Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-10-26
What the Army Eats.

The exact number of Union troops in and
about Washington is not known to the pub-
lie, and is not proper subject for specula-
ton. 1t is safe to say, however, that either
the number is very large, or the soldiers have
prodigious appetites, which, happily, leave
no room TO doubt of their excellent bodily
health. The furnishing of food for the
enormous stomach Of the army is not one of
the least perplexing problems of the cam
paign. Provisions are plenty enough, but
it is not always easy TO get the best quality
and nothing else is now considered fit for
our srmy-though, in the hurry and confu
sion which prevailed at the outset of the war,
large lots of rotten beef and other worth.
lees subsistence stores were palmed off on
tle soldiers. Since the United States Gov
ernment has taken sole charge of the feed
ing department, there has been no cause Of
complaint. OF course this city, on account
of its situation, railroad and water connec-
tioDs, and commercial advantages, is the
principal depot for receiving aud forward
ing supplies to Washington. The most pom
deTous item of the supplies weekly contrae ed
for, inspected and sent to the hungry mouths
on the Potomac, is meat, in kind aad pro por-
tion about as follows: One thousand barrels
mess pork, one thousand seven hundred bar
rels extra mess beef thirty-four tuns bacon
sides ditto of smoked hams, and "a duly
five barrels picked beef topgues-all of the
first quality. Of succulent and nutritious
miscellanies there are one thousand FIVE
hundred bushels Of white beans, strongly
suggestive of a certain Yankee dish,) one
thousand two hundred and fifty bushels of
spit peas, (pa!atable in soup,) sixty thousand
pounds of rice, and fifty thousand pounds of
white flint corn hominy.
The fortilying qualities Of coffee are recog-
Is =
pounds of prime Rio and one hundred and
twenty thousand pounds of the same roasted
and ground. "The drink that cheers but not
inebristes," sproyided for by four thousand
five hundred pounds OF tea, green, OOlong
and Souchong in equsl proportions To
| swseten both of these beverages one hundred
and eighty thousand pounds of dry light
yellow sugar are considered not too liberal
| an allowance; and six thousand gallons more
| of saccbarine matter is furnished in the
shape of good molasses or sirup, as con.
| comitant for the rice, and tOothsome and
| healthy in other relations. The soldier IL
regaied with only one species OF preserved
fruit, which, taken with little Warer, is SAID
| to possess extraordinary fattening proper
ties. We allude to dried apples, of which
ten thousand pounds are weekly forwarded
The formidable list concludes with four hun
dred thousand pounds Of first quality pilo
bread Some of these mountainous store
are sent by railroad, but most of them b,
sailing vessels. From one to five schoonerI
deeply laden, leave this port for Washing
ton daily. Such as are not needed for i'm
mediate use are packed in the vast ware
houses at the Capital, against the contin
gencies Of short supply and high prices q
some future time. There is O larlte accumu
tiOn of salt meats for fresh meat 10 the eG
tent OF one hundred or two hundred beeVe
is daily served out TO the army. Dry brea
also accumulates rapidly, for over one hun
dred and sixty thousand loaves are dali
baked and distributed. The nation looks 0
J fondly while the army eats, grudging notl
. ing, but ahectionately hoping that "goC
: digestion may wait on appetite. ."-NsW YO'
Journal Of Commerce.