, 1861-07-30
Unifo1m4 OF Wisconsin Troops
MADISON, Wis, July 20, 1851.

MAD1s0Nf " t8ss ou45 H. 166ls
Editors Chicago Tribune: IL;
Through your extensive: circulation, you
have given to the world, In your issue OF
Thursday, a statement based upon an, extract
from the State Jouy,ial Of. this city, which
does mnnffeet injustice to the military depart
ments Of this State. Your readc1s, from the
remarks In your paper on the uniforms Of our
than that our volunteers have been ewiudled
aud Imposed upon in the uniforms supplied
tAtm by tho State, in the style Of the New
York and Pennsylvania regiments.
Allow me tho uno Of q small space. to say
TIA. Erch conclusion Is entirely ERRONEOUS;
thu: wlilo the sceIcsty Of cloths IN ins NsW
Yak market, when Tho contracl was ~ tle,
cc1npsllrd TIL. use Of 4 lighter style for the
c. a:h OF the 5:h, yer in every particular OF
workmanship, they We're well made-ant
,wEcn suIpiird TO rhc troops, there was no
difference in the clothing ot the 5th anu: Gin !.
except tia. the jackets OF TIE 5th were OF .h3
style Of cloth called" Union Cashmere" ofa
character equal 1n.Wear TO the all-Wuol cloth
used III the 9th regiment. The pants Of The
5:l we're oil the Eelnc cloth as tho 9Th and are
In every way serviceable articles. Our 81 and
4th regiments were uniformed by the same
contractors, and think they. were specially
noticed by your editors III landatory terms.
The statement of the Stale Journal, that ''thc
cl4th is Of a miserably poor quality and bungs-
1ipg1y made up" is entirely false. "A close ex-
H.,
forms; hos just now been made, aud the opln.
iuu expressed hy them is, that the caothfo tho
jackets Of the 5th Ia every way good and
et1Viceabls article. The gentlemen examiners
a1c known to be good judges Of Cloth, having
c;ait III cloths large number Of years. =,
uiade'' should bave stated that the State con
1ractcd for this clothing il the city ot New
York, and that it Vas cut to a scale, aa III:
clothing merchants cut their garments to make
up for sale, without measuring the a1en. Tac
New Yorksrs supposed, from 81 the reports,
cut their cloth accordingly. The consequence
Waa, many Of the boys didn't find an exact fit,
the peIts being too long in the legs and the
COATS mol setting as exact IS u dandy would
| desire. WoIkmen were, however, furnished ,
so that these defects were temcdied, and the
9th vas 90 well clothed a5 any Of our regy:-
ments.
This is q plain statement In regard to the
clothing OF the 5th, which, from The extracts
| in y0lr paper, yonr readtre have undoubtedly
inferred were rags p a la Fzans5lra'iia.
Justice to the people Of cur State, and also
to our worthy Governor, and to those whom
lie has called to lis aid to assist in equfpplng
our "Badger boys" for the fight, demands
that this Inuttcr should bc Set right. Our
people have voted the means, and Coy. r an-
dali he's personally acquainted himself with
I'll the contracts made, and the clothing and
other articles furnished, by frequent visits to
the several calnpR, and communication with
the officers in command, and wherever defect
i've supplies were discovered, they we're re-
placed with better srticles, and We flatter our.
| selves that our soldiers have suffered but Lie.
| tie from the dishonesty Of contractors.
| We have given our men substantial clothing
-two fuIts one ct cloth, and the other, for
summer wear, of cottonede, the best Of heavy
Blankets, poucho, or India rubber blanket,
| besides substantial ovcrcoats, and other ct
ceteras among the last, the 5th were oapplicd,
at the request Of the Culonel, with 8 complete
| to tEcir appearance aud Efficiency.
We dety comparison with troops OF any
ether State, not only the manner in which they
| s1e clothed, but also In the management oftht
various departments interested in eqnfpp1ug
our troops for the field. The Adjutant Gen
GeEera1, and last, probably fully as Important
! the Executive Department have been nnt:riog
in their efforts to see that our "boys" WERE
we'll cared for and not imposed upon.
The sole cauRc Of the exhibition Of bile OF
the part Of the Stats Journal. may be traced t
the splenetic feelings Of m officer high in com
nlard in the 5:b, who has allowed himself tx
Re thrown of lis usual equanimity Of tempe
by occurrences which had nothing to do viii
the rDiforming Of his regiment.
Never fear, Fir, that, under Governor Ran
dali, or tie military powers Of the State, Wis
conein will let her brave sons suffer from tn
cup1dity Of the Worshippers ofthe +" almight.
dollar" If discovery can be made in time.
VIII you do us the Justice to make room 70
the above?. Yours,
| I'VE have had an opportunity to ezamin
samples of the uniforms in question, and II
unhesitatirgly pronounce them SOUND, ,stauncl
and fully equal to the statements Of our cor
respondent.-EDs. TRIBuEE.l