Delaware State journal and statesman., 1864-07-15
The Quartermaaters' Depot of the Army
of the Potomac.

Fsom the National lntelllgencer.
The great quartermaster's depot for the Army
Of the Potomac ls truly one of the constitutions
Of Washington. But very small per centaRe oil
cur citizens have any idea of the Yaat stores OF
every conceivable requisite TO an army of im-
mense size, and of the multiplied and complete
opportunities for steadily maintaining supplies
thereto, which are contained within the Eve OF
i1 acres Of ground contiguous TO and northeast
Of the National Observatory grounds,
And yet there are not less than eleven millions
Of dollars worth Of army supplies now on store
10 that depot to say nothing of the value of the
machinery, utensils, buildings, and live stock on
the vast premises. To keep up the work Of this
great repository Of supplies and means Of repair
sRd renewal, there are not more than Ave thou
sand men Of all work now in employ yet there
have been o. many aa fourteen thousand in it's
pay al a single time. One OF the cauees Of this
decrease ia the trouble about the draft, which in
many cases has rid whole shop fall of impor-
Iant artisans and Workm0n. 10 keep the ao-
sounta Of thia establishment nlnety-two clerks
are necessary, and pay day spreads over one
third of the month.
walk through the vast stores on street
west, packed with every essential for the loco
motion Of an army Of almost two hundred thea.
sand men, composed Of every arm of offence and
defence, would draw from the wayfarer contin-
usd EXPLANATIONS Of admiration aud surprise, at
The evident completeness, sutfcienoy and order
which display themselves around him. Every
thing has place; everything is in place, aud
nothing is out OF place. II is plain that system-
satiOn and forethought have presided and still
control throughout the long and linked chain.
There are iron shops, wheelWright shops,
wagon shops, carpenter shops, harness shops,
80, each comprising many hundreds of men,
The horse sh0eing department, which has ahod
AZ nd N a hu f1pIt
eight fires burning. This degree OF ability 10
necessary In au establishment which has at one
time contained thirty.two thousand horses and
fifteen thousand mules.
The construction department is very we'll Or.
dered, and consequently complete. Everything
relating TO locomotion OF an army is here made
up 10 rapid but regular style. dun aud artillery
carriages, eaissons, wagons, ambulances, &c.,
So, proceed piece by piece as they GO forward
from shop TO shop until they receive their final
paint and last coat OF Tarnish. So Of the harness
shops new harness is made up and stored in the
greatest quantities, and old harness from the Geld
repaired and made almost as good as new.
Besides all these works the depot comprises
tNoVe cOrrals, or dep0ts for horses and mules
One Of these is north OF X street. one on the
Eastern Branch, and third OF Kendall Green
She eorrals at the depot itself are admirably
planned and bHilt around q centre, where the
animals Of each department seek their share Of
EAter, and whereby, alsO, everything ia kept re-
markably clean and devoid Of offence to sight or
smell II s wonderful that where so many men
and horHes live and feed the health Of ali is SO
sIcellenti but in order to maintain this, the
grRVenger department lends it's powerful aid.
In order to obtain the full services of the very
numerous employees they are nearly all fed and
lodged on the premises, each shop and depart
nent having separate mess-h house and lodging
ToOms, where all its people are fed aud rested at
appropriate hours II cleanliness il so carefully
stsnded to. so is safety from fire. Water is
anywhere at hand, and FIRE plugs meet you at
iIery turn. II 10 believed that no fire could get
pve mlnutes' headwHy before complete exlin-
SuiHhment. Where there are so many horses
and mulos there must be an immense consump-
Ton Of provender. This matter has been eilec-
Waly met by the erection OF mill where the
feed Ia duly ground and mixed aud cut together.
10 the horse supply stables, those horses for the
rilery, cavalry, and team and ambulance uaes
srs kept separately. so that requisltion can al
NpyV he rapidly and iudiciously filled. These
Sorrals are under the more immediats control Of
IK Harvey Riley
Horses returned from the army and elsewhere
Eoh, il recoverable at all, nre entered in the
hospital stables. where they become the objects
vt skill and attention almost as much az they
could receive II they were human. Mr., Braley
i the chief veterinary surgeon. His duties, and
those Of Mr.. browning, the superintendent of
that special department, are Of great Importance.
Separate enclosures are set apart for the pur-
pose Of bathing the horses, for exercising them,
Tor inspection and for sale. The last inspection,
before tho final mark is placed on each approved
enimal, ls made by the commanding officer Of the
depot, who is, and for about year and half
hes bssn, Captain O. 81. Tompkins, A. @, u. s.
q