Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1864-06-02

CiRcULAR.-The following Is copy or |
a circular issued from the State Treasu-
rers office to town selectmen, explaining
a matter concerning which there has
been some misunderstanding
TREAsuRER's OFFlCE,
Rutland, May 18th, 1864,
To the Seleetm0,-It seems necessary,
in justice 10 this office as well as that of
the Adjutant and Inspector General, that
some explanation, more than could have
been written in every case, should be
made of the delay in payment, or return,
of orders for extra pay of the late re-
cruits for old regiments.
1t will be remembered that these re-
crults selected their own company and
regiment when they enlisted, and the re-
suit was that some regiments were de-
flcient in needed accessions to their
ranks; while Others were more than full.
Many recruits were therefore re-assign-
ed, before they left the State and after
muster, to other companies or regiments
than those selected. This caused much
complaint, and many were again chang
ed, after they arrived in the field,
Thus it was seen, early in the winter,
that the Muster-IH Rolls could not be
relied upon as indicating the true loca-
ton of these men, and it was necessary
to wait for regimental returns before en-
tering their names and commencing ac-
counts on the books in this office. Had
these returns, which are required by law
every two months, been promptly made,
very little difficulty would have occur
ed in cases of men who arrived in the
feld without delay, but some of the re-
turns were long delayed, and months
passed before many orders could be paid.
Again, some were left at Bratteboro
from various causes, and some who
started for the field were left at hospitals
on the way, and the consequence is we
have long list of unassigned men, who,
! if they have not deserted, are somewhere
in the service, but where we are unable
to tell. As regimental returns have
been received, embracing all who had
! joined the regiments up to the date of
the returns, no further trouble can arise
in such cases, unless parties sending or
ders insert the company or regiment Sc
lected by the soldier instead of the one
he is serving in. Had these delays in
the returns been anticipated, this state
ment would have been made long ago.
One trouble, to be experienced until
every soldier is correctly reported, may
be shown. An order is sent in for pay
of a soldier in Company +, 9Th regiment,
whose name cannot be found on the re-
! turns of that regiment, and the order is
returned. 1t is afterwards accidentally
discovered that a man of the same name
was mustered for the 9th regiment, and
was left at Brattleboro. Having only
the order to guide us, our reasoning is
that if the company and regiment are
stated correctly, the soldier was not in
the field at date of the last return. To
pay the order we do not know what
muster roll should be examined for the
date of muster, as the company and regi-
ment given may be re-assignment. 1t
may require an examination of all the
muster rolls, and if fortunately the name
is found, there is no evidence that it is
the same man, there being many of the
same name, or nearly the same, He may
be serving, so far as we kno,e, in any
other regiment, and selectmen may be
drawing his pay as in that regiment.
To prevent double payments, and dc
the work with any reasonable amount
Of labor, the course adopted was the only
safe and practical one.
1t is the duty Of the Treasurer to pro-
tect the treasury so far as possible, and
prevent all improper payments, and nc
other way seemed safe than the course
adopted, although it undoubtedly has
in some cases caused inconvenience and
complaint, but that the State offices
charged with these returns and pay
ments should be held to answer don't
seem quite right, when they have done
all in their power to prevent delays.
j. B. PAGE,
Treasurer