Omaha daily bee., 1898-06-05
TOCA FOR THE BOYS IN BLUE
Service Regulations as to Clothes, Uniforms
and Shoes. ~
IMPORTANT PROBLEM OF THE wAF
Best Dressed Soldiers and Sailors I'm
the worId-GiEnntic Task OF
the ounrtermsster's De-
p~artment-ts

Clothing the army and navy Is one OF the
most important problems presented to the
War and Navy departments for solution.
The quartermaster general performs the
task for the army and the paymaster general
for the navy. In time OF peace the duty in
wolves considerable labor. In time Of war,
and especially at the beginning of hostilities,
when the public are crying for a million
men to be enlisted, clothed and put at the
front in a minute, the task assumes the
proportions of a mountain in a fog.
Take the quartermaster general, for in
stance. 1t is his duty TO see that the big
army which the president has called to give
battle to the Spanish Is clothed at the very
earliest possible moment. His usual sources
Of supply are quickly exhausted. Others
must be found. New clothing must be made.
The first thing the quartermaster general
does is to ascertain, as nearly as possible,
the exact number Of suits required, the kind
of suits, the number of shoes and under
clothing. also hats. The exact kind is then
specified in detail. and manufacturers and
jobbers in that line of business are invited
to submit bids for the whole or part of the
clothing needed. Accompanying every bid
is a check to guarantee that the terms OF
the contract will be carried out to the letter.
These bids are submitted, together with
samples Of the goods required. The bids are
carefully examined and compared and the
lowest bidder 1.-THE quality of goods being
satisfactory gets the contract. The goods
contracted for must be ready on time and
delivered to the government. When they
are delivered they are inspected by govern
ment officials and, il all right, accepted.
Then they are forwarded to the storehouse
of the army at Philadelphia to await orders.
When a regiment is recruited and sworn
s.,a A. ITp;+a1 Ctatoc caryira the pantain
of each company makes out a reluisition for
the number of uniforms needed and for
wards the requisition to the quartermaster
of the m The colonel approves of
the reQuisition, and then ii is forwarded TO
the brigade Quartermaster, who, If he has
not the clothes required on hand, makes
a requisition on the corps quartermaster.
The latter, when uniforms are needed, makes
a requisition on the quartermaster general,
who draws the supplies needed from the
depot at Philadelphia.
Upon the delivery of the clothing to the
regimental q~uartermaster the captains of
the several companies are notified. The
captains march their men to headquarters
and there they receive the clothing appor-
toned TO them and forEwhich the captain
gives a receipt to the regimental quarter
master, who keeps it for his voucher. The
same formula for the issuing of clothing is
followed in the navy.
Cost of Uniforms.
The army and navy uniforms are made in
nearly every large city of the union, and
the cost of those for the prfyates is about
So, and of those for men before the mast
is about IS per man. The ~oficers' uniforms
range in prices from $50 to SIS. A bullet
will, however, pierce the one as quickly as
the other. The uniforms of the general Of
fcers of the army is a double-breasted
blouse of dark blue cloth or serge, with
four outside patch pockets with flaps, a
rolling collar, with two rows of buttons,
grouped according to rank, of the same
kind as those worn on the dress coat. For
all other officers a single-breasted blouse is
j worn of dark blue cloth or serge, with
. four outside pockets with flaps, falling col
lar, with five buttons in front Of the same
kind as those worn on the dress coat. The
skirt OF the dress coat extends from one
! third to one-half the distance from the hir
joint to the knee.
Quite as important as the clothes are the
r shoes. For Cuban service the men will wear
: dark brown canvas clothes, but the shoes
will be the same as worn at home. They
: are common %brogans, these shoes, stout OF
X upper and mighty of sole and heel. In fact
d the army shoe is not a thing of beauty, but
VI" Az - ~ a. q Joy d. tHtlS
veteran knows. They are made of cow
hide, and, If possible, of the hide of a very
tough COW at that. They are exceedingly
% broad of sole and heel and are made with
the double view of securing durability ant
n comfort.
At the beginning of the civil war shoe.
/ were considered feminine and were but little
worn. Boots were the fashion and they wer,
= made to fit like a kid glove. The volunteers
, for some months after the war began clunt
TO boots, not ~fancying the uncouth shoe
But after a while necessity forced men t
IN accept the shoes (pontoons, they were called
n. by the soldiers) and, after being worn fo
a few days, they were voted a luxury mex
to milk in coffee. The service shoe is mad,
: By contract and averages in cost rs cents pc
pair.
No Soldiers Underwear.
The regulation sock is made of wool an,
so coarse as to give promise that it will las
through this war. Then there is the woole
undershirt. 1t is a very important part O
IN the soldiers clothing. He is given one o
tx these undershirts. which is made OF wool
ny He must wash II himself, wiring II out an
let 1t dry on his body II he is on the march
T. This method of cleanliness applies also to tn
a. drawers and is possibly accountable for
soldiers walk, suggesting that his thought
~ are busy Win something else tnan the muc1
talked-of romance of war. This wouldn'
s. happen were the soldier to receive two suit
SIS of underclothes. But economy, and a disin
l. clination to increase the weight the soldie
RS has to carry on his back when marching
en- have induced the government to restrict il
seu warriors bold, in the ranks, TO one suit {
underclothes apiece, The warrior in III
ranks may not like 1t, but IT is noticed tha
when he comes home from the war b
~ vocabulary is the richer
The sailor men fare better in the matte
H. OF clothes than the soldier boys on lan'
The sailors have one pair OF blue and tv
Sc pairs of white trousers, one white and on
h. blue blouse, one suit OF offskins, two suits
white canvas working clothes, one blue ca
one white cover for cap One oilskin sou
or wester. two pairs of SHOES, and last, but,
~ the language Of a soldier mot least by
~ hanged sight two suits or underclothes.
The troops OF the country might be clothe
u 1900 - ...tG.