Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1862-10-28
Cona,tien Of our Array.

Feeling SenSlDly llnpl0seo'
duty incumbent upon us OF DONG al we
can for the relief OF our gallant soldiers
who are even now suffering for the want
ofgood winter clothing, land whose suffer-
mos will increase as the season advances,
we would again call upon our readers
to 90 to work Immediately and perform
the duty which patriotism and humanity
;mnose upon them. This county has
great many soldiers in the field, and as
GOOD soldiers too as ever marched with
martial tread and unblanched cheek to
the mouths of hostile cannon belchlng
forth obstruction and the dreadful sirocco
of death, and it becomes the duty OF
those at home whose lives and property
thew are defending by making ram
mart of their noble bosoms, to furnish
them with good clothing to protect them
against the war of the elements, which,
in their present destitute condition, they
dread much more than the deep
mouthed cannon and bristling bayonets
of the enemy. We are pleased to learn
that the Government has sent them some
shoes and clothing, but it has not enough
to supply the very great demand. We
would especially call upon our good
and patriotic women to furnish them
with socks, an article which the Gov
eminent has not. Socks we learn are
very much needed in the Hospital in
this place at this time. The wretched
condition of our army is such as would
excite the sympathy of Camanche
Indian or Fejee Islander. The Rich
mond Wing says that many Of our sol
diers sshave not changed their clothing
since they LETT Richmond. They have
slept in it-fought in it--crossed the
Potomac in it-marched over dusty
roads, and through storm and sunshine
in it; yet they have not changed it or
washed it in all this time, because they
had no other to put on when that was
taken off. The reader will not be sur
prised to hear, therefore, that many OF
the troops are covered with vermin, and
their clothing rotten and dirty beyond
anything they have ever seen. There
is no negro in Virginia who is not bet
ter off in this respect, than some Of the
best soldiers and first gentlemen in all
the land.
We understand that the Government
has already forwarded to General Lees
army over 10000 garments, and large
shipment Of shoes. This number of gar
ments, allowing coat, pair of pants,
and shirt to man, will furnish suits,
say, for 10000 needy men. This will
90 far towards relieving the more desti-
tute. The government has in its employ
in Richmond SO tailors who cut out the
cloth, and 2,7OO women who make it up
into garments-the whole turning out,
on an average, 5000 garments per week,
or coats, pants, and shirts for 5000 men.
There are other establishments, in other
parts of the Confederacy, where clothing
is being manufacture for the army, and
the force engaged is sufficient, perhaps,
a to turn out 10000 garments week.
At this rate, estimating our army in the
field at 100000 men, it would require
more than a year to furnish each man
with single suit of clothes! If we sup
pose the various Government establish
ments will be able to supply 100000
men by Christmas, there will still be
100000 left, who will have to look to
the people at home for their outfits, or
90 without clothing. 1.-THE Government
should provide for 100000, the number
left for the country to clothe would still
be frightfully large-1O0,OO0 men!
These figures are merely rough esti-
mates, and are only intended to serve
the purpose of directing the attention of
the people to the magnitude of the labor
before them. After the Government
shall have done all it can, there will still
be much left for the warm hearts and
willing hands of the people to perform
If they would accomplish this labor, in
time to benefit those for whom it is I'M
dertaken, they cannot set about too soon.
The weather among the mountains in
Northern Virginia is already cold to the
man who sleeps upon the ground, with
no tent to shelter him from the rain and
dew, with no shoes upon his feet, with
no blanket to cover him while he sleeps
or stands guard for us, and with only
tattered, dirty and threadbare garments
upon his manly limbs. Let the people
then, everywhere, and in whatever cir
cumstances, commence the good work
as soon as possible, and never leave it
off until the best and bravest army in
the world shall have been furnished with
all the comforts it may be in our power
to bestow.
And who is so INDECENT, and who SO
misery, thathe cannot contribute some
thing to the relief of such troops as ours?
Though destitute, as we have represen-
ted them to be, and though many of
them have gone without food for days
together, and that at time when they
were making log marches and fighting
bloody battles with the enemies of our
country, still they are cheerful, patient
and resolute as ever, and are ready now,
as they have been at all times, to assert
their birthright to be free If the inva
der thinks differently, he has only to
seek them where they are, and he soon
will be cured of his folly"
Gloves! GlOvesl
We would request all persons who
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