The Leavenworth weekly times., 1876-02-10
EooyAy's CLOTHES.
He Lost Them At Fort Lesvenworth in 1875
And They Cost the Government Several
rhousand Dollars to Replace Then.

He Lost Them At Fort Lesvenvorth In 1879
And They Cost the Government Several
Thousand Dollars to Replace Then.
In February, 1875, as will be remember
ed, the cavalry stables at Fort Leavenworth
we're burned to the ground. Al the same
time, and identical with the destruction Of
the buildings, private Patrick Noonan, oi
Company B, Fifth Infantry, had his clothes
burned, and soon after he applied to the
Government for another suit, thinking he
vas entitled to the same, a. he had los,
them while endeavoring to save Govern
ment property. The nsod1 operandi of the
business is thus accurately and graphically
described by the New York Tribune, in a
recent issue. Suffice it to say that Patrick
is still alive, and at present employed as
messenger in the Medical Directors Office,
At Fort Leavenworih:
Whoever thinks the Government is ex-
travagant and careless in its expenditures,
. should read Executive Document No. %,
House of Reps, XLINth Congress, and
take courage. 1t is one OF the most inter
esting tracts ever issued at Government ex-
pense 1t is entitled patrick Noonan,"
and covers seven printed pages, consisting
mostly of Endorsements. rev men in any
walk in life have ever been 20 thoroughly
ibdorsed as Patrick Noonan. There nave
been men appointed to frst-class positions
not half 30 we'll or 30 numerously indorsed.
All that Patrick Noonan applied for was a
gratuitous issue of clothing in lieu OF that
destroyed by fire, as will presently appear
Patrick Noonan, whose name this PAM
phlet bears, is, or was-he may have
served out his enlistment or died
since the events occurred Of which the
pamphlet treats-a private soldier in Com
pany sc" of the 9th U. S. Infantry, sta
toned at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. On
the 23d OF January, 1875, the stables at
that post were burned. Private Noonsn,
being on duty at the stables, worked get
ting out public property from danger, and
while 30 employed the tent in which his
clothing was took fire, and the whole was
consumed. 1t seemed to Patrick Noonan
that as he was engaged in saving Govern
ment property to the neglect of his own, it
would be only the fair thing for the Gov
eminent to replace his wearing apparel
and make good his loss. But Patrick
Noonan was not hasty. He waited until
the 18th Of the February following. How
he managed during the time, or how in
deed he has been clothed, if clothed at all,
since then, does not appear from the PAM
phlet. 1t is not important.
On the 18th of February, 1875, Patrick
Noonan entered on his pubic career. On
that day he addressed ito the Post Adju-
slant, through Post Quartermaster and
Company Commander" a brief but touch
ing recital Of his loss, accompanied BY the
request that it be replaced by gratuitous
issue. T this document he affixed in =
firm Ronm hand his Y mark. Little
dreamed Patrick Noonan Of what was be-
fore him then. On the 10th Of February,
+. II. Hathaway, Lieutenant 5th Infantry,
Regl. q. NJ. and A. A. q. NJ, indorsed the
letter with the statement u ~ neces-
sary Private Noonans c.O..---.s pnould be
kept in the tent which was burned, and
that the request was reasonable, and should
be granted. On the 18th, Capt. Samuel
O-ei sine of Co. G, 9TH Infantry indorsed
approval and forwarded it. On the 18th
Col. Nelson A. Mics Of the 9th Infantrv
indorsed and forwarded it 'for the action D.
the department commander" On the 22d,
"by command OF Brighten. Pope" X. Will
liams, Asst. Adjt.-Gen., respectfully re-
ferred il ito the Chief Quarrermsster OF
1the Department for remark" On the 23d,
Stewart Van Nliet, Asst. q. NJ. Cen, Bvt.
Maj. Gen. U. S. A, Cnf. Q NJ. Dept, no."
returned it with the recommendation that
the gratuitous issue be made under the re-
strictions Of paragraph %, Appendix B, OF
Revised Army Regulations, l4GS. On the
10Th, ''by command OF Brig. Gen. Pope" X.
Williams, Asst Adjt. Gen., returned it to
the commanding officer at Fort Leaven-
worth inviting attention ''to General Order
"l3, War Department, CoDmissary Sub
"sistence, the requirements OF which will
"be complied with" 4 copy OF the order
was inclosed. 1t is printed in full in the
pamphlet. 1t relates to the gratuitous is
sue of clothing and requires the appoint
ment of a board OF survey. On the
ninth of March, accordingly,
board of survey was appointed, and the
order of appointment is printed in full. On
the same day poor Private Noonan's letter
was further endorsed by "G. w. Baird,
First Lieut.. and Adjt. 9Th Infantry, Post
Adjutant," as referred to the board Of sur
vey of which Capt. Samuel Ovenshine was
President. On the 18th of March the
board met, and "sfter careful examination"
decided that Noonan was entitled to his
clothing, and that the gratuitous issue
should be made. Their report, signed by
the three officers comprising the board, was
forwarded to the Asst. Adjt. Gen Of the
Department of Missouri, by Capt. Simon.
Snyder, on the 10th of April. On the 2lst
it was forwarded by Brevet Maj. Gen. John
Pope "to the Adjutant- General of the Army
through the Asst. Adjt. Gen. Military Di-
vision of the Missouri, with q recommen-
dation that the issue be made.
Accompanying this communication were
the affidavit of Noonan as to the loss, &c,
the order detailing Noonan as teamster,
and letter to the Post Adjutant, dated
March -, asking information for the
board of survey, which was referred to the
Acting Assistant Qnariermaster on the
10th, returned 10 the Post Adjutant on the
I'D, and TO the board of survey on the 23d !;
sent back for further information on the
9th, referred to the Post Quartermaster on
the 30th indorsed by that officer on April
;, and returned to the board on the Sth,
having seven Endorsements. These are
printed in full. On the oath OF April, z.
III. Sheridan, Lieutenant-Generalc COM
manding, indorsed private Noonan's letter,
with reference to the Adjutant-G General of
the Army. On the 2Sth of April, Z. d.
Townsend, Adjutant-G General, referred il TO
the Judge eAdvocate-General; on the Both
the Judge Advocate-General made long
Endorsement on it to the effect that Noon
ans loss could only be made good by action
of Congress; on the Sd of May the Adiu-
tant-General referred it to the Quarter
master-General 'for examination and re-
mark before being submitted to the Secre-
Of War, with a view to the presentation Of
the case to Congress :" on the 18th, Quarter
master-General Meigs returned it With
recommendation for favorable action. On
the 18th, the Adjutant-G General referred it
TO the Secretary of War; on the 3lst OF
December the Secretary of War transmitted
the documents 10 the House of Represents
tivee, on the 18th of January, 1876, q joint
resolution authorizing the issue was refer
red to the Committee on Military Affairs
and all the documents ordered printed.
And that is the true story of Private
Patrick Noonan's clothing, first cost pro-
badly $40 or $50. He hast got his clothes
vet. But if they'll give him the red tape
that has been used on his letter, he can
clothe himself in such manner As TO be the
pride of the prairie and the envy of the
Modoc, and be warmly and comfortably
clad at that.
About Wheat 0reWing in Kansas
Mr.. I. c. Henry, whose large crops of