The national Republican., 1861-10-26

regiments now In the field, and 10 regiments
70 ming, the tent should fer perfect protec.
ton, and be capable of thorough ventilation,
whatever number OF men may be crowded into
them. The Sibley seems to offer the greatest
| advantages; for the bell Or Eldredge tent,
while II Is well ventilated presents 10 it's shape
palpable objections. The margin reaches the
ground at such fare, that IL either the head
or the feet of the soldier be placed towards t.
they are sure to touch the canvass, which will
| invite the water during rain storm. or greatly
expose the head or feet during cold weather
| The wedge or common tent, II we'll ventilated
would answer all the requirements of the SER
| vice. / believe plan might be adopted by
| which these small tents could at all times be
thoroughly ventilated, securing both comfort
to the soldier and economy to the Government
| 1t Is well that the Commission are examining
plans for the ventilation Of tents now In use.
| About two-thirds of the regiments are sup.
piled with one good blanket to each man
The blankets of the other third are too light
aud most of them bad. All the men require
an extra supply for the approaching cold
weather. Five OF the regiments were without
overcoats, but most, If not all Of them have
now been supplied. Four Of the regiments
had overcoats Of poor quality; the rest were
good, and in good condition. The body coat
and pantaloons are uniformly good. but as no
winter clothing has been given out, they are
too light for the cool weather.
or the personal cleanliness of the men, the
report is upon the average good. It would be
well, however. II the officers at their daily in.
spection would be more particular upon this
point. The cleanliness OF the streets, rows, and
tents was In some of the camps beyond re.
proach. In hardly one did l find any great
cause for criticism. There has been decided
Improvement In this respect during the last
mouth. The policing of the camps l. now attend.
ed to- as general thing. ina thorough and eff.
cient manner. Trenches are dug for sinks,
and are universally supplied with q sitting
rail, usually with screen, and are daily disin
fected by being coverel with earth. Particular
attention seems to be paid to the locating Of
the trenches by the medical officers, as well as
by the commanding officers There has also
been very great improvement in this respect
during the month. Water Is obtained most
generally from good springs or from running
streams. met with no complaint in relation
to water, except from Big Gen. Lander's
command, which is encamped, as has already
been stated, on low clayey land, the water
partaking of the character of the soil.
In no respect has there been more improve
ment the last month than Ia the preparation Of
food. The rations are found to ba more than
enough. Fresh meat is supplied certainly
, twice week, and generally three times week,
TO all; potatoes occasionally and dessicated
vegetables have been issued few times in
some regiments. The cooking is done mostly
in trenches, or on the unbroken ground. Stoves
are seldom used, except in some Of the Massa-
chusetts regiments. During August the bread Is
sued to that portion OF the army constituting at
|, the time the department of the Shenandoah Gen
Banks's) was universally hard.' There were
/ no facilities for procuring soft bread, and the
a complaints were numerous among the soldiers
on account of the hard bread. l am glad to
state that q most marked change has taken
r place in this respect. Flour is now issued to
4 all the regiments desiring 1t, and most avail
9 themselves of the privilege. Ovens have been
improvised, and in a few regiments q system
a attic arrangement has been made by which
every man is supplied daily with his full ration
Q of soft bread. The ovens are commonly made
: of stone and earth, erected above the soil-a
1 few are excavated from the soil. The com.
0 pany Of Zouaves d'Afrique, commanded by
!, Captain Collfs, and forming the body-guard Of
! General Banks, Immediately upon going into
, camp, erected their hnts Of boughs, and com
menced an oven, excavated from the clayey
quarters II was being used for the first time
, aud with every appearance Of success. This
was the only oven dug out Of the ground which
saw.
In the Thirteenth Massachusetts, volunteers
each company has an oven built with stone and
earth upon the soil In the Forty-sixth Penn
sylvania the company ovens are partially ex-
cavated from hill, and partially built up oi
stone and earth. In the Twenty y-eighh New
, York, preparations are being made for o regi.
mental oven, and for employing an experienced
, baker, the plan being to make the -four pay for
3 the bread and all expenses of baking il. , In
3 the Twelfth Massachusetts,, the bread Is balAsd
partly In camp ovens, and partly In farm
: houses. In the Second New York militia there
> are two ovens on the plan and form known as
. that Of Col. Shiras. They are not used, proba
0 bly, because the regiment Is scattered along the
, Potomac in the vicinity of the Monocacy
. though its camp is near Poolesville, only two
t companies being in camp. In the Twentieth
} Massachusetts,, two ovens have been erected
f. capable Of baking 1000 loaves day These
a ovens are intended for the use of the brigade
d under Brig. Gen. Lander. In the Fifteenth
i Massachusetts, there also facilities for baking
n bread. Some bread ate at the table of Brig
d Gen. Stone, baked in camp, which was equal, i
o not superior, to most bread found in our cities
n These facts give evidence of the improve
/ ment made in this portion of the army during
o the last month in that most essential part Of
g the cuisine tf the soldier-the preparation O
r bread. By another month | expect every reg
0 iment will have all the facilities of converting
its -four into bread within it, own camp. The
J. improvements of one camp are copied by an
o other, and thus Imitation and an esprit du cOrp
= will have tendency to perfect the whole ara
j. in the method of preparing its food, as well al
r in the manual Of arms.
d There are some difficulties in the preparation
!, of the improved ovens which cannot be over
;. come. An oven may be built in three hours
r, but 1t sometimes takes one or two days to pre-
pare and heat it for the first time for bakint
n purposes. For d moving column this will no
l. do. Again. In the winter, when the earth il
e deeply frozen, it will be no easy task to erec
70 an oven, even for AN army stationary for
l. week or more
- Anticipating these and other difficulties,
{ have endeavored to ascertain II there was no
, some portable oven capable OF being usst
,, upon the march, or Immediately upon the col
umn going into quarters. Upon inquiry,
u found that Messrs William Sellers Co., ma
y chiuists, Of Philadelphia, had devised an ovel
- for army nurnQses and Qnaned q cnrrespnnd