Pomeroy weekly telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy, Meigs County, Ohio) 1860-1866, 1861-09-20

/ 1Or-.-A History OF Its Com I'M mtSs ariRt-.-
The Experience of a Company.
The editor of the Richmond Eromiiner
is a reckless sort of fellow, and insists
upon grumbling in fine style, in spite of
the rebel despotism and the censorship
of the press. He is an undoubted FIRE
eater, and classicallv educated despe-
RADIO. Our readers have heard of him
john NJ. Daniel, late Minister to Sar-
dinia. We find the following in his
paper of August 30:
ColIMIsSAR1AT.
We have said in the beginning of this
war, and we repeat it, that "behind
every victory or defeat stalks the ghost
of q Commissary" Whatever the for
tune of particular battles, that of the
campaign will be mainly decided by the
health of the army. The penny-wise,
pound foolish policy which we have
witnessed in the transactions of the fur
nishing department, is as false to the
spirit of the South as to its needs
Food rendered unpalatable and unwhole-
some by the neglect of procuring suita-
BILE boilers and bake ovens, then by the
absence of bakers and cooks in a country
where they abound, is one chief perma-
nent cause of ill-health in our camps;
another is insufficient protection from
the inclemencies of the weather. So
many tents without fy-cloths, let the
rain spatter through and wet every
thing. Surely tar, at least, might have
been found to make them water proof.
Finally, the neglect of cleanliness, alike
personal and public, and the facility
with which whisky is circulated through
our camps, concur to swell the sick list.
X 4: = y 4: !; x
A company of volunteers, encamped
within few hours journey Of their re-
spective homes, during period of six
weeks in midsummer, had never fresh
meat or vegetables allowed them
They had but one ak in camp, and one
old hatchet-no hammers, saws or other
necessary tools, not even nails-not a
pot in which to boil OF stew, until the
writer borrowed one for them of his own
notion from neighboring farmer
They had not single large fork, spoon
or ladle, but one common meat-knife-
no chopper, no fre-tongs or shovel, no
pot-hook-only four wooden trays of
the smallest size-of buckets, about one
of the common size, painted inside, to a
dozen men-and of basins still fewer
about half as many tincups and plates,
knives and forks as there are men in the
company. Many were withouta a change
of clothes for. weeks together. They
had not a matchsafe or tinderbox, no
serviceable lantern or lamps. Not ovens
or pans enough to cook whole meal at
time; no washerwomen, as allowed by
the "regulations," nor other servants
whatsoever. Their meat was nearly all
fried, and their rations wastefully pre-
pared and wretchedly cooked, hardly
ever went round without some ones be-
ing shared out. No wood was ever
brought but such as the cooks Dragged
from the forest near by. The only
time the men were allowed to bathe was
imm ediately after supper. They were
oficered by West Point Captain, and
all their officers were gentlemen of re.
fined culture, who kept their own ser.
wants, their own table, and ignored as
much as possible the existence of the
men when off duty. Their Quarter
master and Commissary, who, for the
Company, are one person, was as usual ;
sergeant, who, as is customary, evaded
as much as possible, the duties of the
commissariat.
This state Of things occasioned grea
discomfort. The camp was alway:
grumbling, but no member of the com
pany ever took upon himself to obtain
or even demanded redress for grievances
A few deserted-more would had they
dared: disa fection with the service wal
general. Treated acorse than any negr.
slares, they said among themselves; aoha
! If the South erhips, zee die, the non-slare
holding achitcs tciU get nothing By 1t
They said mach acorse than this, for he1
acre uirtualy a6ozihonized By their posi-
tion, and they bud not culture or reaso,
enough to understand the comparative od
uantagcs aohich eren the poorest wbite nsan
IN the South enjoys, IN consequence Of sys
tenn ,ohtch checks foreign emigration ane
Keeps arabic lands al0oys open to has IN
| ttHStf Y. Alo
fair proportion of intelligence ant
manhood, submitted passively to th
privations above mentioned within hal
of their own homes. What, then, ca,
be expected of soldiers far away from
, home, and placed under physical, a
we'll as moral disabilities? Here the,
!, were camped in very healthy location
and too few in number to vitiate the air
The waters within shot aboundedin fish
There was everything to tantalize, t.
provoke the explosion Of individual en-
: ergies, but the very idea that they wer
soldiers paral yzed them.
When the writer, visiting the camps
represented it's wants to its captain, h
: was told that the Commissary Depart
ment had refused to furnish more thai
we have mentioned, and afterward, a
another place, the only additions mad
6 were of rice and molasses, some shee
iron camp kettles, half full of holes, AM
! some little axes, besides what the cap
tain purchased for the company out Q
f his own pocket
The experience Of this company is stii
Uery tarord6te, on the 1ohole, as conpare
aoith q GREAT MANY OTHERS WE CoULl
E NAME.
nIodif alton of FremOnt's PROCLAIM alto
!, by order of the President.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 1.-THE Presi
!; dent transmitted letter to General Ere
mont on the 18th inst, on the subject q
I Fremont's recent proclamation. H
r says: "Assuming you, being on tn