New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-01-15

This large amount in the hands of paymasters
| at the end of the fiscal year was an unavoidable
necessity from the fact that at that precise period
OF time the Department was everywhere through
out the country under the greatest pressure of
payments to mnstered-out troops, and money in
large Slms had to be kept thus distributed
From the above it will be seen that the sum
actually disbursed during the fiscal year, and in
process OF disbursement at the end thereof was
$430 054 946 81.
Since the beginning of the current fiscal year.
besides the above sums in the hands of pay
masters, and the unissued acquisitions stated S9i-
900 have been disbursed, and distributed for
disbursement, making total expenditure of
s524 054 946 81 during the last fiscal year and the
present one to this date.
Of this large sum than one half (27O 900 OO0)
has been paid to disbanded volunteer troops
mustered out of service.
From the early days of June to the present time
this Department has made final payment to more
than eight hundred thousand officers and men
The umber paid cannot be definitely stated for
the want of time for full official returns to be re-
ceived from the many various and distant points of
payment throughout the country, especially as
these payments are still continuing. Enough
however, is known with certainty to establish the
| fact that the figures stated are not in excess.
This is an extraordinary exhibit of work per-
formed chiefly within the three months of june
July and August two hundred and seventy
millions of money paid to eight hundred thousand
individual men.
When the manner of these payments is observed,
WIN q knOWle0ge OF tne pafllcularty required in
each case, the accounts varying in amounts each
to be separately computed in its several items of
pay, clothing bounty, etc, with such stoppages
as may be chargeable deducted, the final amount
stated and the signature of each officer and man
to be appended in duplicate to the receipt rolls, a
just appreciation may be formed of the stupendous
| labor involved. No similar work of like magni-
| tude, regarding its mmensity both as to men and
money and the small limit of time in which it has
been performed has it is believed any parallel in
| the history of armies.
! The troops for discharge were, under the orders
from the Adjutant Generals Office, transported to
their respective State rendezvous rapidly the
proper officers of the various organizations could
dispatch the duty of mastering out.
This Department engaged to prepare with funds
and officers at all the sixty different places of
designated rendezvous throughout the States and
to make prompt payment in the shortest prac-
ticable time, on the arrival of each organization
so as substantially to avert delays, with all their
evil consequences, at the places of rendezvous
How far this pledge on our part has been redeemed
| the country can answer The facts Of record in
the War Department show no delays of moment
occurring in any quarter-none at least chargeable
to this Department.
| The work IS mainly accomplished satisfactorily
accompshed-beyond the most sanguine antici-
pations of those who could understand and prop
erly measure the vastness of the undertaking.
| For this result the country is indebted largely
to the zeal, intelligence, and sleepess industry OF
a corps Inexperienced paylhasters, who signalized
themselves in this the closing act of their military
SIaH service Dt II IaltnlulneSS anu QeFOtlQn which
reflects the highest honor upon them body
and individual officers. To them, under the
skilful management of their supervising district
| chiefs, this Department owes its success; and |
| take OCCASION as the head of the Department, in
this public official communication, to render to
| them the homage of my grateful acknowledge
ments. The credit is theirs, for without their eX-
perience and cordial cooperative efforts, not all
the powers of the government combined could
have wrought so favorable solution of difficult
prot lem
1t becomes my duty also, to notice here, in most
favorable terms, the valued services of the officers
and clerks connected Immediately with this office
They appreciated the emergency, and bent them
selves to the difficult work which, for a time
pressed upon the office with almost overwhelming
weight
With payments simultaneously progressing at
sixty different points, widely separated; with the
necessity of keeping each one supplied with funds
from day to day, and necessity, also, that each
should have no more than required for immediate
disbursement: drawing from the treasury at the
rate OF $50 900 per week, and compelled tC
make close estimate and careful watch of its daily
distribution, so that the demand at each giver
point should be surely supplied, and yet no more
than supplied; teiegrams and letters continually
pouring in, noting the movement and destination
of troops, and the repeating these notices to the
) proper points OF rendezvous; applications ant
appeals constantly arriving requiring immediate
answers; new questions arising and referred te
this office for Instructions ETC., kept our thoughts
our pens, our press, and the telegraph in constant
requistion by day and by night. Mid all this IAN
happy to bear testimony that every one laboret
with cheerful alacrty-in some instances, indeed
| during the heated season, even beyond thei
strength.
1t may be said Of these I have said of tn,
paymasters in the field, but for their willing efforts
rendered with selfdenying devotion, the worl
could not have been success.
The unstinted facilities extended, sir, by your
authority and orders, in the free use of the mill
tary telegraph, the printing press, and all othe
agencies that could be proftably applied to tn
end, together with the liberal confidence whiCl
you were pleased to repose in this office, leayin