The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-12-06

MOTIFS, pays d SlOWaAS oAu
tribute to the conmander-in-chlei Of
The American army. when he says:
.'When it shall be consistent to give
the history OF thai mar Washington
from his first introduction n our
service, how often America mas peen
rescued from ruin by the mere
strength OF his genius, anu
ourage e~ncountering every opstac.5
that want Of money, men arms ana
ammunition could throw in his way;
an impartial world will say with yoa
that he is the Greatest man on
Earth"
Great as were the difficulties under
which the Continental army labort'
with respect to money. conditions very
similar In nature existed IN Norm
Carolina Throughout the entlfe Wal
it was almost Impossible for the STATE
to supply its own troops with ne1es-
sary provisions and supplies. In 1l''
James Moore, the commander OF d
North Carolina brigade, in a
ication to Governor Caswen regarding
the condition Of his troops said: the
men are much exposed, In conse-
| uuence of which many OF them are
sick, and rendered unfit for duty, with
colds and perepneun1On1eS. Wnal
still increases their h~ardshlpS is the
| want of blankets, One-half OF them
| not having blankets TO cover them
The Governor Immediately requested
the state Treasures to do everything
in their power for the relief of the
troops, but since the treasury was IN
! an exceedingly poor condition, 1t Is MOI
likely tina the necessary aid was i'm
mediately given.
In 1878 the subsistence Of the Con-
tinental army became jeopardized be-
cause of the expectation of pork anu
beef from the ports Of North Caro-
lima, and Congress strongly urged the
General Assembly of that State to
| prevent the further expectation OF
these necessarieS, and h state au-
thorities promptly laid the embargo
as desired by the Continental govern
ment. 1t was during this year That
| flesh provisions became SO scarce that
it was almost impossible TO secure
sufficient supplies for the army to pre-
vent the soldiers from getting the
| scurgy. Meantime the Governor and
the delegates were exerting them
selves to their Utmost to get further
| loans from the Continental treasury.
/ After a good deal of delay, Congress
granted the State 100000, which en-
| abled the authorities to pay the sol
diers, and to carry on the government,
for some time h ~Tesortiug to
the issue OF paper money.
General Greene III reporting the
condition of the army Of the Southern
Department to WASHINGTON, say
Nothing can be more wretched and
distressing thar the condition OF the
troops starving with cold and hunger,
without tents and camp equipage.
A tattercd of some garment
clumsily stuck together with the
thOTns Of the locust tree form the
sole covering OF hundreds, and we
have 500 men without arms, and
more than 1000 are so naked that
they can be put on duty only in case
Of desperate necessity Under such
conditions the soldiers became muffin
Gus. and 1t was only after the adop-
ton Of the severest measures that they
were reduced to submission"
The effects of an insufficient supply
Of currency were almost the same in
every detail. In their application &c
conditions N the State militia Of
North Carolina as they were upon the
Continental army. The troops of the
State and of the continent were i'm
properly supplied; the soldiers mu-
tinted, and the operations OF both
were seriously handicapped. But the
significance Of these circumstances
was the fact that the financial condi
ton of North Caroline was in such a
state OF collapse that her own troops
were forced to suffer as many hard
ships as the soldiers in the Continental
line. The conclusion we draw from
these facts are, that If North Carolina
was unable to keep her own soldiers
from starving within the state itself
she was unable to furnish that finan-
cial aid which was SO sorely needed
for the Continental troops.
Conclusion.
When the treaty OF peace was sign
ed at Paris, in 1855, which ended the
Revolution, the thirteen States were
completely exhausted. The
Of the country had been taxed to the
limit; but the nation had achieved the
great object OF Independence. This
was a glorious compensation for the
great sacrifice necessary for its accom-
plishnent. Much credit is due Mas
sachusetts and Virginia for the many
ways in which they contributed OF
their means and men to bring about