Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1862-01-16
Tho Army Worms.


or sepsibilities left we would not envy their
feelings, could they but listen to the loud
deDunciation of them by the poor soldiers
who, on bleak mountain sides and dreary
plains, out in Western Virginia, Northern
Kentucky and elsewhere, are upholding the
cause of the Union in 'shoddy" coats,
"shoddy" pants and ''shoddy" blankets,
which keep out neither cold nor wet, though
Uncle Sam has paid, in nearly every case,
the most extrayagant prices for them. AS
we write this there is before US q case in
point, in the shape of a report of q Board of
Examiners recently appointed by General
Schoepf to examine certain packages of
clothing returned to the Brigade. Quarter
master of the Seventeeth Ohio Regiment as
utterly unfit for use. The Board was COM
posed of Lieutenant. Colonel NJ. T. Moore,
Of the Seventeenth Ohio, Captain John H.
Adams, of the Thirty. eighth Ohio, and
Lieutenant Newman, Of the Thirty-eighth
We condense the results of the examination,
for the edifcation of the reader, below.
Tie five cases of pants from Stix, Krouse
i Company, No. 81 Pearl street, Cincinnati,
numbered, respectively, 90, 94, &c. 90 and
l0l, containing, in the aggregate, 554 pair
pante. These pairs of pants were found to
be made of very inferior material, for the
most part of coarse cassinette, shoddy, and
shoddy mixed with cotton that they have
no uniformity of color, but vary from a
dingy brown, through various shades of blue
to black.
With very few exceptions, these pants
were pronounced unfit for use, many Of them
entirely worthless for service. The result Of
their Investigations was that they did moi
consider this lot of clothing worth more than
a fifth per cent upon the value of good
meTchantable article of the quality usually
issued to United States troops. Two cases
| of pants, from George A. Davis & Co., o.
New York, numbered 1000, were also ex,
amined, containing $50 pairs, which were
found to be of the same material eud quality
as the aforementioned articles. Five casel
Of drawers, numbered "a rs, 76, II, 78, wer,
examined, the manufacturer of which was
net known, which were found to be made O
brown cotton drilling, and were pronounced
unfit for winter use.
Eleven of infantry jackets, marked Geo
A. Davis & Co., New York, numbered
respectively 500, 80l, SO2, sO3, 8O6 sO7, 9lS
937, 942, 955, 944, containing in all 1923
These jackets were for the most part found
to be made of light cassinette, of various
colors, and of very light fabric; and 81
poorly made that they would all soon rip t.
pieces when worn. There we're not more
than 200 in the whole lot that could be pro
nounced of fair quality. They were consd
cred worth not more than sixty per cent il
comparison with good salable article anC
are in fact worthless for the use intended
Five bales of shirts marked "gray flannel,
| from N. FIechheimer, Cincinnati, containing
200 dozen, were found to be cotton, and yer!
light.
These facts, it must be borne in mind, ar
submitted, with an official certificate of thei
| genuineness-and it will not do, therefore
to al!ege, as in similar cases, hitherto. tina
they are the allegations of parties who wert
themselves disappointed in procuring the
contracts. To say nothing of the wicked
ness of thus imposing upon the poor soldier
who has left the comforts of home, to expose
himself to the rigors of winter, in order tt
defend the flag of our country-the cupidity
which thus seeks to enrich itself at the pub
| lie expense, at a time when the Government
is actually on the verge of bankruptcy, aDC
when an enormously increased taxation t
carry on the war is one of the inevitablitiel
OF the near future, is a worse enemy thar
jeff. Davis or General Beauregard. These
we can meet and vanquish on the battle
! field, and thus make an end of them, some
time or other-but "shoddy," alas live
Cd, and kills while it lives. Once in a grea
while, indeed, it can be got at, through tht
mediation OF Van Wyck Investigation
but for every one that is thus yanquished Of
punished, a thousand 60 unwhipt of justice
We do not know what remedy there is fo
these outTages-but the Government oueh
to know, and must know.-Ncw York Ex
press.