Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-10-31
The WEAKNESS OF THE REBEL
y ARMY.
The Confessions of Senator
Hill, of Georgia.
FWo.talrds Of the Rebel Army::ab.ent.

Senator Hill, of Georgia, writes letter
to an enrolling officer which is published
in the Richmond Sentinel. In it he makes
some confessions that confirm what Davis
said at Macon. Hill saws; ...
HBut the plain fact is ssceTtained to be
that not more than one-third of the men,
ct for duty, between the ages of eighteen
and forty-fve are actually present with
the armies In the field" Where are the
two-thirds2 What excuse have they for
being away By whose permission and
for what reason are they permitted to be
away z To get these men to the field, and
to ascertain and expose and remedy the
various frauds by which they have thus far
been allowed 10 remain away from duty,
form the purpose of the order which you
are now called on to execute. If this
order shall be faithfully evscuted, our
srmies will be replenished, the enemy will
be defeated, and our country recovered
from their possession. If this order shall
not be faithfully executed, then the whole
machinery of what is called the ConscripA
ton Bureau is shown to be failure, and
those engaged in administering 1t ought
themselves to be ordered at once to the
field. .r-r s..-F -r.-..
Gen. Grant writes home that our mate
riAl for the army is exhausted; that our on
ly reliance now is children and old men,
and for this reason he begs the people of
the North to submit TO the draft and press
usa little longer and we cannot but fail
His statement is not true We have the
men betweenzihe ages of eighteen and
forty-fve to whip this tight and that
speedily, if they can be brought to duty.
But tw0-thirds of these men are absent.
This startling fact is enough to make every
old man and woman in the land turn vol
unfairly enrolling officer.
Hetnen proceeds to detail, as the reasons,
as he thinks for their absence. Some are
away on leave of absence, that are not legal
or proper.
Many are granted b. subordinate Off
ceGs, especially TO their relations and IA
Vorites, who have no authority to grant
them. Many are granted by the proper
authority, upon untrue representations, or
for persons who have ceased to exist, and
many are forged.
Many have been detailed for some
light duty while sick or slightly wounded,
who still remain away under cover of such
details long after health has been restored
or the wounds have healed. In all cases
details and exemptions end when the seas
ons for them cease. Never cease your en-
quiries where there Is shown paper grant
ing y detail OF. exemption, but know wheth-
er the reason for granting it was true and
continues to exist.
tAlany have applied for exemptions and
details, and received furloughs, which are
renewed from time to time, until the ap-
plications shall be finally determined. Some
Of these employ LGlgvers falsely so called },
who, if they do not get the final orders as
desired, can, at least, delay final action
the fee being often measured by the length
of the delay. Thus an ungranted appi-
cation is made practically to operate as
discharge fromservice.
Some persons are still carrying old com
missions where their Offices have ceased,
but the commission has never been surren-
dered or concealed.
Many are showing contracts, in every
conceivable shape, many of them spurious,
and upon these claiming exemptions or
details No contract whatever with the
government entities a man per Sc to de-
tail The contractor must show the order
from the War Office for his detail or ex-
emption, and that the Secretary of War
himself cannot grant, except upon the
certificates of the chief of the bureau that
the personal attention of the contractor is
indispensable to the proper execution of
the contract.
Many have certificates from some bu-
reau or under officer of a bureau, stating
that the bearer is appointed to do some
duty or make some indefinite investiga-
tion. 1 saw one, some time since, stating
that the bearer is appointed to examine
for iron or copper deposits in certain
counties where such deposits wero never
susgected to exist, and where, if exhaust
less quantities did exist, the bearer would
never find them. All such appointments
are without authority.
Many are clerks, agents and employees
of quartermasLeTs, commissaries and other
officers. No such officer has the right to
appoint any man as his agent, clerk or en-
ployee, in any capacity, who is between
the ages Of eighteen and forty-four, unless
such man be disabled from service in tho
field. Mark the word-not sick or wounded
but disabled.
Many are acting as provost marshsls
aud guards, agents and employees of pro-
vost marshals, in our interior towns. No
such officer is authorized by lsw, and no
power, not even the President, Secretary
Of War or commanding general ofan army,
has the right to appoint such an officer
outside the lines of the army, and all such, |
with their numerous reti me ara illepally |
away from their command. The same |
remarks apply to military commanders
away from the army.
The n,s7lber 10ho haze Surgeons certificates |
9f III health IN their pockets and no natures |
of good health in their persons |
the truth of the latter certificates being |
confirmed by the patients daily habits |
IRE beyond estimation. When you find |
such 1 think you ought, in charity, to as
sumo that the health has been restored |
Al. q