The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1863-04-25
NO ID
tror tho Na.hvmo uoiopl
A Hint TO OFrlcers.

|
AR. Editor; Among the crying evils"
of the army, ask leave TO call atlen-
ton, through your columns, to that of
all others, which causes the greatest
amount of suffering, and FOR which there
IS the least excuse. lrefer 10 the care
lessness of commanders Of companies in
making out and furnishing descriptive
lists. The following paragraphs from
the report of the Sanitary Commission,
should be brought to the attention of all
commanding officers:
"In my last report I alluded al the
close to the wrong done the soldier in
not forwarding his descriptive list when
he was sent too FAR from hi regiment to
be mustered with IL for pay. / did not
at all exhaust the subject as il relates
to sick or wounded soldiers sent 10
hospital hundreds Of miles from their
companies. There can scarcely be any
thing more depressing TO the spirits of
| sick man, or tend more 20 retard his re-
covery, than his inability te get his nav.
especially il he has family, and thew
are in need. And it amounts TO a cruel
torture when his comrade in the adioin-
ing bed is paid and he is passed bv
because his Captain, from wilfullness. ig-
norance, or neglect, has failed TO forward
his descriptive list There has been
much more attention given 70 the sub
ject since my last report, greatly TO the
comfort of the soldiers, but there are still
- | m I'm ,r 4
know there are reasons that many Cap
tains would urge, calling them good, al
though contrary TO the regulations, and
also that there are difficulties in the way
at times, incident TO an army changing
its position. But these excuses do not
answer when months pase, and letter af-
ter letter has been written for them. Only
the other day soldier told me he had
been three months in hospital, had writ
ten himself and had gotten others TO
write again and again, and urged his
Captain to send his list; nearly all this
time he had been a subject of discharge.
There has not yet been enough said or
done about this sad neglect In many
cases the lists are made out so carelessly
or ignorantly that when sent they are
almost useless. Sometimes soldier suf-
ters only in the amount paid him, and
generally he will bear this, rather than
wait for his paper to be returned 10 his
Captain for correction. The other day
Captain OF cavalry neglected 10 mention
on soldiers descriptive listthat he had
furnished his own horse, and consequent
ly ne must lose the "forty cents day
for the use and risk thereof for all the
time he was in actual service, or wait for
the correction Of his paper. He chose TO
take whatever he could get. And to-day
captain has neglected TO mention the
date of enlistment on a descriptive list,
though the papers were all made out
with this exception, as his clothing ac-
count had never been settled, the soldier
must wait, how long do not know, till
his list can be corrected by his Captain.
| felt sad ss glanced at the certificate
of disability disease was consump-
tion. The great cruelty and oppression
Of Captains TO sick men, when, as has
abeen the case in the past, they have six
or more months pay due, and IL may be
their families suffering, cannot be too
strongly characterized. The knowledge
Of a single case of such a kind would de-
grade a man socially in almost any cam
munity, and willful neglect should, it
would seem TO me, cashier any Captain,
who, in addition 10 the great wrong 10
the soldier, violates the regulations Of
the army"
Blank descriptive lists, on which the
"muster" is omitted, are worthless to men
ordered discharged. Several persons 80 or
dered, after patiently waiting weeks for
their papers, have broken down under
the misery occasioped by thus being Grim
inally neglected. Maj. Gen. RosEORAEs'
late order needs positive enforcement to
correct this abuse, A few decapitAtions
would do good, A list was returned TO-
day perfect in every particular save the
omission of the commanders signature.
Such heedlessness would ruin any clerks 8
character. Another returned had not
the year Of enlistment or muster, though
, differing. The month, but not year,
when last paid. A figure can be easily
supplied, we will admit, but officers are
not appointed 10 correct such errors, or
look for them. II such performance Of
duty" is passed over, what is not admis-
sible Ten seconds Of thought in the
above cases would have saved ten weeks
Of anxiety 10 wounded men. Officers arc
placed over meh 70 provt1s for them, and
! a muni6cent government has made liber-
al provisions ior so doing. A private
who has been disabled in The perform
ance Of duty is deserving Of the most
careful consideration, and such inexcu-
} sable carelessness as the cases referred
} TO, if brought TO the notice Of the Com
manding General, would insure deserved
, dismissal The suffering occasioned IN
J nooent men and their families is beyond
oxaggeraiion.
The Nashville Union.
The Nashville Union is not only tru-