Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1862-01-17
CONDITION OF. THE UNION ARMIES.


prepared, from the voluminous reports of the
agents Of the association, highly interesting
and valuable abstract of results, which gives a
very complete view Of the condition, moral and
physical, of large part of the Union armies
The returns en- which Mr.. Olmsted's abstract
Is predicted include two hundred regiments.
VI these, thirty seven were from New England,
one hundred and one from the Middle States,
including Virginia, Maryland. and Delaware,
and slxty-two were western. As nearly as can
be ascertained, about two-thirds of the vOlun-
teer army is native born, and one-third foreign
born. The average age of the privates is some
what under twenty-five. and of the officers
about thirty-fOur. Preliminary inspections
seem to have been conducted very carelessly;
Of $40 men dischafged from the army of the
Potomac in October, tifty-three per cent were
individuals who, under proper inspection,
would never have been admitted to the army
Drainage OF the camps has become better as
the soldiers get practice, and now the majority
OF volunteer camps are cat least as well drained
as those of the regulars" 1t is remarked that
even yet, however, lit seems to be nobody's
business TO lay out a system of drains" Ninety
per cent. OF the force reported on had tents
made of good canvas; and ten per cent slept
under cotton drilling or leaky canvas.
"a limited examination Of the diseases of
the army indicates that the largest proportion
of those Of typhoid type occur with regiments
sleeping on rubber blankets, the least with
those on straw or boughs; the largest proper
ton OF catarrhal with regiments on wooden
floors, the least with those on the ground; the
largest of rheumatism with those on wood the
smallest with those on straw or boughs; the
largest OF malarial with those On the ground,
the least with those on straw or boughs."
Privies had been established in all the camps
and in eighty per cent of the force they are
kept IN proper order In seventy-seyen per
cent; OF the camps the slops and Offal are reg
ularly removed
"Of the camps inspected, FIVE per cent were
in admirable order, forty-fve per cent. fairly
clean and well policed. The condition Of
tWenty-sI per cent was negligent and SLOW
emily, and that Of twenty-four per cent. deci-
dedly bad, filthy and dangerous"
In nlnety-four per cent. Of the regiments
men were provided with two shirts, and in
seVenty-four per cent these were of regulation
quality; eighty-two per cent. had good over
coats; seVenty-fve per cent. had good cloth
body coats, and eighty-seven per cent were
sufficiently supplied with pantaloons; seventy
five per cent. had blanket each. and twenty
per cent. two each-but these mostly Of infe-
rior quality.
In about eighty per cent the officers claimed
to give systematic attention to the cleanliness
OF the men; but it is remarked that they rarely
enforce the washing of the feet, and not always
Of the head and neck.
Food was found to be universally good and
abundant. Desiccated vegetables are used to
some extent, but the men have not learned to
cook them. Company funds-obtained by the
sale OF surplus rations not consumed by the men,
and used TO purchase fresh vegetables, butter,
milk. &c, are slowly coming into practice; but
1t is remarked that the volunteers are with
difficulty made to understand the system
which is strange, considering the readiness
with which Americans comprehend what bears
upon their comfort. Probably the regim tai
officers do not take sufficient interest in the
matter. Hospital funds exist in only a third
of the regiments in the field.
Only ten per cent. of the force inspected used
cooking stoves, and almest all preferred fires
in trenches. The pieman is an Institution in
the volunteer force, and the surgeons strongly
desire his abolition. Suffers are held more
mischievous than useful
Intoxication was found common in only six
regiments, of two hundred, and our volunteers
are believed to be more temporste than any
European army.
I'm 81 regiments the sutler was allowed to
sell liquor. In 1859 the officers reported that
the sale was prohibited. In 1T Il appeared
that the men did, in fact, get liquor with more
or less freedom and facility from the suffers or
otherwise. In % the inspectors were satisfied
that the men did not often or readily obtain
liquor" =
There Is an intense demand for reading mat.
ter: One regiment gives sixty dollars from its
ration savings for newspapers. About one fifth
of the regiments possess libraries. 143 regi-
ments Of the 200 inspected have bands; and
the men are said to be very proud of them.
Some regiments support their bands.
The men are generally disposed to send home
from half te three-fourths of their pay, s'when
1t can be done safely" and the recently passed
allotment act will be an added indueement 10
all TO do this.
In los regiments the camp hospitals are in
good order, and in twenty-six bad. The re-
maindsr were Indifferent. The health of our
armies is evidently not above the average of
armies in the field. The mortality in the army
Of the Potomac, during the summer months,
averaged 81 per cent, and for the whole army
IL Is stated at i've per cent.
The report calls attention TO the necessity of
increased precautions against typhus fever and
small pox. There has been no general re-
vaccination Of the army" and the weather
causes the men to huddie together in the tents,
TO the obstruction Of sufficient ventilation and
consequent danger Of typhus. The report as
serts that the defective hospital arrangements
at and around Washington continue without
material change"
"Ths Commission feels THAI the duty assigned
II by the War department requires 1t 70 protest,
as it has already protested, against the grossly
inadequate provision for the contingency OF a
general sction, Whish certainly existed during