Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1861-10-09
THE ARMY IN WASHINGTON.
Correspondence Of the N. Y. Tribune.

WASHINGTON, Oct. Adopting the view
set forth in an article published in yesterdays
Tribune, want not In the least to criticise or
diseonesrt military movements, but to tell you
Of few thisgs, which, to an unmilitary man,
seem strange. i don't know that am sorry
they need explanation, but 1t would crafty
my curiosity to have them explained.
have my preconceived notions Of what SOL
diers, under good discipline and good COM
msnders, are; have seen something of col
diers, as travellers do In garrison towns and ca
serns all over Europe, and even in camp, and
on the march in Italy, and though have no
great confidence in my judi gment, never could
help having an impression, whenever / saw q
body Of soldiers, about their relative quality
an ordinary travellers snap judgment. It's the
same here, only don't care, and don't, hold
the opinion Of our troops, which, as . traveller,
/ should At once form, from seeing the same
things with body of French, or German, or
Turkish, or Egyptian soldiers But think it
strange that my preconceived notions of GER
tain duties Of military officers are 30 altogether
at fault in an army.
There Is the largest number of United States
rsgulsrs, Oficered mainly from West Point, in
Washington, that have been together, / be-
fsvs, in many years. The town is practically
gsrrisoned with them I don't know how
many there are, and If / did, wouldn't say
but some thousands. have not seen a SIN
gle regiment, company, platoon, or squad,
uniformly and fully dressed. have seen two
or three squadroDs Of cavalry. Not two men
were dressed alike. Some wore overcoats,
some did not, some wore flannel jackets, some
cloth coats; some hats with feathers, some hats
without feathers, some regulation fatigue caps,
and some any sort Of civilians cap, or hat;
some had their coats buttoned some half but
toned, some not at all buttoned; and 30
throughout The horses were not well groom
ed, the saddles and brides were greasy and
dusty, and the bits and plates were tarnishsd
and rusty. And il is rare that you see any
thing else than this in the streets of Washing
ton Of the regular cavalry. There is greater
neatness and evidence of care in the infantry
when on duty, yet l have not seen so much
as q squad Of the infantry uniformly and
completely dressed, except guard at guard
mounting. The Iearest approach to a dis
play that / have seen was at the funeral
of the late Commissary General this morn
ing. 1t was an occasion, if ever, in which
full dress, and the fullest military de-
corum, In all respects, was to have been OBJ
served. believe that no part of the cortege
was in full regulation uniform; in fact, doubt
If there Is such o thing in existence as a full
regulation uniform. The privstes all wore ia
tigue caps. On the same gun-carriage, and on
the same seat, there were three brown caps and
one blue. In the same platoon Of infantry,
some wore flannel sacks and some regulation
coats. There was a guard Of honor of SER
geants attending the hearse. Even these did
not wear the full dress hat. One wore q cap
cover, the rest did not; another wore his visor
up, the rest did not; another wore q full body
uniform, the rest flannel sacks. The only uni
form article was white gloves; these, I under
stand, the men furnish themselves, not the
Government. The officers were not even uni
form in this respect; some wore brown and
some yellow, and some white gloves. A line
sficer Of the infantry wore cavalry gauntlets.
Some wore the full-dress hat, some caps, some
Ia nd in
brown citizens Overcoat, and took it OF and
strapped it to his saddle without dismounting
The officers horses were not well groomed nor
deeently equipped. One rode past with par
eel in q newspaper strapped behind his sad
die. Some had English saddles, some the reg
ulAtion saddles, with all sorts Of stirrups and
housings. Some wore stocks, some standing
and some rolling collars; and one young fell
low, who, dare say, is gallant and noble, but
whose want Of q true sense of military propri-
ety-accordins to my preconceived notions
about it-gave him a squirtose look, were a
big white shirt collar turned sailor-fashion
over his coat collar. The hearse driver 1.-THE
horses were not led, but driven four in HANDY
wore o brown and battered hat, greasy coat
Of strsaked and faded snuf-color. You rarely
see . cart driver north Of Maryland so shah
billy dressed By his side on the hearse was
black boy, in plantation apparel. might
point out more Of these incongruities with my
civilians notions, but this viii show you what
is considered the thing at a military funeral of
o general, from the West Point of view; or, if
not, I should like to have IL explained.
IL surprised me less after getting accustomed
10 this in the regulars, when had time to 20
out and see what Is considered the thing for
volunteers. They are, according to my old
civilians notion, most astonishingly shabby,
careless, and inexact, in every respect. You
may call il free, individual, and wide awake,
II you like. II don't look 30. Perhaps they
are all the better soldiers for it, but it did not
use to be thought so, and it surprises me.