The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1864-09-02
THE COMMIssARY DEPARTMENT, DIsrRIc

The COMMISsARY DEPARTMENT, DISTRICT
OF MrNNEsoTA.-Captain r. E. Davis, Chief
Commissary of Subsistence for the military
| district of Minnesota, having removed his
office and stores from the upper to the lower
levee, we Tuesday took a walk through the
Bass warehouse where he is now located. We
found stored in the warehouse 1000 bbls of
pork, $4,000 lbs of sugar, $1,000 lbs of coffee,
$4,000 boxes of hard bread, and other articles
of army and hospital rations in proportion, q
supply estimated to be sufficient, with what
supplies other Commissaries in the District
have on hand, to subsist the troops at present
in the State three months or longer As most
of the supplies now in this State were pur-
chased last year, they represent a value full
one-third more than the cost of their purchase.
Thus the coffee was bought for government at
30@S5 cents, and would cost now 55@6O cents;
the sugar was bought at about 20 cents and
would cost now 80 cents. The cost of subsis-
tence, per ration, based upon the prices at
which these supplies were purchased and
issued, is reported at fraction over II cents,
while the cost of the ration at st. Louis is now
reported at Is cents; in which proportion the
subsistence of the army has increased in cost
since about year ago; which fact may sug-
gest the increase of expense attending the con-
duct of the war on its present scale, and some
thing of the financial difficulties which may be
expected to meet the next Administration at
the outset of its term. r.,.
In preparation for winter, and anticipating
the return of Col. Thomas command to this
State, and the presence, perhaps, of detachments
OF recruits 'and returning soldiers, Capt. Da-
vies has drawn for subsistence for the winter
for three thousand men. These stores, it is
understood, have been forwarded from st.
Louis, and are now at La Crosse to:bc shipped
to this port. ....... ....
The largest issue made this season from
Capt. Davies office was subsistence for the new
post Fort Wadsworth) near the James river in
Dakota. This issue amounted to one years
rati0ns for eight hundred men. u.
The flour used in this District is purchased
here by Captain Davies. The last contract, let
last week, was for one thousand barrels extra,
awarded to Messrs. Eastman g. Gibson, at
$8.2Oper barrel. A large part of this contract
has already been filed by delivery. If there
was any pork to be had in the State, that also
would be purchased here. AS it is, an attempt
will be made to have few hundred barrels put
up here for the army during this fall, if con-
tracts can be made. 1t is also intended to pur-
chase here about one thousand barrels of beef.
In his present warehouses the Captain has
better room for the placing of his stores than
heretofore, and has them so arranged that the
usually troublesome job of an inventory, fire.
quently required for the making of returns, is
made comparatively easy. This warehouse is
also found more convenient for loading wag-
ons ON important consideration when fire.
gently twenty, or as many as hundred teams
are waiting for loads. 80 = Tx. -s
Captain Davies entered the service early in
the war, and has had large experience in the
duties of the Commissary Department, while
serving with Gen. Grants old Army of the
West. He employs in the Office and ware
house. permanently three clerks, three labor.
ers and two watchmen. Mr.. G. A. Whitmore
is his Chief Clerk, assisted by Messrs G. d.
Livingston and Chas. Davies. The business of
the Office, under Captain DIS supervision, has
been so promptly transacted, and those having
business there have been invariably so courte-
ously dealt with, that when we choose hereaf-
ter to compliment some public Of1icial we may
say he is as capable as Captain Davies and as
deservedly popular