Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1861-05-25
SflisttIIantous.
TIE sOLDtEs' CLOTHING AND SHOES
VINO FURNISHED THEM.

wHoE FURNISHED THEM.
ED. PHILApA. INQUIRER I'll have just
returned from Camp Scott, st York, where,
FOR my own satisfaction, made q personal
inspection Of the clothing furnished the sol.
diers there What have to communicat
therefore, is not based upon mere rumor, but
upon actual and careful examination, aud Rs
such may be depended npou.
| bad heard many complaints 10 regard the
character OF the army clothing, but as n com
mittee of onr most respectable merchants
had given Mr.. Martin certificate which
ought to have fully exonerated him from
censure, was not prepared to depend upon
public rumor, ard therefore asked permission
and was cordially invited by the officers ip
charge, to examine for myself. which, did,
and here are part Of tho results -
ln the Quartermaster's Department Of
General Wynkoops Brigade | wes shown a
pile OF pantaloons (eighty'6ve pars), some of
which had been worn eight or ten days,
others three or -four. some one day bnd some
only two hours, and others still which had
oply been tried on, and yet there vas not
single one of all these pairs that was not
wholly worthless. In word, the material
tas so rotten that the slightest tension would
tear it, General Wynkoop informed the
writer that he expected at least four hupdred
pairs would be condemned. procured
pair OF these pantaloons, which will reach me
by express to-day, and which shall take
pleasure in submitting to the inspection OF
any parties who may feel disposed to doubt
this statement. General Wynkoop, as well
ms several other promiDen. officers, assured
me that many Of the soldiers were compelled
to wear their overcoats all the time, TO hide
the rents in their pantaloons.
L was next shown n sa rla of tho ehoac
and was permitted to bring one of them with
me. This shoe had been worn t,co days, and
yet it as gniltess OF q sole as the man liz
man be man be called) who made it, | also
brought sample Of the u.sole of these shoes
which, for the credit of the manufacturer, |
am happy to state is made of real good pine
sharingS. lie was determined to keep M
his reputation is this particular, at oil events.
Several of the officers assured me that the
heels would frequently fall of in one hour
from the time they were first put on the
mems feet Some of the men would not
wear them at all, but sold them for twenty
i've cents pair, and then bought good ones
from the shoe merchants of York.
Attention was pext directed to the blank.
etc. 1t is desecration of the name to call
the dirty-looking fimsy things shown US
blankets. The worst punishment ! could
desire for the contractor who furuised them
would be to compel him to sleep under TWEEN.
~ oil them with the thermometer at zero.
lie would freeze to death in an hour. The
texture is OF the coarsest kind, and the mate
rial oil the commonest character. In o stiff
breeze The wind would pass through them
almost as freely as through fishing net.
The contractor, who furnished the over.
coats, must be fancy man. His tastes are
not unlike those OF Jacob of old, who gave
his son Joseph "a coat Of many colors." 10
some cases these coats contained cloth of
three or four different shades of color.
Now Msssrs. Editors, is il not painful to
think that such things are permitted, and is
1t not seandalous that no steps have been
TAKEN to correct this crying evil? a prom-
nent olhclal OF this State, jus. from Washing
ton' says the meanness Of the equipments of
the pennsylvania troops there, has earned
ior them the unenvable soJriquet, the dirty
shirt boys"
.. ls this not humiliating to our State pride
FIRST IN the field, the most liberal of all the
states with men and money, it is deplora5!e
iact that our State authorities, designedly or
lnnocently, have fallen into the hands of rapa.
clous contractors, who are paid enormous
sums Tor the clothing, which is SO inferior to
that furnished the soldery of other States
that our men are made a byword when they
put it on.
a word more ard have done. Asalready
stated, number Of our most respectable
merchants, publicly over their own signatures
endorsed the character ofth clothing made
OF the Girard House. TO those gentlemen
4 would say, that they have endorsed great
public wrong. If the clothing l examined
at Camp Scott came from the Girard House
mandatory land am credbly informed it
ddl. then they owe it 10 themselves, TO the
soldiers, and to the country, to correct the
evil so far rs it is possible
II i did not come from the Grard House,
then Mr Martin, or whoever tho parties
having charge Of that establishment may be,
should clear their skirts Of the whole matter,
and place the blame where it properly
belongs; aud finally, the citizens of Philadei.
pbla eve it to themselves, to take this matter
10 hand and demand that justice be done to
all parties.
will not append my name to this, bat you
are at perfect liberty to give it to any ro.
sPonsble person who may wish to know more
OF this matter.
A FRIEND OF THE SOLDIER.
DEATH OF LIEUT.. J. HOGAN BROWN, US.