Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1861-10-08
OUR MILITARY BUDGET.
HOW THE MONEY GOES


ceeded In getting from the War Department per-
mission to raise three companies of artillery, to
serve az q portion Of the brigade under his COM
mand. Subsequently, he contracted with some
parties or other for the manufacture Of the bat
teries for them-steel rihed guns, eighteen In
number, with telescope sights, &c. The Head
Of the Ordnance Department and the Chief of Ar
tillery Of the Army of the Potomac, when the ac-
counts were presented for these guns-aeout
$50, 0Oo-promptly repudlated them, (tbe guns,)
a. utterly unfit for the service, and the contract
a. having been made wholly without authority.
After three months perseverance,, Gen. Sickles IL
said 10 have obtained an order that the account
shall be paid. So his contractors make their
"good thing" In this case.
But when the guns arrive here, the Chief Of
Artillery will be forced Of course, to direct them
20 be stored In the Arsenal as condemned pieces
utterly worthless furnishing the companies with
such guns az are used In the service OF the United
States In their stead. They require a different
ammunition from any In use in service, which
does not at the boxes, and which, IL essayed to be
used in general action wherein a large artillery
force participates, would inevitably lead to con-
fusion that would bid fair to engender defeat
Hence, IL Gen. S!ckles's fancy and unauthorized
guns usxst be paid for by the Government, the
payment will necessarily be set down to Uncle
SANS profit and loss account; a Gen. Barry will
be compelled to send them on store to the Arsenal
Months ago, we foreshadowed the enormous
cost Of the Sickles Brigade to Tie U. 8 Treasury:
and this prospective dead loss Of thirtynlne thou
sand dollars on an unh, gun contract, will only
60 to swell that expense. God help the war-tax
payers
The SEARCH FOR THE SUMTER
The Navy Department have advices from the
United States steamer Iroquois, at Bridgetown.
Barbados, Sept. %, when her commander (Com'r
James 3. Palmsr) wrote as follows
eel reached the Island Of St Thomas after q
passage Of six and a half DAYS from Hampton
Roads. Here | found the - Keystone State,
costing; and this port Is the focus of all est
Indian news, | learned Of the Sumter's where
ebouts as late as the All Of September On that
DAY SIZE LEFT SurinaIn, saying that she would re-
turn to coal In a fortnight But of course this
was a ruse. The POwhatan had left st. Thomas,
es h was said, for Surinan, seven d .ys before my
arrival She cons qnentIy would be at that mort
at the time OF the Sumter's supposed return
Commander Scott (of the keystone State
Sd StaT,) and myself, then decided that he
would leave for the coast Of Guiana, as he might
De able to 90 mp the rivers where the Powhatan
could not; whilst took down the Caribbean
group, looking In at the ports Of the different
islands where coal was TO be had, thinking the
sumter, driven from the main land by the pres
ence Of these two ships, might come over to re-
plenish her coal among the English. This she
had done previously at Trinidad, where not only
cosl was furnished her, but everything in the
way OF an euift even 70 powder.
since leaving -. Thomas have looked into
Sand CIu1, st Kits, Guadalupe, Martinique,
both at the ports Of st. Peirre and Port ROYAL
communicating with the consuis and arrived here
this morning. Tomorrow | shall leave for Gre
nada and Trinidad. At the latter port expect to
meet the Keystone State, by which time she will
nave 70 coal, and, trust, will have some news of
the Sumter. The consul here Informed me that
tne Powhatan had been here some ten DAYS since
stopping only few hours, and leaving word that
she would return here TO coal In fortnight
The above extract from Com'r Palmer's dispatch
illustrates the difficulties Of overhauling priya
teer steamer Com'r p. adds that the privateer
MeRae, commanded by Lieut.. Huger, late Of the
U g. Navy, has probably gone to the Mediter-
renean.
MYTHICAL BOY.
We place no reliance In the current newspaper
stories Of the death Of Ben Mccullough, especial
ly because the fact that an army continues to be
commanded by one Ben Mccullough is account
ed for on the hypothesis that the said B. Nice is
the son Of The Redoubtable
We have known Ben, boy and man, since the
fall Of ls3S, and having seen him every wear
since that time, know well that he 10 achelor
No one would be more horrifed than he at hear
Ing the soft impeachment Of being the father Of
son old enough to command an army ALLEGED
against bis pretensions az one Of the 'young men
around town, !" when In Washington. He is Of
that age, precisely, at which a confirmed bach.
elor and young lady's man is most jealous Of
general feminine impression that be is old enough
to certainly have cut bis wisdom teeth Our
word on II, the Ben Mccullough who commands
division Of the oligarchy's army now on the
Kansas border, is that same old Ben
Psf there be any Ben Mccullough, jr in
the Confederate army in the West, be Is doubt
less son Of the late Henry Mccullough, Cbro.her
70 Benz OF Gonzales, Texas, and cannot be more
than % years cd.
THE MYSTIC ARRIVED.
United States steamer Mystic, Of the African
squadron, arrived at Philadelphia yesterday, com.
Ing STA the Cape de Verde and West India
Islands She lefs st. Paul de Loando on the al
ternoon OF the 10th Of August last. She was COM
Psled 70 60 Into Barbados for coal, and so great
vas her commanders anxiety to have hand in
The hoped for capture Of the Sumter, as that he
detained her In those waters until he ascertsined
that the IroquoIs, Powhatan and keystone STATE
were In that immediate vicinity, and that her
services were not needed Her onacers and crew
are all as well a. could Be expected after her late
long cruize upon the coast Of Africa
TIE SITUATION IN WESTERN VIRGINIA.
command Of Gen. Rosecrans justices the belief
that ne VIII be aole to sustain himself fully, II
matters not what achievements the oligarchv
send TO Lee and Floyd. He (Rosecrans) has not
been forgotten by the authorities here in their ar
rsngemenn to strengthen the different Union col.
umns, the public may rely ont.
TIE TRUTH COMING OUT.
gentleman from Savannah assures the editor
OF the New York TSibsss that the Bermuda. that
recently run the blockade Of SAVANNAH, had but
$50 Enheld rides on board not 4O, 600, as al.
legged BY the press.
DUTIES or BRIGADE SURGEONS Rrc.
HzApQuARTERs. Army OF THE PoroxIcl
r- Washington Oct. 3, 1851
General Orders, No %.
The following regulations respecting the duties
Of brigade surgeons are published for the govern.
ment Of all concerned
I. The Brigade Surgeons will frequently I'm.
spect the police, cooking, clothing, and eIeauii-
nes Of the camps aud men in their respective
brigsdes; the position and condition of the sinks.
The drainage OF the camp grounds, the ventilation
OF the tents, etc king written 10 en- !.