Gulf Coast breeze. [volume] (Crawfordville, Fla.) 1897-19??, 1898-09-09
PAYING OFF THE TROOPS
THE COMPLICATED TASK WHICH PAY
MASTERS HAVE TO PERFORM.

Life IL HIS Arrival Win q criPsnoS
Full Of Moncy--How the Soldiers Get
Their Pay-Ths Volunteer Paymaster.
One OF the pleasantest features OF
army life is the coming Of the paymas.
ter with his gripsack full Of money.
Since the declaration Of war with
Spain the war department has added
seventy paymasters and twice as many
clerks, under the Emergency act pro-
viding for an increase. The work re-
quired is almost wholly that OF ex-
pert accountants. Especially is this
true Of the department Of the east, in
New York city, where. In addition to
keeping the accounts OF the volunteers
in this vicinity, the paymasters are
obliged TO take care OF the accounts OF
regulars and retired officers and SOL
diers. There is no mercy shown to O
green paymaster. Whether he under
stands the work or not, he has to do
the same amount as is given to pay
master who has been In the service
twenty years. In fact, there Is O
growing suspicion that the volunteer
paymaster gets the worst Of it all
round.
The retired list which new paymas-
tiers are required to wrestle with in
the paymaster's Office in this city
comprises the accounts Of 400 officers
and men who have been retired from
the service, but who are drawing
three-quarters pay. These payments
are made once each month under an
intricate system Of bookkeeping. II
Is so complicated that no business
man Of today would think Of applying
it to his own business.
The retired officers and men are
paid on the first day Of each month.
Those residing in New York receive
their pay in currency at the paymas-
ter's Office, while those residing out
side the city are paid by check. The
New York pay department is under
the control OF Lieut. Col. Wilson, who
ranks next to Paymaster-G General
Stanton. Under him at the present
time are two regular army paymasters
and three emergency or volunteer
pnymasters, all ranking as majors.
As in the army proper, there is moth
ing done in the pay department with
out orders, and the soldier who be-
comes impatient at not receiving his
pay at the anticipated time should not
blame the paymaster.. II may be that
he has not received his orders.
The First New York Volunteers
were paid o. recently by Major Fow-
Ter at Fort Hamilton, and the method
of procedure will serve to illustrate
all payments in the field. On the
rolls furnished by the company com.
manders an estimate due each man,
less fines, was made by the paymaster,
and the latter, with lis clerk, went to
the camp with sufficient currency to
pay of. At Fort Hamilton the place
selected for paying the troops was the
hall of the local lodge Of Good Tenn
plars. Each company was lined up,
one at time, in front OF the paymas-
ter's desk, and as his name was called
out each man stepped forward and re-
ceived his money.
First comes the captain, who re.
ceives $3.50; then the first lieutenant,
who takes sl25. The second lieuten-
ant walks off with $l16.67, and then
follow the non-commissioned officers,
beginning with the first sergeant,
whose compensation Is $50 month.
After the non-commissioned officers
come the privates, who receive Sl5. 60
month instead OF Sl3 n month, as
formerly. In fact, in all the salaries
Of non commissioned officers and pri-
Yates there has been uniform in
crease of 20per cent.
When an entire regiment is paid off
il is done from what is known as the
roll OF the field, staff and band, con-
tanning the names Of the brigade or
regimental Geld officers. Those off,
GERS are paid by the paymaster in the
same manner that other payments are
made, but the amounts are much
larger, the brigadier- general receiving
Si5e.S3 a month; colonel, S29l.67;
Northumberland, $3.50, aud ..Iajor,
S20s.33. Regimental quartermaster
and regimental adjutauts receive
$3.50, while the regimental chaplain's
pay is S125 q month.
r Commissioned officers may draw
their salaries from any paymaster, and
II Is not infrequent that accounts are
duplicated. In such cases there is
trouble in store for the officer. Pay
masters, although they handle large
sums Of money, are only under &c.
900 bonds. They are responsible for
the accuracy Of their accounts, and
the overpayment Of money TO soldiers
is q loss TO the paymaster. The pos
,sibility Of error Is a constant worry 10
the volunteer paymastera, who are
unfamiliar with the work, and who are
largely dependent upon their clerks.