Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1861-06-13


else could be justly blamed on that point.
1t is charged that our soldiers are poorly
clothed that they are destitute. and tha
when clothing has been furnished it has beer
disgracefuily poor in quality. OF the truth
OF tbs charge there is abundant proof. There
has been outrageous swind.iDg hy somebody
in this department-suc swindiiug, and Of
such real disadvantage 70 eur brave soldiers
as to make the perpetrators OF the fraud as
culpable as the traitors who would send aid
and comfort to the enemies. 1t ls as much
treason to take comfort from our own soldiers
as 10 send il to our enemies. No less fate
than that of traitors should fall upon the per
petrators Of such wrongs. IfGov, Curtin il
the cause VI it. be should De impeaohed and
sent adrift. II he is not the guilty one, the
clamor of political enemies and suspicious
friends should be silenced by rigid investi-
CATION into the matter, aud bringing the
guilty parties before the world Thus far,
we are inclined to the opinion that Coy. Cur
tin is not the instrument, knowingly or will
ingly, of there outrages. Mistakes be may
have made, for no man ever had more crowd
first rush of this military excitement. The
confidence he haS placed in others may have
been abused nay, it is evident that it has
baen.-but. we repeat, the proof has mol get
been presented TO Slow that he has conniued at
these abuses. For one, we shall give him the
same right which the most hambie citizen
Tor alien) has guaranteed to him,-that of
being counted innocent until he is proved
guilty. This is certainly as much the right
of the cheif executive of great State, as of
the beggar ia our streets. Show us the
proof that he is guilty, and we will no longer
ask him to be shielded. We now ask for
him common justice, and for the guilty par
ties, when fairly ascsrtained, the most con-
digo punishment as they will have the uni
versal contempt of an outraged community
and the uHrestrsined indignation of all Penn
sylvania soldiers.
Now for fact or two: Early in the ex
ira session Of the Legislature, Mr.. Armstrong
of Lycoming county, having just regard
for the comfort of the soldiers from his dis
trict, quartered at Camp Wayne (they be-
longing to the Eleventh regiment), introdu.
ced resolution authorizing the Quartermas-
ter General Haley to procure clothing i'm.
mediately, in open market. without waiting
for a contract. uniforms for the regiments
stationed at Camp Wayne. Any business
man would have filed the order in week
but, although this resolution passed the first
week in May, and the soldiers left the last
week in May, portion Of them left without
their uniforms, and many of them most mis-
cradle shod. This seems clearly to have
been the neglect or capacity of the Quarter
masters Department. We had heard COM
plants from military officers in regard to the
Indifference or neglect, in tnis Departments,
on previous occasions.
The Harrisburg Telegraph, of Monday,
contains letter from E. Ii. Rauch, ESQ.,,
Cheif Clerk o: the House OF Representatives,
in which he reveals delinqusncies in the same
quarter. AS ii is important, We copy the
whole OF it:
"It is said that at Washington the Pennsyl-
vania troops are best known as "The Rag
ged backed Pennsylvanians" | know that
number of volunteers now stationed in Mary
land, guarding railroads. although furnished
with new uniforms, are obliged to wear their
long overcoats as substitutes for panta, oons
AS far as know they have plenty to eat.
and of good quality.
Much has already beer sad in public
prints on This shameful imposition on our
soldiers, and it is quite possible that some
men in authority are blamed who do not
really deserve ii. My object is now to state
to the public what know about the trea,-
ment of the least ono company in Camp Cur
tin.
About five weeks ago the Irish Infantry OF
Mauch ChunB.-Capt. Dennis McGse-re-
c61VeQ OfQer5 10 udIcu lnto Shhp, Wulcu UT
der was promptly obeyed. The men conpo-
sing said company expected, as they had
right to expect after reaching camp, that
they would be furnished within reasona-
BILE time if not with uniforms, at least such
articles as are indispensable. They waited
patiently from day to day, and from week to
week, receiving very good food and plenty of
it, but not a shoe, shirt or pair of pantaloons
or any other article in that line. Some OF
them had DO change of shirt for five weeks
During the extra session of the Legislature
frequently visited the company, and feltcall-
ed upon to give them the assurance almost
daily that :" the powers that be" would. in a
very short time, attend to their wants.
succeeded in satisfying some of them at least,
that this delay, or apparent neglect was una
ayoidable, and they were willing, most cheer
fully, to suffer little longer. Yesterday I
again visited this neglected, patient and truly
patriotic company. Some nine or ten were
on drill entirely barefooted. Several could
not appear in the ranks at all for want of
pantaloons. whilst others were in the ranks
with shirts on their banks five weeks without
chanoet They appealed to me, as their