New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-01-09
~srrz.YssTEST GE TEE CEArMs OF
DGCEAsED sOT.DkEfss.
pe~ 10 !" Done sn" How +" 20 Net -"""e'
| .-,..,,cdsues Of The ~ Y. Tribune.

| A., Certan Statements Attls pun ioitH IA 'N'
.l,nps OF influential public iourpas have awakened
ususual interest in it, andii the general Ignorance OF
A subject is to be measured By the darkness shec
n Il b, the newspaper discussions referred TO- surely
| y public viii be benefited by an explanation OF the
.,i.iinr system Not long since the Washington COZ
rspondent Of The ~ T. Times put forth the following
setement which has been widely copied, ana yarlonsy
/ ssmmented upon;
as rejection the idows demand for this back pay
81 her agents notooasy event OF daily occurrence
e,ness 'he very week Of the session to force
vOo The Wr Department system Of paying debts due TO de-
| ss,ed seIdics," Sc
his hardly worth while 10 common, upon the intelli
cnce Of person residing al the seat Of Government
sM assuming 10 instruct Others who does moi know
Asl the duty of settling all claims for the back pay OF
kcsased officers and soldiers Is deyOlved b. Law upon
Ne Second Auditor and that the Second Auditor Is an
6eer Of me Treasury. and not Of the War Depart
neut This fact seems TO have leaked out In some way
~ another correspondent Of The ~ J. Tines n its
aue of tie 26th ultiino, sheds CLEAN Of light on tie
Eet by seeking 10 shit The blame OF the delay IN set
ung those accounts upon some Bureau Of the Wa De
rnnenL alleging ths; the regimenral rolls. up9n
sbich The Second Auditor depends fer official nfolna
tp Of service and death greatly in sad
modifying thirty Illinois regiments whose rolls for July
"a August. 1SC2, are still behindhand.
TIE Second Auditor Of the Treasury is the Punlic
AdmiListr Of the Army The law under which &c
hianFhcd and promptly furnished viii oihciai Aior-
uson OF casualties the army, O the state he
pss accounts OF deceased soldiers dates bacs 70 1892
his saw provides thu! the bi-monthly rolls known 40
he army the muster role fcrpsy." shall immcd
sey after the payment OF regiment. battalion. or
Frps be turned over 10 tie Accountant OF me III
Department" THIS Office OF Accountant of the WaI@i
pepsr tmeDs is obsolete and the Second Auditor
Eands in the place Of such officer TO the business IN
kr considerations and. matter Of tacf, the rolls
placed of his disposal after each pay e' az
nsy be transmitted 10 Washington. The law give
ee Pay master Just days 10 forward the rolls ana al
Ns other accounts. 10 the Auditor unher Penai'y Oi
hang deemed defaulteI, and Of being prrceedec !
against as such under ihe &C: Of avg ., lslo, Eh.ot
rOydes that II convicted he may be Imprisoned fr ton
Years and fined tor the Whole amount Of money ~ de
kph These rolls correspond exactly with those seat
the Afjutant Generals Oee. except that the latter
Al not exhibit the pay tabies which essential 20
abe the Auditor TO ascertain the STATE Of the soldiers
accounts.
