American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1851-1863, 1862-10-31

CLOTHING FOR THE ARMY.

Our government cannot supply our soldiers IN the
field with clothing. 1t behooves us, then, to in
quire, - Are the people doing all in their power to
supply the defcency7'' We fear they not.
We fear that there is too great indifference pre-
vailing in the public mind this aIl-important
subject. If our armies are not fed and clothed they
cannot fight, and if they cannot fgh. and fight
successfully. subjugated people, beyond
all peradventure. Let every who has areatve
in the army. see to it that he well clothed Let
them not rest night day till that is accomplish
ed. Having accomplished that, let him or her then
. not grow weary in well doing, but go forward in
the good work and do all they can to clothe some
other person who may not be so fortunate to
have relatives at home to care for them. You need
not be afraid of doing too much. If the particular
friend for whom you buy and sew should have
more than he needs rest assured ne has a comrade
in arms who Is needy, and to whom he will turn
over his surplus.
Since commencing this article our eye has fallen
upon article in the Richmond Wing on this sub
ject. which cannot do better than to transfer.
The Wing, in referring to the army under General
LEE, from which 1t has direct information. says
that many of his soldiers have not changed their
.cluthng since they left Richmond. They have
slept il, it. fought i'll it, crossed the Potomac in it,
marched dusty roads and through storm and
II
washed it in all this time because they had no other
to put when that taken off The reader
will not be surprised to hear therefore, that many
of the troops are covered with vernin, and their
clothing rotten and dirty beyond anything they
have ever seen. There is negro in the South
who not better eft. in this respect than of
the best soldiers and first gentlemen in all the land
The same Journal understands that the govern
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over thirty thousand garments and large ship
snent of shoes This number of garments. allow
ing coat pair OF pants and shirt, to man, will
furnish suits, say. for ten thousand needy men
This will go far toward relieving the more desti-
tute. The government has in its employs in Rich
mond fifty eight taars who cut out the cloth, and
NV nty-seven hundred women who make it up into
garmeuts-the whole turning out. average
nine thousand garments per week. or coats, pants
and shirts for three thousand men. There other
establishments in other parts of the CDnfederacy
ssepe ,ioth;ng i being manufactured for the army
and The force engaged is sfii Gent perhaps, to turn
a. L twenty thousand garments week. At this
rate. estimating army in the field at four hun
.dred thousand men, il woaId require than
year to furnish each man xth Jingle suit of
cipties. II we. suppose the various government
establishments will he allie supply two hnndred
Thousand by Christmas. there will still he two
hundred thousand left who will have to look To the
people at home for their egIits. or go without
-ei9tlh.g If the government should provide for
three hundred thousand. the nunher left for the
country to clothe would still be frghtfaIy large
one HUNDRED thousand men!
These figures are merely rough estimates. and are
only inteAded TO the purpose of directing the
s.tten,on of the people to the magnitude of the la
4. g,.-c ffar mi hall hay
4lone all it can there will still be much left for the
warm hearts and willing hands Of the people TO
perform And, if they would accomplish this tabor
in time to benefit those fer whom it is undertaken
they ,csssnet set about it too The weather
among the mountains in Virginia Is already coiasto
the men who do cuty for with My tattered
dirty and threalbare garments upon their manly
limbs. Let the people then, everywhere and IN
whatever circumstances. commence the good work
as possible and never iesve off until one OF
the best aud bravest armies in the world shall have
been furnished with all the comforts it may be in
our pow er TO hestow. There are none SO INDECENT
that they cannot contribute something the relief
of such troops as ours. Let it be remembered that
though destitute as they are represented to be
aand though many of them have gene without food
for days to ether. and that at a time when they
were making long marches aad fighting hoody
battles with the enemies of country still they
are cheerful patient and resolute as ever and are
ready now. they have been at all times. to assert
their birthrght to be free. If the invader thinks
differently. he has only TO seek them where they
are, aud he will soon be cured of his folly.
WRrrE TO THE SoLDrER---Persons who
should write to them often, remarks the
Charleston Courier. Nothing, aside from the
substantial comforts of camp life in the
form of COED clothing and other similar
ct eeteras, is so much appreciated By the
weary, toll worn soldier. as a hearty, cheer
FIJI letter from home. We should set aside
certain days In each week in which to write
to our soldier friends. Any one who has
visited our camps and witnessed the eager
ness With which the soldier inquiries for lets
ters-how diligently they are read when re-
eeived, and how carefully he preserves those
little missives of love and friendship-can- :.
not fail to realize the amount of good he
may do in this respect
Tux WEArHsR-0n Friday night last the
weather underwent = great change Satur-
day vas cold, cloudy, cherries day, with .
cutting wind from the norti, betokenang
snow storm somewhere. Sunday was a
clear, cold day, and on Monday morning
there was heavy, killing frost. Since tnen
the trees have shed their foliage IKE
leaves in valiambrosa."
Tuesday morning the cars from Holy
Springs Brought down snow. showing that
we had made narrow escape from an ele-
mentary visitation. Of that kind here.
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kF A .quack says that he has IN