Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1861-05-20
NJ Food on fho solder.

When pursuing the peaceful avocations OF
life, all agree that good and SuoalsutiAl food
is an indispensable requisite % health ana
that without Il men cannot perforn Their
duties efReiently. How much more essential
Is it that the soldier, who must Of necessity
snlIsr ali manner Of exposures and hardships,
should have the most nourishlng and whole
some food Ia Abundance. Notwithstanding
this is thct admitted by all, We hear daily
complaints, from the volunteer camps, Of
poor fooa iurhished b ibsufiiciOnt quantities.
These complaints have become so numerous,
snd lhsir justnsss iS 90 we'll established, that
q rigid Investigation into lhs causes, and %
immediate application Of some potent renee
dy, are lmperatively demanded. We learn
from Camp DennisOn (ohio, by private let
Ter from those in whom We have confidence,
that the rltions are as.timss iasHfioient to
keep the men in proper condition. Tor going
thfoagh the required drill. This is start.
ling announcement in a Shste 80 abundantly
supplied with provisions ass ours, cut We
believe it is true. No Que Willelalm that any
real necessity exists for such aicondition Of
affairs, and the true solution Of the question
must be found, we think, in the ineficieney
Of those chosen to manage the oOmmissariat
department. Such appointments are too Of
ton made without due regard to the qualih-
ID ~.
cations and integrity Of the persons appoiht-
ed. We are aware tina! it requires
considerable degree Of 6rnness on the part
of the appointing power to al all times re-
sist the pressure brought to bear bypolitieal
pOtentates, and disregard the appeals Of per-
sOnal friends, but the exigehoies OF the times
demand such frmness, and the people will
applaud its exercise, whilst The opposite
course win surely bring upon the delinquent
an Overwhelming torrent of popular indig-
nation. -5s
The following suggestions of the New York
Tribune, on this subject, win commend them
selves to every candid person; ..s.e,
1--WE learn from Washington that great
disafection and not little real suffering
exists among the troops by reason of the
food, either bad in quality, insignificant in
quantity, or served at improper hours. This
complaint is not confined to Washington,
but isheard wherever the tents or sbanties of
a volunteer encampment are to be found.--
To say that this ought not to be is only to
utter an irritating platitude, It is for our
citizens, and the citizens of every community
out OF which goes volunteer, to insist that
this shall not continue any longer, or be Of
any wider extent than is absolutely necessary
under the present system by which our vol
unteer service is organized. l-H
HThe trouble here alluded TO arises from
the Incompetence of those who ara charged
with the duties of the Commissariat Depart
ment. A regiment is formed in ten days,
the staff is selected in an evening, and the
whole machinery for the regulation, disei-
pline, feeding, and general care of thousand
men is set on foot at almost an hours notice.
The STAFF officers are men who burn for SER
vice and distinction, but who have only the
most sbadowy idea of the duties they are
called on to perform. They are selected
rarely with single eye to their fitness for
their peculiar work, but for various other
reasons, valid enough elsewhere, but not
legitimate when considered with reference to
the very grave employment Of war and the
management Of camp. The consequence is
inevitable; the men suffer, become uneasy,
disaffected, cross, discouraged.
'1t Is impossible to feed soldiers in a time
Of war on luxurious fare; 1t is impossible to
make perfect quartermaster ia dry-goods
merchant in week; no man whose opinion
is worth anything would be so dull as to ex-
pect this. Yet much can be done to lessen
the annoyances Of the troops and diminish
the chances of their death By disease, by Sc
lecting proper .nlen for thn important posi-
tions on the staff which have to do with feed
ing and caring for the soldiers. OF TIVE per-
sons, both equally desirable in other respects,
he would be the proper candidate for the
place of Quarternaster who had had expert
ence in feeding large parties, as would be the
case with the keeper Of hotel, rather than
the man who had all his lite been employed
in some quiet clerkship. Though no fore
thought can make the arrangements Of the
volunteer camps as perfect as those of the
regular army, yet We repeat much can be
done and should be done to remedy the gi-
gantic defects which now daily appear"