The national Republican., 1861-06-28
COST OF WAR.

military preparations of the United States are
put forth, for divers purposes, and BY persona
of various degrees of intelligence -snd calculs'z
tons are circulated, based some on data en-.
tirely inaccurate, and others upon no data st
all, in which the aggregate Of expenses to be
incurred in this war are placed At amounts
huge enough 70 startle indeed the capitalists
who are in the first instance to lend the money,
and, more to alarm the people who are to pay.
Capitalists are, in fact, to furnish this money,
but they will do it on the best security in the
world, the credit OF the United States. The
money the war is to cost is eventually to be
earned by the laboring masses Of the country.
On their patriotism the Government may rely,
and whatever burdens may be put upon them
their toll will meet and bravely bear. To see
that they be not needlessly or inordinstely
taxed will be the part Of the wise and humane
statesman. NN
One writer telegraphs this from Washington:
"CosT OF WAR.-It is estimated by some
that the cost Of vigorous and successful war,
for one year, may be six hundred millions Of
dollars. This means war so abundant in
men that unqusli6ed success must attend it."
Again, New York paper, in figuring the
expenses Of the war, assumes the yearly cost Of
the English army at over FIVE hundred dollars
per man, and names six hundred dollars as the
cost Of our army per man.
It has been favorite mode, in calculating
the expense Of war to the United States, to
state that the expense Of supporting our army
hitherto has been $1,000 per annum per
man. We propose to state what in fact is the
proper cost of keeping in the field in this coun.
try, for one year, an army of two hundred and
fifty thousand men, quite as large as will be
required. The following classes of expendi.
lures enter into the amounts which make up
the aggregate which we present below in the
table numbered one
l The annual pay and support with all ex
ira allowances) Of the general officers, field and
staff. This includes the pay, &C., of one lieu
tenant. general, one major general, one briga.
der general, aidsde-camp, the adjutant.gene.
rails department, inspector-generars depart.
ment, signal officer, quartermssters department,
subsistence department, medical department,
and pay department, $e2, ,03l.es, the expense
of which on the peace establishment is in our
calculation doubled, to place it on war foot
ing, Sl64, ,06376. 1t is assumed that FIVE di.
visions will be as many as the army will be
divided into. The annual expense under this
head accordingly, we place at $s20,3ls, as
suming the division stats to be each as expen.
sive as the general staff
2. The annual pay, &c, Of regimentsl officers,
line and staff, and company officers, (comms,
sioned,) on a basis of ten companies to the
regiment, for one regiment, is $62,772-tor
$50 regiments, $l6, $685. 900.
3. The annual pay, subsistence and clothing
of the rank and file, IL non-commissioned off.
GERS, one WAGNER, and eighty.two privates to
a company, making the strength of the regi
ment, all told, l,046, amounts, for one regi
ment to $62,772--for $50 regiments, to $6s,
$4,000.
1. The cost Of transportation and camp
equipage is made up by allowing sixteen four
horse wagons to each regiment, and includes
the cost Of the wagons, horses, harness, camp
equipage, one years pay and subsistence at
$2s per month, Of sixteen wagonsrs, in addition
to those provided for in the last item,) and
forage, farriery, &C., for wagon horses, ga to
each regiment,) 365 days, at 60 cents per day,
the cost for one regiment being 40,392-for
$50 regiments, $loo9s,0OO.
and relate to cavalry and artillery horses.
Assuming that, in cavalry and artillery, our
forces will not exceed twenty thousand mounted
men in active service, we take the cost of
10000 horses at $l25 each, $5,OOO,OOO, and
add for forage, farriery, &C., for twenty thou
sand horses, 365 days, at sixty cents per day,
$4,4OO,000.
7,s, 9, aud 10, embrace the outlay for arms
and ammunition. The cost Of 300, 900 stand
Of arms is put down at SIS each, $4,5OO,OOO.
The musket costs, we believe, $l3.75. The
difference, in the aggregate $4,000, will pay
for as many fancy arms as it is expedient to
have. Sixty field batteries, of six guns each,
with their carriages, caissons, tool-wagons and
forges, reckoning brass guns, (separate from
the carriage,) at fifty cents per pound, 900
pounds each, will cost $39O,OOO The cost of
one hundred and twenty million rounds of am
muniton for small arms, is put at 2,40O,OOe
The cost of one million four hundred and forty
thousand rounds of cannon ammunition, being
24,OOe rounds to each battery, is placed at
s2,lGO,0OO.
II. Provisions will be lost and wasted. Be.
sides the subsistence of the army reckoned in
item No. !, we must assume that quantities of
articles prepared for subsistence will be lost,
wasted, spoiled, and abandoned, in the exigen.
cies and contingencies of the war. We will
therefore place under this head an amount
equal to the subsistence of 100000 men for
100 days, that amount being as much as would
nrahahlu ananI,.la4a .l.a.,.ha.,t tLa In,