The weekly sun. (New York [N.Y.]) 1851-1869, 1862-02-08
Ennir,nnnI oil Inr Army.

Whea The prcaont civil wal broke oJt, tho
Quuiofmastars Depot Of tho I nitod States at
this city WIS little more than a nominal affair.
H. employees were few In number, an the la.
Dor pol!,rirod wa whom yiownd by tho side
OF the wOIk Of tho past Fix month"; nothing
Th,fo was here no ciothirg department, and no
provisions for cquppng 'oliiof' at this point
we're made; but now, New York 10 the great
central depot for tho whole UuiteI Sta.os.
! True, tho Qlarterma-tcr Generals office is in
=. 'hi' Fton, and the headquarters are there
We 1T Of fact, this is tho point from
"I'' ~ P''. sin portion Of the necessary
supplies 81 for the army o. tho Union AMI there.
fore wa choose to speak Ct II - the central
depot. That portion Of the QuarIena''
teis Department which is 70 ably mad
aged by Colonel Tompkins AMI hi Off.
cient assistants, al 80. q State street, in
cludos tho receiving, lodgment and forwarding
Of volunteers the charterng Of transport and
lac ing them with ordnance stores, &c. A tulsr-
able memory will assist tho reader IN coming al
OuCo To our conclusion that tho business OF this
branch Of the Department has been very great,
hst 'Ut tYo reasons We are unihle 10 giyB anv
dttutto particulars. ono Of these is that A TOO
great publicity 10 Affairs Of tho Department is
not do, med prudent the second, that thu lig ID
cannot TO got at. Not untTCquenty, since tho
beginning Of the war, transportation had TO bs
provided for three or four thousand men in a
single day yessoa u orc at the same tins 20 be
cha -tored, fitted out, Laden, and dispatches,
quarters provided FIR troops, Jntracts 10 bs
made and "A host Of other things all recurring
time ami labor, 10 Do t0uo. Not SIIh standing
the energy OF the Department, IL is not surprise
ing then that occasionally tho reports OF work
done would be incomplete.
But our especial business at presoIt Is wi b he
clothing and equipping department, which takes
the man in puris natpTaliJu and transforms MIN
into soldier, thoroughly uniformed AID equip
pod, ready for the rifle ard the field.
The commanding officer OF this branch OF tho
department is Lieut.. CO.. ID. H. Niuton. Capt.
K. NJ Potter II military stOrskeepor Mr.. J. r.
Eodgcr. ia assistant military s.uiokGopor, ant
Mr.. J. !. puillun chief Inspector. A sub ilyi-
sion a the department ia msie, by whi-h all
tie articles passing through tho department are
Cldt,lhed undrr some one Il tho fourteen dli'ur-
ert heads, AID are taken charge Of BY the head
Inspectors OF the several branches 90 which they
belong, T.. ella Ot those Inspectors ba5 one or
two assistants, and the number Of clerks and la
borefs employed in tho department varies from
2jO 20 ilO according to Tho ntCgsritiG8 uf the
occasion, In all the branches Of this United
States llltftermastet' department I, tho most
luNOlfu care mas bpe1 lAkcu that 10 IN
IcIlor or spurious article l. purChH sod
b. the Government Except at tho outbreaking
Of the rebellion, when an Immense number of
men were 10 be equipped slmo. at tho same
moment, when certain necessary articles were
scarce, or in the hands Of greedy and unsCrgpu-
lola contractors, ia pursuance Ui special orders,
many blankets and other article, which would
siICo have been rejected, weTa accepted gladly.
The supply has since become equal to tho de-
mand, AID the Inspectors, all Of whom arc
thoroughly practical men now exercise dis
erection which secures the Government In the
knowledge that every article furnished to th
army from this depot, 4 least, is Of tho very
best quality in the market, and il purchased a
the lowest prices. Indeed in the matter tf pri-
cos, incomprehensible as the fact may seem, some
things, axes and hatcheis, for example, the former
at average OF so cts and the latter 20 cts each,
arc supplied at prioss which Scarcely cover the
actual cost TO the Manufacturer. We propose
giving brief statement II tho business due h