Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1861-08-15
OUR MILITARY BUDGET.

General Mcclellan Is rapidly disciplining the
the army Of the Potomac, are being manifested
day by day In the camps Of different regiments
embracing men impatient Of necessary military
control. Thus, yesterday portion of the Second
Maine Regiment, pleading that they could not be
hsld In the service for more than three months
under the terms Of their enlistment, refused for
some hours to do duty. strong force was IN
SANITY detailed TO reduce them TO proper subor-
diuation, and on its appearance before their camp
the oostreperous at once came TO terms obeying
the orders they had previ ously resisted with ap-
parent alacrity. Nevertheless, sixty-two of the
most noted disorganirers among them were Sc
1ected out Of their ranks and marched under a
guard TO a different point, to be sent to the Tor.
tugas, where they will serve for the balance of
Their term, unarmed. Men are equired there for
military labor, and a matter Of course those
should be sent there to that end who can not be
trusted In the face Of the enemy, because they
lack the subordination necessary to render soldiers
elective In the field
The "three month"; plea is based upon the idea
that all volunteers are militia, and that being
militia, they cannot lawfully be compelled to
serve longer than three months at a time No ar
gument is needed to show Its futility. In this
case the best argument was certainly resorted to,
In the shape of force, which the previously un-
comfortable saw, at glance, must be obeyed with
out question.
A somewhat similar snIsuts also took place yes
SerdsY, In the camp Of the New York Seventy
ninth, which was summarily stopped after the
same fashion-after the way Gen. Mcclellan has,
Of doing such things. Orders were sent 10 that
regiment to strike their tents and to camp In
different position. BY some means large NUN.
Der Of the men had been previously Implied with
liquor, and when those orders reached them they
were Intoxicated. Perhaps half the regiment re-
fused to obey them and left the line. Their OH
Gers could do nothing whatever with them
When the fact was reported to General McClel-
Ian, be ordered battalion Of some six hundred of
the Sd infantry, two hundred U g. cavalry, and
two null batteries Of light artillery, to compel the
dlsorderly regiment to do its duty instantly.
Until this force (under command Of Provost Mar.
seal Porter) reached their encampment, Il ap-
pesred as though the lives Of the orderly portion
OF the regiment were in imminent danger, 90 wild
was the disorder. But the appearance of the pro-
vost guard instantly changed the aspect of the
nnairs. With a dozen exceptions, perhaps, on
dnding their camp suddenly thus surrounded
they ooeyed the order Of Col Stevens to fall into
line. The dozen or so essayed to break and rum
but found themselves confronted by the mounted
men, turn as they would. They were, however.
point on Fourteenth street, near by their camping
ground, where the whole were separated into two
divisions-The well behaved and the riotou,
Col Stevens read to them Gen. McCIellsn,s
orders commanding them to return to duty and
explaining TO them the severe penalties they
would otherwise incur, including the loss of
their colors and their place a regiment n the
line, with the prompt military execution of the
ringleaders. This had the desired effect. Yet To
prevent a recurrence Of the trouble among them
some forty Of the most turbulent were placed In
charge Of the battalion Of regular infantry while
q wagon load were manacled and escorted by a
cavalry guard to the guardhouse; doubtless to
accompany the mutinous men of the Maine ID
to the Tortugas. The Regiment then marched
through the city, headed by their band and &C.
companied by the artillery and the main BODY OF
the cavalry guard, to the new camping ground to
which they had refused to move some hours
before.
They professed to have three causes of COM
plant. First, that they had not been permitted
to select their own Colonel, the President having
appointed Col. Stevens of Washington Territorv.
to MI the vacancy created by the death Of the late
Col. Cameron on the battle field As militia men
they claimed the right TO select all their OH Gers
Notwithstanding the fact that their voluntary en-
Hstment for three years or the war ipped them
Of the character Of militia regiment, which they
thus voluntarily relinquished on entering the ser
vice Of the Cnted States for the They alleged
no objection whatever to Col. Stevens personally,
except the hrmness and s.rictness with which he
wn making soldiers In fact, Of his command
Their second grievance was the failure of the
War Department TO grant the regimenta month .
furlough, that they might visit their homes in
New York, which they claimed had been prom
ned them by the Secretary Of War shortly rfter
the battle Of Bull Run. IL any such promise was
made, IL was doubtless to the end OF enabling
them to recruit: to I'LL up their ranks, thinned In
he battle Of the 2lsi ulto not to the end OF Civ
Ing them holiday jaunt. A change Of circuu
stances making It unnecessary to recruit In that
general way, and necessity for their presence in
the Army Of the Potomac, Of course changed thu
Departments purpose with reference to them.
Their third and most general plea was indispo-
stion to serve under MIR ID. f sickles of New
York, % their Brigader; having got It into their
heads that he had been appointed q Brigadier
General; which 10 untrue.
IL became evident In the course of the affair
that the disorganization was in reality the work
Of very few men, the rest having caught the
infection through the whisky they had cot hold
OF earlier In the day; and, ss In the case of the
Maine ID, II was Instantly apparent that when
the rioters eomprehended that Cen Mcclellan
meant to be obeyed promptly and without cues
don on their part, all difaeulty Of controlling
them vanished.
On the whole, these occurrences Of Yesterday
VIII have haPpy effect; insomuch a. they dem
ons1aie % that every man In the service already
compsehends the fact, that orders nxst be obeyed
of the usual military penalties will be promptly
visited on the disobedient
soLDIKRs' SAVINGS
The following letter from the Chaplain OF the
Connecticut Fourth, exhibits plan which oriei
nsted and has been successfully carried out in that
regiment, to accomplish q most desirable pur.
pose similar plan Is strongly recommended
for general adoption.
CAnr AsEHcRoAsIz, near Hagerstown, Md D
August IL, 1851.
Fred. Lae O,nstsd, Esq,
Dear Sir: Your letter Of inqui with regard N
fhe Savings Bank In our regiment IL at hand
The plan Of the enterprise II very simple. An
agent Ia appointed to receive deposits from the
men, and 20 forward the same to the savino.
Bank In New Haven, where the money ID nut on
six per cent. interest from date Of deposit.