Nebraska advertiser., 1861-08-01
ArmH RatiOns.

~ ~
There has been a good deal Of bitter
talk 10 the newspapers about the badness
of the army supplies and the wretched
condition Of our volunteers. II Is notice.
able that many of these complaints are
raeue and general. and that of the few
which are specific. and pointed to par
ticular regiments. the NEST have been
prove ~unfounded, either by the men them
selves who were reported to be suIler-
ing, or by reasonable persons sent to
make proper examination. Where there
has been suffering il has heen Temporal
nv, and in every case which has come 10
motto it was not the army ratlOns which
caused il, hut the carelessness AID IN
competency of %regimenial quartermas-
tprs and other officers, who had been ap-
pointpd TO stations Of whose duties they
were ignorant.
OF course everybody r%ejoices that Con
eress has improved the food of our sol
diers by substituting fresh for salt beef.
wherever it can be had, and by adding
four ounces to the daily ration Of bread.
But we must not forget that the troops
which have now been in camp several
months have retained. and do now enjoy,
remarkably good health, and this through
our immense volunteer army is taken
from comfortable and often luxurious
homes, and has been exposed, with no
preliminary preparation, to all the chanc-
es, discomforts and p~rivatiOns OF camp
life, and to extremes of heat TO which
but a small number Of the men were ac-
customed.
That an army of three hundred thou
sand men, gotten together in less than
three months, going through its neCessa-
ry drills and exercising under a hot sun,
in districts reputed unhealthy, and, over
and above this, %fretting under the usual
restraints of inactive camp life, should
show no increased rates of mortality. suf-
iciently proves that affairs are not in so
wretched a state as is often asserted by
men whose love of exciting stories is
greater than their caution.
The fact is that there has been hilh-
erto no epidemic in our great army the
hospitals have not been overrun; and it
is related that when the advance was
sounded from Alexandria on Tuesday last
many men who were sick enough to seek
shelter in the sick wards from a tiresome
drill, proved at once well enough TO shout
der their muskets and Join the march.
That there have been complaints among
the volunteers is undoubted but many
of these proved on examination to be un-
reasonable and childish and the men
who uttered them. will themselves b.
ashamed of them before the campaign l.
half over. That soldiers should be com
PEELED to eat pilot bread when bakers
bread is not attainable is surely not a
great hardship. That a great army Is
not to be supplied with butter for Its bread
or milk for its coffee must be as evident
as that three hundred thousand men can
not be served of china and silver. We
happen to know of a case where a new
ly enlisted company threatened to mutt
nv because they had beans for dinner.
But bean soup is perhaps the most whole
some and most nourishing part of the az
T.y ration; and when these Young sol
diprs once got up their camp appetItes no
day was So eagerly welcomed as that that
brought them beans Cor dinner.
The District of Columbia volunteers.
and other regiments which have return
ed home, have come back in better con-
dition and with improved health. They
may have been starved they may have
been exhausted by poor food and improp-
eF exposure. Blu; if the local journals
are to be credited, the men, with few ex-
ceptions. weighed more and were strong
er and hearlier than when they went out
from their homes.
We do not seek TO hide m~ismanaUe-
ment or shelter incompetency. Where
there is real cause for complaint, it should
be made promptly and vigorously to the
proper authority. But if a regimental
quartermaster does not know how TO
draw proper supplies for his men the gov
ernllent is not to blame. If the recruits
stomach does not relish beans, let not the
army ration be abused, which has been
established and found wholesome for a
great many years. Let the blame be laid
where it belongs and above all, let eve
ry charge of Encouragement be specif-
it, and to the point. Then there will be
hope of improvement where improve
ment is needed.
Meantime a commission composed Of
gentlemen well known for their scientif-
ic abilities, as we'll as for their energy
and independence, is now making thor
ough examination into the condition of
our armies. This commission has unlim-
tied access to all means of information.
1t will make authoritative statement, as
quickly as the proper data can be gather
ed. When these reports are published.
the newspapers will have facts TO com.
ment IN and facts are always safer and
more satisfactory than vague general.
ties and random assertions.-NeU York
Post.