The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1862-11-15
For The Cecil Wing.
PoET DEPOSIT, Nov. Nth, 1862.

rection and qualification. This letter would
make the people believe that the Gh Md.
Vols. had - seen sights - and GO heard thnn-
| der" when Ia tell he truth, we have never
felt the reuiiies OF war. The "march to Ran
datown ON thu 9th Of Sept. and back ("and
no body hnrt'') without Il crust Of bread or a
canieen,'' only IA few hours job, in the midst
OF Il war in which thousands Of true patriots
are lyang down their iUes Uiihout q mnrH,ur
was surely small affair, and the individual
who would grumble at such q trifie, much less
than he who would publish his weakness at
such time as this, had better be at home in
the chimney corner. under the lee side of his
grandmother, than in the uniform of soldier
on hostile frontier. The want Of a "crust
of bread" was sad thing, (and SO it is to be
without ones dinner) but the case is too
strongly stated by Cecil" From his state
mcnt yoI would think bread was scarce at
camp Mailit, when in reality, it was always so
plentiful that it was wasted by tie Jarycl by
almost all the companies. AT that camp we
had every thing in the way of provisions that
soldier or any body else need want. We
had an ample supply of the best Of soft fresh
bread, the best OF fresh and corncd beef, the
best of salt pork and bacon. beans, peas, rice,
sugar. coffee, molasscs, potatoes, &C., &C.,
| furnished by the getlemany Commissary of
Subsistence, Capt. Wells. 81 Lombard street
1t is true, we had no 50 peaches and cream, -
nor g ice cream and jumbleS,' but these
things were not down in s. the Bill Of Fare ~
at least the Quartrrmast - has not been BILE
as yet to find them in the " Rcguatious.''-
Perhaps Congress at its coming Session, (f
! it can spare time from other important mat
ters) may amend the s. Regulaions'' so as to
add canvasbacks, turkeys, York Oysters,
mince pies, &C., to the regular ration. If so,
none will hail their advent with more saiisiac-
| ton than myself. But what great hardships
('sorc feet eXceptcd') were endured in this
great % march! The Regiment started out
at midnig ht-arrived out at ) o'clock in the
morning. A wagon load Of fresh. Soft bread
(not '.crust'') with Other provisions was sent
I" the men from camp carly in the morning
Thus, they had gotten thier snppers before they
started to Randalstown, and now they had
their breakfast They were back in camp by
II O'Clock and therefore in time for dinner
\ uw the tramp was tirrsome no doubt and
it is likely that 8 CCcil' was greatly cha
glned and disappointed in not meeting the
''rebels under Gen, Lee but in view Of all
the dreadful hardships, difficulties and cx-
trrmitirs Of this war, was it anything to COM
plain Of publicly?
But " Cecil'' grossly misrcprcscnts the
truth. He says "we had not an ounce of
potatoes from the II h OF September until the
27th Of Oct, - whereas we had an abundance
Of them until we started to Monocacy, on the
2lst of September. After this we hadn't
them because we couldn't get them For the
| same reason, which ought to be conc lusive if
not satisfactory. we didnt take any 50 fresh
meat" Altogether, we were without pota-
toes about a month, ard without fresh meat
about six weeks During this time, however.
we had plenty Of good pork and bacon. We
would have been glad to have had 81 fresh
meat" but We could not expect it in our
mi TOR trnr Epn,,I lin,
Witliamsport. And why should we have
expected it when all other troops on The route
were without it? AS soon as we arrived with
our 5ade at our headquarters, or as soon
thereafter as our Brigade Commissary Capt
Hathaway. could get fresh beef and potatoes
| for us, we were supplied.
Bnt Cecil " speaks of having -" nothing
but herd bread and pork for As days. This
is a monstrors !alshood. There never was
one day during that time, (unless on march.
and then the men were ordered to carry the
lations in their havrrsacks) when we had not
in addition TO :. hard bread and pork " bacon
beans, peas, rice, coffee, sugar, 81, sc. |:
! Is true, most OF our provisions bear the mark
| Of the 6 Chicahominy - campaign, but
nothing has been injured by it except the
! hard bread and some Of the salt beef, and a
| little of the bacon. Much Of the bread is
entirely unfit o use, and the men are not
exp ctcd to use it. That which is not good
Is thrown away. 50 also with III. bacon and
| beet. But Cecil" says that * Government
is not to blame, but roscaiy Quoric,m0Ners
who pocket the original cost OF good pro-
visions, and then reissue these provisions
which have been condemned by the Govern
ment." Now that there are rascilS in the Or.
Masters Department. as well as elsewhere in the
army, l have no doubt, but how far they
practice the game of which Cecil' speaks
| am unable to say. If Post Dirision or BIZ
gade Quarcrmastcrs have any opportunities
for this kind OF work, l am not aware Of it.
| but Regimemhi Quartcrmasters. every sensible
man knows, have no snch iacililicls. They
have no authority or power to make any CON
tracts, not even to the valuation of cent
| They draw on Headquarters for what their
20 effective men" are entitled to-thev get
| that and issue it to the men and that is the
extent OF their authority. If they get bad
| provisions and have them condemned by 4
s. Board Of survey" the condemned may be
| returned and good received instead thereof,
proriied good can lie had II not, the @ AFTER
master and men 90 without! Your cores
pondcnt uses the words srascally QUARTER
masters !" without any qualification, and as
have the honor to fl the post of Rcgimental
Quarcrmastrr to his regiment, 9th Md l
feel it my duty to call him to an explanation.
| think there is cIeditable testimony enough
among the good and true men Of the $. 9th -
to prove that have done every thing that
could be done for the welfare, accommodation
and comfort Of the men. This being the
case, am not willing that unqualified
statement shall appear in a Cecil paper over
an assumed name, which the people may con-
strue against me personally. therefore
wish your correspondent to qualify his state
meDt about 80 rascally Quartermaster - in his
next letter to The Wing. and the sooner the
| better. l wish HIM further to state TO YOU
! how far it has been within my power to pre-
vent the subjects Of his complaint NY
| family and all my local interests are here in
Cecil county, and good old Cecil has many
| good aud brave representatives in the 9th
scntcd at home, or that they should be char
actcrized as a set Of grumblers. They are
not such. They arc soldiers. Not men who,
having nothing to eat at home, went to the
army to get g fresh meat and potatoes. -
| They went for higher and holier purposc.--
They are not only willing to eat g hard bread
and pork,' but to do without anything if
necessity requires, aye, and to lay down their
| lives if need be for the salvation of orr
country and the honor OF our glorious flag. as
| thousands and thousands have already done.
| Such are the men who under the COM
mand of Capts. Hill, Christie and Crouch, and
| such are their companions, brave and true,
| from Carol, Frederick and Washington
counties and Baltimore, in Col. Howard's
Regiment.
In conclusion let me say, if &c Cecil" does
not explain himself in his next letter. that
| shall demand his name, after which the mat