou
| for cannon and rifles-a large item-an0 all
| the other incidental expenses, which can only
| be guessed at, we foot up the yearly totals ~
| follows
| Pay of 2l5,e coo soldiers rs..,........sie sie, 7op poo
| DO. 5000 saiiors.. ................. 2,6s2, ,oa
Soldiers clothing g............-......... 8l6V, so
soldiers arms for the war.............. $3.50, ,et
Rati0us fOF soldiers and sailor 10 i5O, 20
Transportation, snd extra naval service
for blockade Il, ,eO0 ,oe
| Items omitted, Contingent including
| pickIngs and stealings, COMMISSIONS,
&c, Sc, Nc, &c...........-.......-.. 10000 90
Total. SlsI. .o3! ,O0
Then add $50, 900, coo for the ordinary ex
penses of Government, and we have total o
S1S1 ,0S2, 900 per annum. Call it $500, zoe, ,00f
and we shall probably be pretty near tn
| mark. This il more than hay million
| day. Some have estimated our total expense
| at million day; but this, we are incline
| to think, is an exaggerd ton,
| Yet large as The present outlay must seces
i sar!iy be- il is more likely TO be inCT eased 1ha
| diminished, from year to year, long as Tia
war lasts. There will soon be large body {
| men unavailable such as the disabled, III
| sick, and the lazy, vino must re provided fc
| at cost quite equal to that equire6 fC
| troops In our active service. In the presan
q condition of the revenue, the necessity seem
II inevitable OF creating q large public debt, I
d b8 discharged by the next cr succeeding gems
a rations.
h Nor Is the Government expenditure til
n only burden which the people must bear dul
. iug the continuance OF the war. Priyai
Il subscriptions, donations and contribution
Is in one form or another, form no inconsidel
V able item in The cost OF fitting out the arm
X ! and taking care Of the families OF those VIII
), | have enlisted 10 the volunteer force. Tbes
Z. | subscriptions already amount to many mi
= lions ofdollars, perhaps in all the Norther
'e States to nearly fifty millions, iucludir
10 State apprOpriatious-and they must COZ
II | penditure5 shall! have passed, or the resource
| of the country become so much exhauste
II | that the people will no longer be able to be'
'f this extraordinary tax upon their generoi
ID | patriotism.