The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1862-11-05
SOUTHERN NEWS.

ginia, which we discussed at some length
In our issue Of yesterday. As we re
marked in the conclusion Of our last ar
ticle, the Gofernment has begun 20 NOV,
in the matter Of furnishing supplies 3,
the troops, and several wagons, loadeC
with shoes and clothing, had reached
Winchester as early as The middle Of las
week. We understand that other ship.
meDts of clothing, shoes, and perhaps
blankets, have been made to the same
destination. These supplies will afford
| great relief as far as they go, and we onlv
regret they are not ample enough 20 meet
the wants of the entire army. Much
good will be accomplished, however, II
even portion Of our barefooted and
ragged defenders have shoes put upon
their feet and clothing upon their backs.
Many OF them have not changed their
| clothing since they left Richmond. They
have slept in Thought in it-crossed
the Potomac in it--marched over dusty
roads, and through storm and sunshine
in it; yet they have not changed il or
washed it in all this time, because they
hadnO other to put on when that was taken
Off The reader will not be surprised 10
hear, therefore, that many Of the troops
are covered with vermin, and their cloth
ing rotten and dirty beyond anything
they have ever seen. There is no negro
in Virginia who is not better off, in this
respect, than some of the best soldiers and
first gentlemen in all the land.
We understand that the Government
has already forwarded TO Gen. Lees army
over 10000 garments, and q large ship
ment of shoes. This number of garments,
allowing coat pair of pants, and shirt
70 man, will furnish suits, say for TO-
600 needy men, This viii go far towards
relieving the more destitute. The Gov
ernment has in its employ, in this city,
SO tailors, who cut out the cloth, and e.
700 women, who make it up into gar
ments-the whole turning out, on an
average 5000 garments per week, or
coats, pants and shirts for 1900. There
are other establishments, in other parts
of the Confederacy, where clothing is
being manufactured for the army, and
the force engaged is sufficient, perhaps,
to turn out 10000 garments week. At
this rate, estimating our army in the field
at 100000 men, it would require more
than a year to furnish each man with
single suit of clothes If we suppose
the various Government establishments
will be able TO supply 100000 men bv
Christmas, there will still be 100000 left,
who will have to look 10 the people al
home for their outfits, or go without
clothing; if the Government should pro-
vide for 100000, the number left for the
country to clothe would still be frightfully
large-1000O0 men!
These figures are merely rough esti.
mates, and are only intended to serve
the purpose of directing the attention of
the people to the magnitude of the labor
before them. After the Government shall
have done all it can, there will still be
much left for the warm hearts of the
people to perform. If they would ac-
complish this labor, in time 10 benefit
those for whom il is undertaken, they
cannot set about it too soon. The wealth |
er among the mountains in Northern Vir-
ginia is already cold to the man who
sleeps upon the ground, with no tent to
shelter him from the rain and dew, with |
no shoes upon his feet, with no blanket |
TO cever him while he sleeps or stands |
guard for us, and with only tattered, |
dirty and tLreadbare garments upon his
manly limbs.
Let the people, then, everywhere, and
In whatever circumstances, commence
the good work as soon as possible, and
never leave it off until the best and
Dravest army in the world shall have
been furnished with all the comforts il
nay be in our power to bestow. Let us
not stop TO indulge our indignation
against the government for its want of
Provident foresight and its cruel neglect,
put let us rather clothe the naked and
supply the army first and then hold the
authorities TO a just accountability.
And who is so INDECENT and who so
niserly, that be cannot contribute aome-
hing to the relief Of such troops as ours?
Though destitute, as we have represented
hem to be, and though many Of them
lave gone without food for days together,
md that at a,time when they were making
Ong marches and fighting bloody battles
With the enemies of our country, still
hey are cheerful, patient and resolute as
'ver, and are ready now, as they have
been at all times, TO assert their birth
light to be free. If the invader thinks
differently, he has only 10 seek them
where they are, and he will soon be cur