The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1862-01-16
Co.a;,isu of the Rebel Arm,.
From The Richmond Examiner of Thursday, Jan, 2
THE CONDITION OF OUR ARMIES.

THE CONDITION OF OUR ARMIES.
The present condition of our army
is a cause OF severe and painful ankles
ty. The courage OF our troops Is not
abated; the ca erness for the fray is
not relaxed ; and yet generalization is
creeping in, we fully believe. tom the
insane and reckless neglect of the
Government to sustain and to cult
vate the spirit of our soldiery.
There is too much drunkenness
among the officers on the Potomac, and
too much vacant ldling among the men.
We are informed as a positive fact
that, an tie majority OF the army on
the Potomac, the practice Of re9inae,1taI
drills has julien into complete dtSUSe.
This alone would be sufficient to de-
moralze any army in circumstances
such as ours. The drill is not only es-
sential for schooling the soldier, 1t tul-
fills other vastly important and essen
tiaI purposes. 1t developes and edu-
Gates the physique, fOrtities the soldier
against disease; and, what is perhaps
the most important moral considera>
ton of al, gives him occupation tor a
portion of his time ca b day, and pros
tects MIN, at least meas urably, against
the canker~worm Of the army-e7l1tUi
What can be predicted but utter de
mOralizaliOn for an army whose cOndl-
ton is that OF tens of thousands OF men
living i'll utter idlencss, grovelling III
their tents, with no occupation but what
is afforded by the greasy pack OF cards
that is the inevitable inmate o. every
tent, or the yellow covered novel,
whose wrctchcd and perhaps filthy en-.
telta.nment has more ti.an once gone
the rounds of the company.
We cannot shut our eyes to the fact
that tie 0ynay rs Jeccn'ia'g q name Of
terror and dre0d to the minds IF our
citizens. The newspapers ale stlll fill
ed with adytrtIsclnc OF bonuses tol
" substitutes" although tn IVat De
partment has adopted Il rule restrict
ing the number of subNtituiIons To rnt
in each company. J he rates paid for
substitutes are enormous. w care In>
formed that they average tIon $500 t.
$3.50; ana We have been told OF Il res
cent instance where 1900 was paid
tor the prompt procurement of sub
stitute to take the place OF II private
suddenly constrained to leave the ar
my. hcidtmceS stare us az tie toCt
of mpaojilingneSs Of men to accept
the lite Of famine. dirt, and Daca',t
id1ehess 1" the arYuy. Richmond is
filed with soldiers who have come out
OF the hospitals, OF who have got here
on some pretense or other, applying
for discharges, and striving and wrig-
Cling in all sorts OF ways to get out OF
the army. 1t is but u few days ago
that a soldier, discharged from one Of
the hospitals here, committed suicide
rather than be constrained to return tC
the army.
There is no unwilliHgness among
our young men TO serve their country.
There are thousands who would will>
ingly go with their lives on their sleeves
to battle with The enemy, and to attest
a devoted and courageous patriotism
but who dread to bcIake themselves to
the wretched, half Ted lite of dirt, Va
cancy, aud idleness in the camps
This is the restraint upon volunteering.
The Government Will IN VAIN ESSAY tC
remove it by Il bounty law for re-euliSt
men,s-the provisions OF which, 10y
the way for company reorganization
have already, we understand, proved
a fruitful source of intrigue and demon
aGzation III our army without Other
measures that will reach to the root OF
the evil The authorities at Richmond
may assure themselves that, as long as
the health Of the army is neglected,
and it Is maintained in its dirty, slug.
gard condition, the drills nV- lect, d;
the halt ralions OF CONS iS>alleS Wink
ed at, the IoWdyiSm Of officers passed
Owe, and the vacancy and ldiene>s OF
"a defensive policy" held out as re-
wards 10 voIu' tecring, the army will
not br flied and 'cpIcnlshri but from
few CLASSES of ou' people.
" by was it that when Our soldiers
were daily dying by humid eds, t, {
Government did NOT show tie common
humanity OF the small measures of IN
stituting a medical commission TO eX>
anime the camps, and If possible, check
the progress aud ravagrS of dl>casc
Why was it that, when the Cover
mcht had oil ct he who line of
transpol tation rom the tar",inas and
Louisiana to the drputS ut Manassas
and CentreviIle,an could have bought
sugar in New Orleans at three cents,
it permitted our ar y to suffer for
months for rice, sugar and molaSSrS,
and winked at the practice OF buying
sugar from the suffers at 40 cents Il
pound ? Why is ii that to>doy The
G0Uerhnqe3lt rechS mol lchdt II reads,
and toler.tteS ha6,tS ~ 6tenPer ne,
n,nu1 ii, erS ond NJ d,>"Se ~ reyj
mental ,4rt4iS iIs D1tl. dtntG q" tie q
n,,tc : All al thu>r acts OF Omission
and negligence, which have con ribu
ted to the demon aliZatlon OF our army
might have been avoided. 1t is hot toe
late TO repair them.
We are firmly convinced that the re>
form of the condition Of our army with
wise and firm hand, and the holding
out of rewards, not 10 ayaricc or idle>
ness, but TO the true patriotic entGusi,
assn Of our country in the prospect o.
All active military policy and share Of
military glory, Will plOvidethe best Sc
curity for enlistment and the mos
successful stimulant TO volunteering
We sre as firmly convinced that nj
other measures VIII restore the spiri
OF the volunteer and the enthusiasm o
the country.