Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1864-07-27
MAILS IN THE ARMY.

sends US the following, relating to Army
Mails, which may be of interest to many of
our readers:
ARMY OF THE PoToMAC, July, l, 1864.
TO the editor of The Chronicle in your
issue of the 29th ult., is an article on ''Ar-
my Mails, introducing General Grant Or
der No. 80. L am prompted, on reading it,
to make a remark or two in reference to ar
my mails IN general, and in particular to the
working OF the mail system in this army
previous to the promulg lgation of order No. 80.
Under existing orders there are two sworn
mail agents at headquarters of each corps
q drnaee, and one at headquarters of each
division and each brigade. The corps agents
receive the mails at the point to which they.
are consigned and distributed to the divis-
ion agents OF their respective corps, who,
in turn, distribute to brigade agents, by
whom, In most cases where there is lack
OF reglmental carriers, letters are delivered
to the adJutants or quarterm masters of reg
iments. Each division is entitled to one
wagon to be used only in the mail service,
and wagon is also allowed to each corps
headquarters for the same purpose and,
whenever the orders are strictly enforced,
this amount of transportation is amply suf-
tlclent. l should here remark that, in ad-
dltlon to this allowance, brigade, division,
and corps agents always have the use of
saddle-horse when needed
During the Peninsula campaign the mail
system was execrable One Improvement
followed another, until the assignment of
Gen. Hooker to the commandment when
radical changes were made, resulting event
ually III the arrangement under which the
mails are served to-day. 1t is TO Gen. Hook
er and to Provost Marshal General Patrick
we are indebted for what | venture to as
sert is the best regulated military mail sys-
TEN ever known. Itmust be borne in mind,
too, that this system is purely military, the
department at Washington having nothing
whatever to do with it, further than to ship
and receive mail-matter-at one time dis
tributing it IN SO careless a manner as to rem
der the employment of soldier clerks at the
post Office at Washington absolutely neces-
sary.
While do not doubt in the least that
General Grant S army of the West was
promptly supplied with mails, | think that
too little praise has been awarded to those
officers and men who have, through Difficult
ties and dangers no less embarrassing and
appalling, furnished the Army of the Poto-
mac with their mails. AT Fredericksburg,
while the safely entrenched troops of the
enemy were pouring their CALLING fire into
our ranks, mail agents were busy delivering
ciilu lCCClfi'iS itIlCIS dLQ pdJtIS- DGdICcIl
a day passed during the Charlottesville
fight that we were not promptly supplied.
La the Gap, at Gettysburg, at Culpepper, in
the Wilderness, at Spottsylvania, and in
front OF Petersburg, under the fire of sharp
shooters, everywhere, in short, have our
mail agents been assiduous in the discharge
of their duties. Only few days ago one
had his horse shot under him. Another
was killed or captured while on duty in the
Wilderness. Another had his clothing
pierced by rebel bullet, and still another,
with his mailbag strapped to his saddle,
running the risk of losing his life at every
step from our own howitzers, rode in adj
vance of Gen. Sheridan's command on the
18th of May, and opened communication
between the cavalry and the gunboats on
the James This achievement, as romantic
as it was dangerous, was heralded by the
press as the heroic deed of signal officer
Before closing this desultory note, | must
call the attention OF your readers to the
great importance of properly directing their
letters to the army. Within the last three
days | have seen about ten thousand mis-
sent letters re-distributed at City Point.
These letters were returned from the differ
ent commands in the army, and at least
three-fourths of them were SO indistinctly
and carelessly directed that it was impossi-
Die W loil WueT6 tiley DelonStQ. IHeSe VIII
go, of course, to the dead-letter Office.
Among them were ten letters intended for
the Sd Wisconsin, and were thus super
scribed
l. Sd Wisconsin, Sd division, ID corps.
2. Sd Wisconsin, Gen. Banks division.
3. Sd Wisconsin, lst division, I'd brigade,
Goth corps.
4. Sd Wisconsin, ria Chattanooga.
5. Sd Wisconsin, Army of the Cumber-
land.
6, Sd Wisconsin, Sherman S division.
I. Sd Wisconsin, lst division, Goth corps.
9. Sd Wisconsin, Williams division, 18th
corps.
TO- Sd Wisconsin, lst division, 1lth corps.
Letters addressed to John Smith, COM
pany FL, -th corps are as common as the
very name itself, and ''10th division, 10th
brigade, 10th corps, is a direction as well
known among mail men as the direction to
the trenches. 1t must be evident that let
tiers bearing these vague superscriptions are
not apt to reach the parties for whom they
are intended. NJ.
Discipline of the Rebels.