New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-06-19
SELECTIONS FROM THE MAIL.
ALLOTMENT OF SOLDIERS PAY.
THE SYSTEM EMPLOYED IN THE CIVIL WAX fo'
SENDING MONEY HOME FROM THE FIELD.

Sir The question OF provision Tor Inc iainiies VI
| soldiers in camp field is one Immediately pre-
| scented when volunteers have answered their couh1
| ,rv's call TO arms That the State Is responsible
| for those dependent upon the brave hds VINO
| leave them 10 fight under our flag Is not disputed
but II is doubtful II those at home are pest sei'"
and If the good of the absent men is not aoSo,"'ey
| I'm Jeopardy. II they led 10 feel that all re-
| sponsibility for the maintenance of their famies
| is RENTED when they enter the Army
There are many TO whom such an attitude would
under any circumstances. be a moral impossibity
| FOR most men who are brave and patriotic enough
TO offer themselves for their countrys honor are
possessed Of that nice Of private honor which
forbds TO fail Of dischargng 10 the extent OF his
nbiity those obligations 10 the home when no
honorable man ncglects. II is due to such men 10
provide a safe and sure method for the fulilmcht
of their wishes regarding the transmission OF iu'S
to their families. and how to do 40 seems TO nave
been arranged with discretion and carried out with
success during the civil War judging from personal
"reminiscences furnished and newspaper accounts
OF the period as well the records made in niue
pamphlet published in 1862 and entitled united
States Allotment System" being report to
President Lincoln Of the Allotment commissioners
for the State Of NcwYork
These commissioners were Theodore Roosevelt.
william T.. Dodge, jr.. and Theodore y. Bronson.
They were appointed Allotment Commissioners
by President Lincoln after the amended ahol-
ment bill had passed Congress and had been APP
The history OF this bill is briefly follows: Ne
cessity was seen early in the war for some pro-
vision by which a proper part OF the vast sums
paid monthly TO the Army could be securely and
Systematically sent home by the volunteers.
Food and clothing. medical attendance and quar-
tiers are amply provided by the War Department,
and except in extreme cases no soldier can spend
more than from So to s. month without injury
to his health. morals and efficiency lie can there
fore send home an average Of from $ to 80
month.
The value Of this to the family set forth in
terms wholly applicable 10 the present situation
afforded by the needs Of the volunteers woman
kind and children. left behind to-day. And tho
benefit to the soldier of such self-donial. which
kept him on, Of debt TO the sutler ana in close
touch with the home life. was as apparent then
as
A short ana crude allotment act had been passed
the session Of Congress July -. 1851, and
plans were devised by various States. counties and
cities. all Of which-athoueh in som" cases part
~ successful-faicd TO reach the desired result.
This was owing to the fact that all plans included
the appoint mcnt OF trustees who should receive ana
distribute the sums allotted by volunteers.
II was constantly found that the troops We're un-
willing 10 put faith IN agents. and refused 20 sgn
allotment rolls. There also occasional long
delay on the par; Of raymasters In sending funds
TO trustees ana In aftcr-dis,rihuton TO families
in some cases an interval Of two months between
the payment Of troops and the receipt Of ailot-
ments by those at home. Hence II WAS judged best
10 Introduce simple. uniform and
effective measure. and the bill OF December ~
1861. was devised
That bill provides for the appointment 10y the
President Of three persons for each state having
volunteers in the United States service These per
sons SO appointed 20 DE authorized hy the fr"si-
dents commission 10 visit the departments ~ the
Army in which volunteers from thclr respective
States may be- and then and there procure from
the said volunteers allotmonts from their pay duly
certified by them IN writing. and attcsiHd hj som"
commissioned officer. OF such department. or AZ
tested In pursuance 81 such orders may be- made
for that purpose by the Secretary Of War and upon
which certified allotment the several pay masters
shall at each regular aymcnt % the troops give
drafts payable In the city OF New-Nork. p"y''r
to the order Of the persons designated In The al
II was further enacted That the "commssoncrs
receive no pay or emolument whatever from the
Treasury Of the United States -
The operntion ot this act follows The
soldier signed the allotment role evins the ainorn,
Of money and the name Of the person 10 whom -
G,,gna,n1 ~. received on payday sight draf, ON
the snb-Trcasnror Of the United states IN The city
OF New-York. payable to nc order 30 ~. l'rSon
he allotted to. This draft the soldier forwarded
The fact Of the draft being made ITO order pre-
vented its use by any other than the one IN whose
favor It was drawn. and also gav" the soldier the
satisfaction Of receiving the whole amount ~ MS
while the necessity Of Endorsement was guar
antce against It's being stolen
There was n further provision thnt on lroper
evidence Of loss the Department agreed 10 f.e a
duplicate" once these checks were indor*cd they
became current at any bank or store 80 any paft
Of the state ana might travel through ordinary
commercial channels to Ne~lork ior RnylnI a
poin;rnent 81 the three COMM ssoners named for
for those gentlemen. who. from that time until the
service was no longer needed. devoted ,hem-"lVes
The newspapcrs OF the winter OF 1920 printed
Of dor TAXI h.E
how there then eighty New-York regiments
within reach AT Washington. ANNAPOLIS. Fort
thousand men-and each man I'm the field had 90 be
personally addressed and. provided he was Wiling
10 set apart any portion OF his pay FOR those AT
home. hs name and the necessary data had TO be
Through all difficulties the three commissioners
persevered and IT IL doubtful II any three officers
throughout that winter any harder and. at many
times. more disheartening work than hey dd hut
their reward came In success beyond All most SAN
c7Ilne authorizations For although the system was
not fairly operation before April. 1852 the total
on soldiers checks families up to June II OF that
year was N7o376 %. while the promises 81 allotment
secured by the Commissioners at the tTne the re-
port mentioned was issued, would. II the Whoe
amount had been nants9 2. a. e md paid the year
This grand was returned TO the families OF
and set IN operation by Mr.. Dodge. Mr.. Bronson
and Mr.. Roosevelt who, prevented from taking up
entirely to their countrys service BY under
taking this magnificent field work
and Wisconsin pronied almost snnltaneouIs US. ana
the allotment system and other States we're htGln-
ming to CONS into line II was noted AS striking
fact that New York regiments under the la;er levy
allotted a average double the amount given
by earlier troops.
This system. which proved It's value thirty-nvc
years ago. is commended to the consideration OF
those who to-day are a. anxious and industrious
TO serve the interests Of the brave lads serving
their country as the three gentlemen who IN
the Civil War planned and carried into execution
the United States allotment system:
49, JULIA HAYES PERCY
New York, June II. 1895.
SELF-CONTROL AND MORAL HABITS.