Evening journal., 1904-05-05

the battles at Trenton. Monmouth,
Brandywine and Germantown. great as
they were, nor yet for his services
valuable beyond all estimation-in the
Southern States that we ask that his
name be permitted to honor this vessel,
but for what he accomplished for the
Quartermaster's Department Of the
army in its darkest days, when the re-
markable efforts OF General Greene
were so successful I'm saving the army
at Valley Forge from destruction and
made It possible for the army to take
the field rehabilitated. re-established
and sustained by the inspiration Of his
superb genius.
ITO say that he brought TO the dis
charge Of the important duties OF the
Office vigor. a method. a power OF re-
source, a dauntless courage in the per-
formance Of duty, an aggressive per-
sonality which. while il bafled mer-
cenary tricksters and thwarted politi-
cal enemies, did much to inhame his
enemies, whose names are no longer
known, to the point Of absolute hatred
is simply to say that I'm the work of his
department he was Nathaniel Greene.
But you may not all know the duties
Of a quarteTmaster and I will therefore
make the following brief statement:
Like any great enterprise, the army for
administrative purposes, is divided into
departments, each with its official head.
The ordnance Office furnishes the arms
and ammunition; the quartermaster
transports and distributes them. The
commissary furnishes the food: the
quartermaster transports and distrib-
utes It. The medical Office cares for
the sick and wounded; the quarter
master transports him. his medicine the
sick and wounded, and furnishes them
with shelter.
In short, the quartermaster is the
manager for the army. He receives the
raw recruits, unprepared and un-
equipped; il is the duty of the de-
partment to provide him with the
necessary clothing and fit him out in
the uniform OF a soldier, give him shell
ter Of tentage or quarters, supply him
/ with a bed and bedding, with light for
illumination, fuel for warmth and to
cook his food. and with ranges, ovens
and untensils with which to prepare
it.
1T furnishes him draft animals and
the forage they consume; it carries the
soldier and his equipment by pack
mule, wagon, rail, and river and over
sea transports to distant shores and 10
the scenes of active service; provides
the bugle that sounds the call to bat
tie and the flag that he follows to vic
tory.
His duty done. It is the quartermas-
ter who bears him back triumphantly
to the mother or sweetheart or wife in
the dear old land he loves, or should
he fall in battle or die not less glori-
ously. though more sadly, from the
onslaught of some insidious disease. il
is the quartermaster who furnishes
him his last narrow tenement, bears
/ the sacred remains home to lie in his
native soil. provides the grave in which
he sleeps, and keeps green the sod
above his resting place.
For work like this. we'll and nobly
done. Nathaniel Greene was adored by
the men.
"The good Quaker stock from which
he sprang may we'll be proud OF his
career. II is said that when he decided
upon answering his country's call there
was some argument with his good old
Quaker mother on the subject. Wher
she found that his decision was made
10 go 20 war Il is said that she ad-
weed him thus: Go to the wars II thou
wilt Nathaniel, but take care that
thou dost not be shot in the back
That advice seems 10 have sunk
deep. for whether in victory or defeat
the face OF Nathanael Green was ever
set towards the foe. on the battle
fields in the States bordering the Della
ware River and in the Jerseys he was
ever the right-hand Of Washington.