sppes the pay department for the reason that after
regiment in the field has been paid, the rolls nave 10
BE- retained u paw soldiers in hospital erougA. or
tscked service and IL nc' pnfreeuenuy happens aso
ns paymoster after coz peting these duties has 70
draw tao three thousand allotment checks and usii
Esn ~ the families of soldiers task which Occu!ne-
consider able time. Moreover, army oV cIeotS hEo go
Uncertain and arbitrary. that set o. payMasters VINO
have began 70 pas OH CORDS IN ITO field may be or
a.red 10 the rear with their funds for indefinite ole
By the Commanding General, when their work 70 ONLY
t finished. For these and other reasons. the Second
CoutTcer Of the Treasury has decided that the ACT Of
July IT, 1862 requiring monthly returns 10 The Auditor
bhapphcab!e 10 the pay department $3.50,
Ahef the psymaster hes surIoounted all the obstacles
Of physical nature and has brought the rolls 70 the
proper shape he sends them 20 the Psymaster eacrs
X whose office they subject % the call Of the Second
Auditor any fic and il default Of any call from the
etter thew ere sent % hin as as they be OK
amned. The examination Of the rolls at the PeymGs'
TGenoTas Office is made ready TO facilitate and eI-
redite the business Of the Auditor by correcting the
mistakes which VIII inevitably, be made by many Of
he three hundred and fifty paymasters, Of no previous
experience appointed from civil life, or IRON the T9un'
.eer forces TIE statemeD. that the Second Audltor
has been delayed all by the retention OF rolls by pay
masters by the PayDsster 8 untrue for the
reason that the Auditor il at the present time settling
The claims OF the heirs of deceased soldiers Only to
August aud September. whereas IRE rolls haye Deeh
forw arded to the Auditor by the faynssteI
@lz Aln of vii
DELAYS have occurred by OF the oaniug OF voren
srs 10 the Auditor in advance of complete eiamins-
don a. The Paymaster Generals office. II VIII not he
denied by acquainted with the facts that the
psy department Is fully seven months ahead OF the
second Auditor in the business under confederation
and as before stated IL is optional with the Auditor 10
,eouire RON the faymasterGeneral al the rolls IN hs
hands ~ any time. II
The statement that the rolls Of thirty Illinois resi,
nsuts are eighteen nolths behind 10 simply false and
not only So but abslrGly false II IL equivalent 10 say
ing that thirty Illinois reg nents have remained unpaid
.of more than year Secretary Chase has oiteh AZ.
cured us within the year that he actually paying
the soldiers and everybody knows thai this number vi
men had been kept without pay for the length Of tine
here stated there would have been an outery derng
On revolution in tie gaasi state from which these Zen
marched 10 the field Being paid. the rols could mott
have been delayed eighteen months baf OF that time
without the grossest dorecton Of duty the part OF
he Second Auditor. whose business Il would be 70 re
port the defaulting officers toF dismissal ana pIosceu
The 18Th Article 0. ar REQUIRES that these rolls shall
siow ell the changes that have occurred in the con-
nand since the last previous rods we're returned,
whether occasOIed by death. desertioD, sickness,
wounds farloUgh. capture Otherwise. The Auditor
receives this information she AdiutGntOen-
era and completely. So far this goee neither de-
ponds upon the other for anytbng ana II Is calculated
hat the great majority OF cases upon which the Auditor
Ia required 70 act are prosiGed for In this gay IL
So mnch for the regular routine whereby official In
formation is furnished 10 the Auditor 20 enable him 10
adjust these accounts Let look al the exceptional
gases A soldier obtains furiOugh. goes home and
dies At the expiration VI bis iuroueh he Ia reported
On the rolls deserteT sl trace OF him Is lost both
IL the AdutanG Generals Office and thaccpthe Auditor
Il then deyolves upon bis heirs 70 furnish se Auditor
conclusive evidence OF lis dsutty and Of his death ut
such date. J..
The evidence Of his having been a soldier win he
bund all the rolls subsequent to hs original muster
Another soldier falls into the hands Of the enemy ard
dies 10 Of their hOsptais II killed in battle and
buried by the enemy the hold BE is reported miss
Ing the rolls and from sheer lack Of evidence the
Auditor B obliged 20 refuse payment Of the due
him until sufficient tire shall have elapsed 20 create
presnmptiye evidence OF bis deoth
In such case the AdjuantG General hes no more In
fTmston than the AudtOrin the nature Of the case
bare more. II be xots any information OF The
iecease Of the soldier who has been reported issng
be furnishes copy Of the 10 tho Auditor
de does not wait TO be called but be sends 1t soon
~ II can be copied.
The AdJutanti enera receiyes reports Of deaths IN
hospitals mortality ss ater battles and inventories 0
OF the effects Of persons who have deceased the ser
nee These are promptly and carefully copied and 1,
sent TO the SECOND Auditor and 1t thus happens that 10
nuudes Of cases the Auditor has double evidence Of
she soldiers death and Of the date Of bic deatngrs
she binonthly rob and second the mortality list
RON the field. Fythsr than this. the AdjutantG Gen
srA furnishes TO the SecOLd Auditor upon the cal Of
thai officer. any information in ns Office relating 70 the
nIary history OF officers and soldiers and be answers
snese questions, not after Apse OF twelve eighteen
- ma Boon in,inaated but within twenty four
eoars ste ,ney arc propouRded FOR the purpose Of
being enabled 70 answer such question: he ksens mn an
nnmsnso wita officers In the field who