New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-02-08
Private Noonan,s Clothes.


same time, and identical with the destruc
ton of the buildings, private Patrick
Noonan, of Company B, Fifth Infantry,
had his clothes burned, and soon after he
applied to the government for another suit,
he was entitled to the same, as he
had lost them while endeavoring to save
government property. The modus operandi
of the business is thus accurately and
described by the New York
Tribune in recent issue:
Suffice it to say that Patrick is still alive,
and at pre- sent employed as messenger in
worth.
Whoever thinks the government is ex-
travagant and careless in it's expenditures
should read executive document No. SO,
House of Representatives.. Forty-sourth
Congress, and take courage. 1t is one OF
the most interesting tracts ever issued at
government expense. 1t is entitled Patrick
Noonan," and covers seven printed pages,
consisting mostly Of Endorsements.
Few men in any walk in life have ever
been so thoroughly iDdOrsed as Patrick
Noonan. There have been men appointed
to first class positions not half SO we'll or go
uuMcrOu6ly luuOIS0us AL CNdt 1 dGAISA
Noonan applied for was gratuitous Issue
of clothing in lieu of that destroyed by fire,
az will presently appear. Patrick Noonan,
whose name this pamphlet bears, is, or
was-he may have served out his enlist
ment or died since the events occurred of
which the pamphlet treats-a private in
company "G," of the Fifth United States
Infantry, stationed at Fort Leav"nworth,
Kansas. On the twenty third OF January,
1875, the stables at that post were burned.
Private Noonan, being on duty at the sta
from danger, and while so employed the
tent in which his clothing Was took
fire, and the whole was consum-
ed 1t seemed to Patrick Noonan
that as he was engaged il saving gov
eminent property to the neglect OF his
own, it would be only the lair ;hiug FOR the
government to replace his wearing apparel
and make good his loss. But Patrick Moo
nan was not hasty. He waited until the
fifteenth of the February following. How
he managed during the time, or how indeed
he had been clothed, if clothed at ali, since
then does not appear from the pamphlet.
1t is not important.
On the nineteenth OF February, 1875.
Patrick Noonan entered on his public
career. On that day he addressed Ito the
post adjutant, through post qudrtermaster
and company commander a brief bu.
touching recital of his lOss, accompanied by
the request that it be replaced by gratui
tous issue. To this document he affixed in
q firm Rom an hand his X mark.
Little dreamed Patrick NOonan OF what
was before him then. On the sixteenth OF
February, F. H. Hathaway, lieutenant
Fifth Intantry. regimental quartermaster
and acting assistant quartermaster, indors
ed the letter with the statement that it Vas
necessary Private Noonan's clothing should
be kept IN the tent which was burned, and
that the request was reasonable, and should
BE- granted. On the eighteenth, Captain
Samuel Ovenshine of Company G., Fifth In
fantry, indorsed approval and forwarded
it. On the nineteenth, Colonel Nelson A
Miles of the Fifth Infantry, indorsed anC
forw arded it. ''for the action Of the depart
men, commander" On the twenty-second
..oy command of Brigadier General Pope,
r. Williams, assistant aGjutant general
respectfully referred it Ito the chief quarter
master OF 1.-The department tor re
mark" On the twenty third, "Stswar
Van Viiet, assistant quartermaster genera
Brevet Major General, United States army
chief quartermaster Department Missouri
returned it with the recommendation tina
| the gratuitous issues be made under the
restrictions of paragraph 6fty-fve, appen
dix b, of Revised Army Regulations, 146}
On the twenty-sixth, "by command o
Brigadier General Pope" X. Williams
| assistant adjutanc general, returned 1t t.
| the commanding officer at Fort LeaveD
worth inviting attention $50 general orde
| No l3, War Department, commissary cub
sistence, the requirements Of which will b'
| complied with A copy of the order was in
closed. 1t is printed in full IN the pam
| phlet 1t relates to the gratuitous issue o
/ nlo<h;nn ou1 rouniraa >ho 2nnOinf n
| board Of survey.
| On the ninth of March, accordingly,
board of survey was appointed. an
the order of appointment is printed in full
| On the same day poor Private Noonan's le,
ter was further indorsed by &c. w. Baird
first lieutenant and adjutant Fifth Infantry
post adjutant," ae referred to the board Q
survey of which Captain Samuel Ovenshin
was president. On the nineteenth OF Marc
the board met. and latter careful examine
ton" decided that NoOnan was entitled t
his clothing, and that the gratuitous issu
should be made. Their report signed b
| the three officers comprising the board, wa
| forwarded to assistant adjltant genera
Department of Missouri, ,sby Captain Simo
| SNYDER, on the sixteenth of April. On tn
twenty-first it was forwarded by BIeve
| Major General John Pope, Ito the adjutan
general of the army through the assistan
adjutant general Military Division of tn
Missouri" with a recommendation that tn
issue be made.
| ACCOMMODATING this communication wer
| the affidavit of NOonan as to the loss, etc
the order detailing Noonan as teamster, an
| letter to the post adiutant. dated Marc
l9, asking information for the be oard of gu
vey, which was referred to the acting assis
ant Quartermaster on the twentieth, n
/ <0 %bo o6i1fQnf tho fwAnfy
second, and to the board of survey on th
twenty third; sent back for further info
nation on the twenty seventh, referred
post quartermaster on the thirtieth, ii
dorsed by that officer on April 5, and r
turned to the board on the eighth, havin
seven Endorsements. These are printed
full On the twenty fourth OF April, P. I
Sheridan, Lieutenant General commanding
indorsed Private Noonan's letter, with
reference 10 the adjutant general Of tb
army. On the twenty eighth of April E.
Townsend, adjutant general, referred it
the Judge advocate general; on the thi
tieth the judge advocate general made
long Endorsement on it to the effect ths
Noonan's loss could only be made good b
action of Congress.
On the third of May the adjutant gel
eral referred it to the quartermaster ge
eral 'for examination and remark befol
being submitted to the Secretary Of Wa
with view to the presentation of the CAT
to Congress- on the thirteenth Quartz
master General Meigs returned it with
recommendation for favorable action:
the nineteenth the adjutant general referre
it to the Secretary of War; on the thirty -hrs
of December the Secretary OF War tran
mitted the documents to the House OF Re
resentatives; on the twelfth OF Januar
1876, Joint resolution authorizing the issr
was referred to the Committee on Militar
Affairs, and all the documents ordere
printed.
And that is the true story of Private Pa
rick Noonan's clothing, first cost prObab
$40 or $50 He hasn't got his clothes vel