The New York herald., 1863-10-02
THE QuAaIERMAsTER's pEpARTMrT1.
Our w.sA,nsso. Corr.spo.a..,s.

Ia
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Our Wsshington Correspondsp
wAsssar0s, Sep. e, 1853.
1Ae Wsrksn2 Of ne Qnayt~masters Dg<y4~<,x Drc,,.s
De'c.Pao" q HoD Ms BSs'nes & 1yomsacsed-TAs Com
krts of ns Busdin0s-Tas R<rlal 8uysau sa,,,ie, ),
Deaths, de-, dS
o1O those who have vSited Washington and made the
POUNDS Of the immense establishments devoted TO the
uses Of the Quartermasters department United states
Army ere aware OF the oxtent OF Its operations and the
details Of the system by which they are carried into
effect propose, through the columns Of tho Nnw
YoRK HEnID, to give glimpse ine the praclca! work
ings Of this systen-one OF the most ha-
monoas have during the existence OF this sigan
TIC war sgans rebellion. Generals In tho deid
command Of vast armies, have often plead In exeuua-
tion Of their failures accomplish what expect
ed OF them by the War Secretary and tho President
default Oh the part Of the Quarermas,ers Department,
These complaints in some Instances may nave been well
founded. No one however, after inspecting tho amoas
fauless arrangements which have made TO facilitate
The prompt supply 10 the armies in the field of all necessary
quartermastes stores will impute blame 20 the chiefs Of
the several bureaus here Captains Har
Thomas and Tompkins.
My first visit to Captain e. L. Harts, Assistant.
ouartermaster, United States Army. re received ms
kindly ana conducted through tSe entire range his
bureau explaining each operation In detail passed
|
tcnsive Of the deparment-hc has quite army of sub
ordnatesclcrks, mechanics and laborers-employed No
less than Six two story buildings eighty by hundred
ana y feet required for the storage
scriptions OF property coming under his These
buildings situated wes. of the Presidents house, and
though Of wood SO neatly and substantially constructed
to be adornment rather than eyesore to the
neehborhood. Abou. hundred Thousand feet Of iun
Der required for each structure first visited the
saw what astonsbcd me, accustomed as am to the
operations Of the governmental bureaus. Boxes bales
and bundles hero pied innense ers yel in such
complete order that difficulty expe.ienad in mmedi
atey putting hands any article required Tho waste In
cdeut TO military operations In the aed forcibly Illus
trated here. Hardly regiment that has been in active
service but has claim IN the buildings devoted to
the storage Of abandoned property In batch Of aban
dcned stores single building estimated tho outfit
In clothing alone sufficient for twenty thousand men.
nearly all Of which woald be serviceabe Great heas Of
overcoa;s and blankets torciby reminded OF sscri-
Gees soldier makes " endure summers march at tho
expense OF his winters comfort. great portion Of this
clothing III II could be done under regulntions)
should bo turned 10 quartermasers tho field and
reissucd to the troops, as 1t good as new II has
been recovered solely through the exerons OF the Quar-
tcrmasers Department, and is allowed 10 lie In tho
storehouses. until order for ts sae
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nominal price. While looking at those
huge piles Of knapsacks overcots bouses pans your
correspondent wondered II would not be good idea TO
establish government laundry connection wth the
many other establishments for the repair Of government
property which have been Organized and set In motion
here by the Qusrtermister's apartment.
very economical arrangement has been adopted by
Captain Hartx with regard TO the blankets which have
been recovered and turned TO him. They are
ressued horse blankets for which purpose they ad
mirabiy suited. The saving TO the government by this
arrangement Is coDsderab
We next paid visit the varebot Sos devoted
70 the storage OF c,nhsosted property Hundreds Of
thousands Of dollars worth OF property is here
slowed awaiting the order Of the Secretary Of the
Treasury for It's Dnsl disposition by sale return
TO its original large proportion Of
this property has been seized for violations
Of tho rules OF tho War Department concerning
sutlers' goods. Among other things OF interest
hero saw the piano Of the famous rebel
guerilla chief Colonel Ashby ana the hne furniture the
rebel GeneI al WurDg
After visiting these depots Of deposit, mado tho
rounds OF the building devoted ,hc quarter
masters stores and the abandoned property
the regiments TO which II belonged No less than sn
regiments received their Abandoned property while
present. n a OF these structures tho most anpls
arrangements used guard against 1re. The build.
ipgs arc not Immediately contiguous TO another
6ro would not be apt TO from 10 another
Cleanliness and perfect order the features predoni
nsing in all OF these establish rncnts and the
visitor Is surprised 10 much accomp ished with -
little csn fusion and hustle
The shoIs for the repair Of abandoned quartorrass.
ters' property next chained my attention. 1 found
them quite extensive ard in acsIve operation
Hcrc an abardoned Puck, axe or stove
which was worthless before, Genes from The
hands OF tho skiul artisans employed by goveru-
ment az good when Originally purchased and ut 40 In
significant price COMPARED tc what formerly paid by
the governments FOR the same work at private shops
Indeed much Of the property which here restored 10
It's primitive value would have thrown aside under
the old system, as costing for repairs than nev
articles Of the same description could 10 Purchased for
Nearly all The axes, pcks ari stoves in store and
ready Tor issue those which have been aired Al
the government shops under Captain Hsftzs direction
Joners shop IS attached TO lh5 department. whore all
work Of this kind Deeded tie ofnces OF The DEPART
mcnls, ch as desks, tables sc.s !one IN the neates,
manner. The department. rs freed from The necos-
article where .orne Iy hlhdreds o thousands OF oIas
were expended With far lees avcrabic than under
the new system iDauguraied by colonel n II. Ruoker
and carried into practical operation by Captains Hrtz,
Tompkins and Thomas.
Connected with this department 10 a barsau Iutls
known beyond Washington, but wnose Operations
the people Of every stae, and enlist behalf all the
huer seasbies Several months elapsed after the ont
break of the rebellion before any system was devised or
the burial OF soldiers dying 10 the tstrict and dead
inferred BY their comrad,s in private Cemeteries
and IN the open ncits ler carrs No rocorc wns
kept and soop graves wero saitered upou every HILLSIDE
and In every valley within tie deissces many wthous
even slab TO perpcfuate the memory of The faen ali
exposed 70 neglect and obierst'on A. length burial
place was selected north Of the city, the Old Sol
diers' Homo, In which thse dying IN the District were
TO be buried Another cemetery WAS purchased IN The
suburbs Of Alexandria Neat and substania wee
erected. tho groupd laid oat 10 sections hanc.ornsy
sodded aud hcadboards ordered upon were 70 BE-
sodsr buried se"ash them asdo. oSssm " we're sSIr,
srucsd 10 report all deaths 10 this bureau and sbort
time Capt Hsrtz mad perfected the Arrangements that
yold dierd dvl M heros
10 good CONN and buried where his remains can be
found ct any time oy bis friends. and where hts
will be preserved 70 future gelerstaps.
slight distinction u made 10 favor Of onhccrs who
given stained conn, lined and ornancutcd with silver
handles, screws &c. THIS is encoeed IN substanys
box, which protects the conn from contact with ts
earth ans will render Gi Tor removal hence
desired.
The record OF deaths preserved BY Cspt Hsrz IN re-
pete With interest, aud ads data for iportspt stars
ho an Of iho