The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1863-09-09
saprlayinc the Army.

s&xS a OuOA HIS iateiy uccn puDIiSneu entt.
tysa =. "Mannal fYr Quartsrmasters and
J. Commissafies," which, though designed
especially for the hpssruction Of Quartz
masters and Comm'ssaries, fur,ltS6sIl
i much that's Of interest 10 the n<sj{3ai
rtadexs As exhibiting how tl.sssnuy is
clothed and fsl. anxlz~hat cedsI6fts are
afforded the soldiers:
ut is through the Q,artefMaxter's Blu.
reaus that oil branches Of the war Depart.
msnt receive their supplies Of storage,
transportation, clothing. camp aud garrison
equ;page, all animals for whatever use de-
signed, and all fuel, forage and stationery.
It also pays all inci.aeatal expences such
as the OUTLAWS for public business for
spies, guiles, and in fact all authorised ex.
penscs for the movements of the army not
expressly assigned to some other bureau.
The conyiences allowed to the officers in
the matter Of stationery, fuel, baggage and
quarters -woald seem to b.. all that the ut
most exiyeacies could require. .Thas as
to statfonery: "A brigade commander is
allowed quarterly for himself and staff,
twelve qGires Of writing paper, fifty quilts,
one ounce Of waters, eight ounces Of seal
ing wax, and other things in proportion..-
An officer commanding a reeia ent or post
is entitled to ten quirrs Of paper, forty
quilts, etc. while subordinate officers are
allowed supplies in proportion to their
necessities. chaplains receiving the mini
mum supply. All regimental, company
and post book, with necessary blanks are
furnished as desired
Those who are disposed may deduce
some serious conclusions from this plain
recital Of facts. For instance: The officers
f,f !, 0rr,s IF q Il 4
staff, consume quarterly some fifty thou
sand quilts. These, II Of the ordinary length
Of six inches each, when laid continuously
in row, would extend nearly five miles,
A single goose supplies, ordinarily, about
one dozen quilts year at this rate. nearly
seventeen thousand geese would DO reouir-
ed to furnish the officers Of an army of
100, 900 men with pens whcrewith to write
their orders. reports and dispatches. These
geese, marching in Indian file at an ordina.
ry gait, would occupy an entire day in
passing any given point, and setting out on
trip to Boston, travelling twelve hours
day, would not encamp on Bunker Hill
short of y full months weary aud solemn
marching. The same person, officers OF
an army Of the number before mentioned
would use, approximately, 100, 900 quires
Of paper, equal to 5000 reams, and 2.4O0,
900 sheets. These sheets, Of the average
s,xc of twelve by fourteen inches, would
cover space ofover sixty two square acres
if laid, sheet by sheet, in one long fishkill
and the 5000 realms, piled in one monu.
ment, would reach over sixteen times as
high as the Colossus of Rhodes. It is note
worthy, under this head of stationery, that
all our army officers, of what ever rank. |
are allowed liberal supply Of office tape
Tho commander Of an army, department. |
or division, according 10 this manual, is |
entitled to all that may be necessary for |
himself and staff"-which NAV account
for the free use which some Of this class |
arc said to have made Of this article in the |
early stages Of the war.
The allowance CT rooms for quarters is |
a. follows: A major general is entitled to
Eve rooms and one Kitchen: a brieadicr
general or colonel is entitled to four rooms |
and one kitchen; lieutenant colonel or
major to three rooms and a kitchen; a cap.
tain or chaplain to one room and kitchen.
a general commanding the army is allowed
three rooms for office use, and division
commander two rooms for similar use. 10
every SIX non commissioned officers, mus-
Clans and privatcs, servants and washer
women, two hundred and twenty five square
feet of room is allowed north Of SO > north;
south of that latitude two hundred and
fifty six square feet is allowed When an
officer is on such duty that fuel and quar-
ters cannot be furnished him by the de-
partment, he is permitted to commute his
allowance and receive from the quarter.
master the money value of the fuel, and
the following monthly allowances for
quarters: 'First-At Boston, New York.
Philadelphia, Washington City, Key West,
New Orleans, New Mexico, Oregon, &C.,
nine dollars per room. Second Detroit,
Chicago, Cincinnati. st. Louis, &C., eight
dollars per room. Thrd-At San Francis.
co, twenty dollars per room; other places
twelve dollars per room.'
The allowance Of baggage to officers and
'subalterns, including mess chest, is as fol-
lows: General officers in the field, 1875;
in changing stations, 1000 pounds; Geld
officers, 100 pounds and 800 pounds; cap
tains in the field, 80 pounds; when chang.
ing stations, 700 pounds subalterns have
the same allowance. In all cases this allow
ancc is liable to be diminished as necessity
may require. In the recent operations Of
our armies, especially in those Of Generals
Meade and Rosencrans, not even the mini
mum allowance of baggage was carried by
either officers or men. Some Of the regi.
mcnts in the former army, in their swift
pursuit of Lee, left everything behind
ahem-a number, when ordered to march
from the Rappahannock, leaving their sup
pers untasted in their tents, while of some
Of TIE Now Jersey officers it is said they
left their candles burning on their tables,
SO sudden was the call to ADVANCE