Port Royal standard and commercial. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1874-1876, 1876-02-24
RED TAPE IN THE ARMY.
The Story of Patrick Noonan, and the
Trouble he had About his Clothing.

The Story of Patrick Noonan, and the
Trouble he had About his Clothing.
Patrick Noonan was soldier in the
army of the West, and was stationed at
Fort Leavenworth. On the twenty
third of January, 1875, the stables at
that post were burned. Private Noonan,
being on duty at the stables, worked
getting out public property from dan
ger, and while so employed the tent in
which his clothing was took fire, and the
whole was consumed. Very naturally
Patrick asked that other clothing be
issued to him in place of that lost. On
the fifteenth day of February Patrick
commenced his public career by address
ing "to the post adiutant, through post
qaartermaster and company COM
mander," brief but touching recital of
his loss, accompanied by the request
that it be replaced by gratuitous
issue. To this document he affixed in a
firm Roman hand his x mark. On the
sixteenth of February, F. 81. Hathaway,
lieutenant Fifth infantry, Regl. Q. NJ.
and A. A. Q. NJ, indorsed the letter
with the statement that it was 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,
Capt. Samuel Ovenshine of Co. G. Fifth
infantry, indorsed his approval and
forwarded it. On the nineteenth Col.
Nelsol: A. Miles of the Fifth infantry
indorsed and forwarded it "for the ac-
ton of the department commander. "
On the twenty-second, "by command of
Brig. Gen. Pope" r. Williams, Asst.
Adjt. -Genl., respectfully referred it i" to
the chief quartermaster of the depart
ment for remark" On the twenty
third, "Stewart Van Vliet. Asst. Q. M.
Gen, Bvt. Maj. Gen. q. s. A., Chi. @.
NJ. Dept. No." returned it with the
recommendation that the gratuitous
issue be made under the restrictions of
paragraph fifty-fve, Appepdi1 B, of re-
vised army regulations, 1853. On the
twenty-sixth, "by command OF Brig.
Gen. Pope" r. Williams, Asst. Adjt.
Gen., returned it to the commanding
officer at Fort Leavonworth, inviting at
tention to "general order 13 War de-
partment, commissary subsistence, the
requirements of which will be complied
with" A copy of the order was III
closed. 1t is printed in full in the
pamphlet.
It relates to the gratuitous issue Of
clothing and requires the appointment
of board of survey. On:tLe ninth of
March, accordingly, a board of survey
was appointed, and the orGer of appoint
ment is printed in full. On the same
day poor Private Noonan's letter was
further indorsed by &C. W. Baird,
First Lieut.. and Adit. Fifth infantry,
post adjutant," as referred to the board
of survey of which Capt. Samuel Oven
shine was president. On the nineteenth
of March the board met, and "after
careful examination" decided that Noon
an was entitled to his clothing, and that
the gratuitous issue should be made.
Their report, signed by the three Off
GERS comprising the board, was forward
ed to the Asst. Adjt. Gen. of the depart
ment of Missouri, by Capt. Simon Sny-
der, on the sixteenth of April. On the
twenty first it was forwarded by Brevet
Maj. Gen. John Pope /" to the adjutant-
general of the army through the Asst.
Adjt. Gen. military division of the Mis-
souri," with a recommendation that the
issue be made.
Accompanying this communication
were the affidavit of Noonan as to the
loss, etc., the order detailing Noonan as
tea lister, and letter to the post adju-
tant, dated March 19, asking informa-
tion for the board of survey, which was
referred to the acting assistant quarter
master on the twentieth, returned to the
post adjutant on the twenty-second, and
to the board of survey on the twenty
third; sent back for further information
on the twenty seventh, referred to the
post quartermaster on the thlrtleth, in
dorsed by that officer on April 5, aud
returned to the board on the eighth,
having seven Endorsements. These arc
printed in full.
On the twenty-fourth of April, P. H.
Sheridan, lieutenant-genera. command
| ing, indorsed private Noonan's letter,
with reference to the adjutant general
of the army. On the twenty-eighth of
April, E. D. Townsend, adjutant-gener-
al, referred it to the judge advocate
general; on the thirtieth the judge ad-
vocate- general made long Endorsement
on it to the effect that Noonan's loss
could only be made good by action of
Congress; on the third of May the ad-
iutant- general referred it to the quarter
master-general "for examination and re-
mark befors being submitted to the
secretary of war, with a view to the
presentation of the case to Congress )"
on the thirteenth, Quartermaster- Gen
eral Meigs returned it with recommen-
dation for favorable action. On the
nineteenth, the acknowledgement referred
it to the secretary of wal; on the thirty
first of December the secretary Of war
transmitted the documents to the House
of Representatives, aud on the twelfth
of January, 1876, joint resolution au'
thorizing the issue was referred to the
committee on military affairs and all the
documents ordered printed.
Pnd that is the true story OF Private
Patrick Noonan's clothing, first cost $40
or $50. And yet there are people who
say the government is careless in its ex-
penditures. The case of Patrick Noonan
eternally refutes the charge. He hasn't
got his clothes yet. But ii 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