The Shreveport weekly news., 1861-10-21
soldiers Pay.

In the midst Of the excitement Of
war, it's incidents. and alarms, the
subject of the soldiers pay has not
attracted the attention it deserves
A variety Of causes, unnecessary to
enumerate, have concurred to satisfy
the public mind that what might
have been few months ago fair or
liberal allowance blythe Government
to its soldiery, is at the present time.
and for the future, totally Inadequate
to their proper sustenance. The en-
HANGED prices of everything, and es-
pecially articles consumed by the
soldier, since the war began, attest
the truth of the above proposition
without further comment. 1t may
not be generally known that the
monthly pay Of a Confederate soldier
is only eleven dollars. At the time
this sum was adopted the prices OF
articles mostly required by men thus
suddenly thrown on their own re.
sources in remote portions OF our
country, where the demand soon de-
pleted the scanty supply, might have
been sufficient but when we reflect
that the prices of all articles Of. con.
sumption and wear have advanced
one, two, three and four hundred per
cent. it is readily perceived now in
adequate to the proper support Of the
soldier is the small pittanee doled
out bi-monthly for his increased
wants. In the Lincoln army the
private's pay is fifteen dollars
month, besides a bounty Of one hun
dred dollars, twenty Of which is nd
vanced at the time of enlistment, be-
sides promises of land after the war
is ended. There can be no good
reason why our Government should
economist against the gallant spirits
who have sacrificed every csmfort,
and who imperil life itself in defense
Of her rights. No mur1nur comes up
from the breast of those brave md
chiyaric men who have gone forth to
battle that the pay is inadequate be-
cause they are imhued with patriot
ic sentiment which elevates them
above the feeling of complaint, or the
love oflucre but it is, nevertheless,
incumbent upon a Just anaSreaecting
people to provide reasonable re-
Enumeration for the soldier, so that
the orlirany necessities may be, at
least, secured to him. When we re-
feet that in Virginia it takes a half
months pay to procure a pair OF or
binary shoes, which last only
month, it is easily seen that eleven
dollars per month becomes absolute
! " contemptihle. as compensation
commensurate with the services rem
dered by the soldier. no one has
proper idea, without actual expert
ence, of the innumerable little exac-
Itions soldiers are subjected to in the
hurry and hustle Of the marches they
are obliged to make at times, where
it is difficult to cook or carry their
own food, Buiscuits are Obtainable
with great trouble at five cents a
piece. For a cup of coffee and a
biscuit half a dollar is freely given.
while everything else they may want
I is i'm proportion. 1t is to be hoped
that Congress will not hesitate at its
next session to increase the pay OF
the private to at least as much as
tkat given by the Lincolnites. Many
good and valid reasons, therefore,
will occur to every mind in addition
to those thus hastily thrown out by
us. Let the soldier know that the
highest object grateful people can
entertain is to alleviate his wants on
the tented field.-Delta.
Many public men consider them
n. i.