Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1862-11-21
The BIOOd-suclers of the COunrry--wise

The Blood-suckefs OF the CountrY--Wis
and Mueh-needed Regulations.
Not the least of the attendant evils of
war, are tie multitudes of shoulder
strapped gentry who have gone into the
army to make money, and who manage to
evade all Of service that they can. Thous-
ands Of these men are scattered through the
country, off duty without cause We pub
lish below, stringent orders regarding
these absentees by General Halleck, who
is determined to put stop to the Ofense.
Officers who are absent without cause are
to be dismissed and others punished for
desertion. We hope these orders will be
carried out to the letter:
THE DUTIES OF oFFICERs-ABsESTEEs.
General Halleck has resolved to adopt
the most stringent measures for compell-
ing officers to pay that attention to their
duties which natural pride and sense Of
duty would seem, in two many cases, IN
able to enforce. Delinquent commissioned
officers are to be taught, by prompt and in
exOrable punishment that their superior
rank and higher intelligence, all should
agree, will only be regarded as aggraVa-
tions of every fault they may commit, it
being resolved that the soldiers and non
commissioned officers Of our armies shall
have no reason to complain of being held
accountable for offenses which are COM
mitted with impunity by those who should
set them examples of strict subordination
and discipline.
Provost Marshals, policemen, and mil
itary police, and officers especially detailed
for the purpose, are being sent to all the
principal cities, and over all the lines Of
railroads throughout the country, to col
lect the names of all the officers absent
from the armies in the field and in garri-
son, and all officers so found absent, with
out the proper and specific authority pre-
scribed in General Orders of the War De-
partment, will be either Immediately and
ANONYMOUSLY dismissed the service, or
will be placed on trial for desertion while
in the presence Of the enemy.
at is understood a long list of names
for dismissal has already been prepared,
and that numerous dismissals for cause
will be made in few days. Indeed, the
rumor prevails, and there is reason to be-
ieve it, that more than ], 900 commissioned
officers are now absent without leave, and
SO reported; all Of whom will be dismissed
under circumstances attaching disgrace to
their names, and leaving them no possibil-
ity for q return 10 the service, or any
other employment under the National Gov
ernment.
One of the favorite subterfuges practic-
ed by officers anxious to skulk from their
duties has been to quit their commands on
q surgeons certificate, or on q pretended
leave of absence signed by some subordi-
nate officer, Colonel or Brigadier-General,
who had no power to give it; and then, if
discovered, urge the plea Of ignorance of
the orders and regulations on the subject.
But all leaves Of absence, to be of avail
must emanate from the highest source, as
prescribed in General Orders, and all Of
fcers absent on medical certificates, must
be sure that their certificates are issued by
authority, and that they do not
remain absent one day after being sufici-
emily yre-estsblished to join their commands
even though not re-established enough for
a full return to active duty.
While these steps are being taken with
regard to officers, measures Of an equally
stringent and effective character are in
progress to arrest the immense number of
deserters now scattered through the coun-
try, and to hold them to the severest pen
alties prescribed by military law for their
offence. 1t is the determination of the au-
thorities to make the examples which will
cause every soldier to consider seriously
before exposing himself to the chances Of
an infamous death as the penalty of desert
ing his standard. Many Of the men now
absent are deserters from the army in the
field, and not few of them, lured by the
bounty, have enlisted in the new organiza-
tions, but their re-enlistment as they will
be taught, is no excuse fer their desertion;
and all officers Of the recently raised regi-
ments knowing such deserters to be in
their ranks and not sending them back
under guard to their old commands will be
held responsible. Others of those now ab-
sent are men who were discharged from
hospitals to return to their regiments, but
who have skulked to their homes. All of
the above classes are deserters and will be
punished as such.
" But there is yet another class, and to
which no mercy will be shown, namely:
those who joined new regiments recently,
receiving the enormous bounties given,
and then deserting before their regiments
had been placed in the field. The country
has suffered deeply from this latter class,
various States having paid bOunties for
their full quotas, while their effective force
at headquarters of the army is
still short by several thousands of the re-
quired number.
at is said on high authority that the
President on being recently shown by the
Secretary of War and General-in- Chief the !
immense lists of deserters and roll calls of |
absentees, sternly pledged himself here |
after to pursue the most rigorous policy |
with these offenders, and that by execu- |
tons, dismissals, ball and chain labor for |
the whole term of their enlistment, and |
other Of the severest penalties.
{" He is resolved to deprive the Rebels of !
the great advantage they have heretofore |
enjoyed over us in the means necessary to |
preserve discipline and prevent the crimes
Of struggling, absenteeism and desertions. |
In view of these facts, the hope is express
ID that the public will constitute itself
great moral police to expose and shame
back to duty all officers and men who can
not prove ineontestibly that they have the
authority required by army orders and
g., 81, f-o,,,