National Republican., 1885-08-06

IL is matter of history that for the
last six months of the war the army Of
northern Virginia was in n state Of semi
starvation, and but scantily supplied
with clothing and blankets, while the
duties devolved upon II were more oner-
GUS than at any other period during the
four years. contest. Casual reference
has been made inprevious articles to the
events shall endeavor to narrate here.
in more fully, because they serve to |
show the condition of the morale of that
army in the winter of 18645 when the |
confederacy was almost on its last legs, |
and / think it will be seen that even |
with the best class of troops-veterans |
Of iilty battles-the sense of honor and |
patriotism depends to great extent |
upon the proper treatment of the
stomach. In the war of the revolution
the old continentals doubtless saw some
tough times, especially at Valley Forge,
but | don't think they we're ever subject
to the harassment of life Of continuous
battle for six months in dirty trenches
and bomb.proofs. But that was the ex.
perience Of the confederates at Peters.
burg
A MISERABLE CoMMissARY.
Looking back to those dark days II
makes confederate soldier mad when
he can now see how criminally negligent
those authorities were to whom was in-
trusted the duty Of clothing and feeding
the army of Lee. The army did not
starve and freeze because there were not
food and clothing available, had proper
energy been shown in collecting
them. Sheer incompetency or
worse on the part of the
quartermaster and commissary depart.
ments and the cowardly selishness of
high officials at the seat of government
were responsible for the situation and
the suffering. 1t has been credibly
stated by those who were in position to
know what they we're talking about that
during all this time of privation among
the men who were opposing their barred
bosoms as the bulwark of the cause in
front of Petersburg there were tons upon
tons of provisions rotting upon the plat.
forms and in the storehouses of the
depots along the lines Of railroad in the
state of North Carolina alone. The
quartermasters alleged that lack of trans.
portaton prevented them from forward.
ing these supplies. 1t is true that the
road beds and the rolling stock were
in bad order, and there was only one
line in our possession, but was the situa.
ton irrmediablc when Tredegar iron
works in Richmond could have been
utilized solely with the view of facilitat-
ing the transport of supplies? The first,
the vital consideration, was TO feed and
cloihe the troops. If Gen. Lee had sum
marily shot halEdozen or so quarter.
masters the supplies would .afterward
have come forward fast enough.
A M0NTB's SUPPLIES BURNED AT RICH.
MoND.
There is another point of view. On
the downfall of Richmond enough sup.
plies were burned up to have lasted Lees $
whole army a month. Why was the
only line of transportation. clogged up to
accumulate this large stock Of supplies ?
Simply to feed and cioihe the horde OF
officials who swarmed about the streets
of The city. The army might starve, but
these civilian, bomb proof fellows must
them in their terribly exhausting duties
Again, what was the use of the perpetual
session of the confederate congress, with
llS uWu1 VI npSttAhtiSo bhu
clerks and messengers, and other official
hangers-on? Why didn't they adjourn
or 90 home or, better still, take their
places in the depleted ranks? And
what was the use of the presence
of the Virginia legislature with its
gang also of able.bodied official
exempts? Neither of these two
bodies in the last year of the fight pro-
mulgated AN act that had the slightest
bearing, for good or i'll, upon the result.
They and their understrappers were, fol-
the most part, able.bodied drones, who
fed at the expense of the workers in the
field. Aud is it to be wondered at that
in the latter days were heard among the
men on the lines the mutterings Of q
coming storm that would inevitably have
placed II. Il. Lee in the dictatorship had
not the bottom of the bucket, so tc
speak, so suddenly fallen out.
DESERVING IN DRovEs.
There is no use denying that Lee
troops during this terrible winter de
serted 10 the enemy, not by ones anC
twos, but literally in droves, and the.
generally took their arms along witt
them. 1t came to pass finally that sen
tries and pickets neglected to fire on de
serling comrades. After nghtlall it wal
as much MS q mans life was worth to b,
anywhere outside of the camps or th,
pltrolled streets of the city, for thieve
swarmed 10 the rear of the lines, ant
robberies from the person were of almos
nightly occurrence. When the officer
of our battalion were belated in Peters
burg, on returning to camp two mile
out on the Telegraph road) they carrie'
their revolvers drawn and cooked. Brea'
was dollar loaf in the city, but tn
army was not paid punctually even in tn
ALMOST worthless confederate scrip, ant
were thus unable to eke out their scant.
rations. Was not such management Il
cruel as it was uncalled for
PERSONAL EXPERIENCE.
~ One morning in January, 1865, it wa
INV turn to do duty as officer OF tn
Guard in the big tobacco factory used a
a prison in Petersburg, for both fedora
and.confe3erate prisoners. The variou
rooms of the building were unusual.
crowded. After counting the prisoner
and giving my receipt 10 the officer
relieved, whether by premOnition o
what not, it occurred to me to pay an
other visit to the room in which me
under sentence of death for desertio
were confined. They had leg.irons on
but no handouts. Four Of them wer
ito be shot he next afternoon, and ] sal
with surprise that they were as livei
and uuconcerned apparently as any o
che others. was satisfied that all wa
mot right. The four were seated ON
blanket spread out on the floor playin
cards, and os walked up to them the
looked up and greeted me pleasantly
/ left the room, after making u close e1
animation oE the walls, NC, but some
how or other ! felt uneasy and weI
10 nl. md nrhnrnA ihnun IN get I'm an