The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1862-01-27
AN EXPOsTTION.
CAMP PoPR. No. Jan. 2O.

~s~0A-S VII
gressionaE Districts cftts State Of Indiana ,
FELLOW circumstances having
transpired in connection with the organiza-
ton and history of the Gath regiment Indi-
ana volunteers, made up of the citizens of
your several Districts, make it incumbent
on me to lay before you a few plain state
ments with regard to some matters of i'm
portance to us, as soldiers, and you as citi-
zens.
The regiment, on its organization, at
Camp. Knox, Vincennes, In1iana, two or
hree days prior to its departure for the seat
| of war, in Missouri, received at the hands
of the State of Indiana, its uniform and gem
eral outfit Previous to this, however, the
officers and soldiers composing the regimen
were led to believe, from representations o
those high in authority, that the State of
Indiana wenld furnish the outfit of her SOL
diers gratis. First came the sample of the
jackets and pantaloons composing the uni
form-a fair article of grey cashmere, and,
to all appearances, durable enough. Fol-
lowing these came the uniform complete, for
the regiment. On opening the boxes con-
tanning the clothing, and inspecting the
various articles, they were found to fall far
short OF the sample. Instead of the beauti-
ful gray cashmere we were to expect from
the sample, we found a miserable article of
shoddy of the worst stamp, and of four or
five different grades of texture; the finest
falling far below the sample. Next came
the blankets, marked as good wooden blank
ats Of the regular size and weight As to
size and weight, they were very near up to
the regulation standard. And if cotton
chain and a mixture of wool and cotton fill
ing-the wool of the coarsest kind-makes
a woolen blanket, then they were undoubt-
edly wool. The hats were a poor, flimsy |
article, representing a wool hat that few |
days wear rendered entirely shapeless and |
OF no value whatever as a covering for the /
head. The shirts were composed of a thin. |
coarse wooden fabric of all conceivable |
shapes and sizes. The drawers were toler- |
ably well made, but entirely too small for |
even medium sized men. The shoes re-
ceiVed were such as to give no serious cause
OF complaints outside of the price we were
finally compelled to pay for them. But the
socks-language fails to describe the arti-
Gle. They were of all shapes, sizes and con-
ditions, except serviceable condition. For
the mostipart small and shapeless, with legs
varying from one to four inches in length.
and all 80 badly moth eaten that, in many
instances, the hand could be thrust through
the rents. The other articles of camp equip
age were on par with the foregoing.
The above, fellow-citizens, will give you
a faint idea of the clothing and outfit with
which your friends and relations were sent
into an enemy's country, to endure the ia
tigue and privations of a fall and winter
ror cfrry, -, fI,C Cfogo e /
soldiers composing the regiment acting on
the adage, "never look gift horse in the
mouth" withheld their Just Indignation,
and the regiment arrived in due time at
Camp Allen, Mo-, where the men were
mustered for payment. Then came the as
founding fact that this clothing, now in
tatters, with scarcely three weeks wear,
must be paid for at the contractors prices |
and in consequence must be deducted from |
the hard earned pay of the soldier, notwi tn
standing they were led to believe that the
clothing was free gift from the State of
Indiana, and their outraged feelings found
vent in murmurings and just recriminations
against those in high authority, who had
led them to believe that the clothing was a
gift from the State. A regimental council !
of administration was Immediately convened
for the purpose of setting fair price on the
clothing, and have the matter arranged
with as little loss to the soldier as possible. 4
The council met ard made a fair estimate
of the value of the clothing, which they
forwarded to indianapolis to be laid before
the Legislative AudIting Committee. That 4
committee, when the contractors bill was
laid before them, refused its payment, on !
the ground that the articles received did
not comport with the sample, and thus re- 4
pudiated the bill; consequently the regi-
ment as they thought, were forever free
from this incubus; but not so. The thiev-
ing contractors and their aiders and abettors
were in no humor to give the matter up; /
SO with energy worthy of better cause and
malignant perseverance, the harpies hur-
ried the matter, until finely on the 18th of
January the regiment received letter FROM
Q. NJ. General Vajen, stating that the State
has compromised with the contractors (God a
save the poor soldier from such compro-
mises), and the amount must be deducted
from the pay now due from the regiment. :
Now for the figures to show what we have {
to pay for this uniform and clothing des-
cribed in the beginning of this article:
Jacket aud Trowsers 90 ~
Rubber BIanket Is
W ool blanket 90
pdlr Ohoess's.s-. 80
80