The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1861-05-28
g fl,hg Two GreRt NTistakes."


Great Mistakes" allow me to make plain
statement of the facts connected there"ltn'
when YOU and the readers of the journal
ill he better enabled to judge what mis-
takes were made.
1t is well known to yourselves, as well as
to every one in this community, that at the
time the Board of County Commissioners
made the appropriation to procure arms for
Vanderburgh County, there was no diver
sity of opinion on the propriety of the meas
ure, so far as expressed by this community I
and, although the necessity is not now as
imminent, yet I see no reason to think it
was not move in the right direction
To carry out the appropriation, the Com /
missioHers had to appoint an agency, which /
they did in the form of a Committee, con-
sisting of Messrs Conrad Baker, Sam'l Orr,
and VIM H. Walker, and l think no mistake
was made here; for if the appointment was
! to be made over again, could not improve
on it. These gentlemen were expected to
act in concert with a Committee appointed
! by the city, but as the city delayed some
days in the appointment of their portion of
the Committee, (Messrs. Viele and Reitz),
Mr.. VIM. H. Walker was prevailed upon to
90 east iastdnter to make the purchase, al
though at considerable personal inconVen-
fence, as it interfered with his labors in pre-
pairing his reports for the official settlements
of mis- office in June.
When he reached the eastern cities he
found the demand for arms overwhelm-
ing and the market almost literally "bare."
He found it impossible at the time to pur-
chase the kind of arms suggested by the
Commissioners to be the bulk of his pur-
chase, namely, the improved Minnie, or En-
field rife He purchased the best guns he
could find, together with some Navy revolt
, vers and other pistols, amounting to over
; ten thousand dollars worth after which he
learned of a party who had a lot Of Enfield
rifles on shipboard for sale to arrive. -
Mr.. Walker telegraphed the Committee here
| what he had purchased, and the offer he
e bad to purchase Enfield rifles, and requested
their instructions as to how many he should
buy. After full consultation Of the Com
mittee, to which was added the advice of the
d Mayor and one of the County Commission
e ers, he was instructed to purchase 200 En-
! field rifles, which he did.
After the return of Mr.. Walker, and after
the arrival of part of the arms-about 300
guns-a called session of the Board of Coun-
{ ty Commissioners met last Monday, to make
/ pected to do in concert with the city au-
If thorities; but, after an interview with the
!, Committee, Messrs. Baker, Orr, Walker
" Viele, and Reitz, also the Mayor, they learn
e ed the city bonds directed to be issued, no
e being redeemable for taxes the current year
a could not be placed" at any reasonable
discount to raise money, and consequently
the only funds applicable to the payment 0
or the arms purchased, was the County appro
r priauon of $15,0 600 which had been dispos
q ed of by the committee and the sum 0
Sl3 700 had been realized 10 bankablt
u money here. The local bills purchased b.
be Mr. Walker, amounted to $15, $40 20; tt
which add exchange-expense of purchas
and express freights, and the tota
es will be not much short of sixteen Thousand
RS FIVE hundred, dollars, leaving the sum of nea
from sale of city securities, from the sale O
lot a portion of the arms, or from countermaDd
O. ing the order for the Enfield Rifles no
I'm shipped.
Here was a new aspect of affairs. Th
sr- Board met to distribute the arms in concer
lin with the city authorities, but. the city no
: having paid anything on the arms made n
advance to aid in distribution. The frs
an thing determined by the Commissioner:
ID was how to raise the means to pay tn
IN excess of purchase beyond the County az
:. preparation. The Mayor gave them n
reason to expect that money could be rea
lied in time from sale of city securities, an
l. in addition, that the purchase of powde
- lead and other incidentals made by the city
ge amounted to about as much as the bono
IN would realize. Under this state of I" facts
1r- they had to determine between counter
ba manding the order for the Enfield Rifles
a sale of portion of the arms here at r,
are duced prices to the right parties.
in -
he the 200 Enfield rifles and ITO Colts Revol
- vers for this purpose. First they propose
supply officers of the Home Guards wit
Of Colts Revolvers at prime wholesale Easter
ler cost, without charges The Enfield Rife
lat they propose to sell to organized companie
r,a of Home Guards, that failed to draw arm
- under the allotment, at 60 per cent
lIe Eastern prime cost, with the privilege tbs
ge any member changing his residence so
be to be incouvenient to drill, or at the end
-, the war. can return his rifle in good orde
to the Auditor and have County order o
IN the Treasurer for the fifteen dollars pal
!" for his gun. This arrangement will enabl
in Liberal citizens to aid the best companie
~ that were unfortunately ruled out by th
allotment in arming, and that with the be;
0' guns now in use, and at advantage i
nd price equal to the value of many of the a
nv lotmentS made to the more fortunate con
on panies.
= Now as to the mode of distribution whic
lor showed the want of frmness on the part
IN the Commissioners complained of by you
ey article. When the Commissioners met O
he Monday large number of persons apple
for arms for their company. Others standin
~ by would whisper objections, that compau
I've was not organized that compan
an had diSbdHded To ascertain what con
ers panies were regularly organized, tn
- Commissioners directed a notice to /
'eS inserted in both daily papers requiring II
1ld commanding officer of all companies al
ent plying for arms to file the muster roll of b
md company. In compliance with this MOTTO
Il eighteen companies fled by Wednesda
0e- noon their muster rolls as infantry con
not panies, and three artillery companies, b,
on sides Others of which notice bad been gi,
ted en- but no muster roll filed. Nine of tho.
companies were from the townships an
Aes nine from the city.
the The County had not arms to efficientl