Editor’s Note: This article was transcribed by Jackie Martin.
CAMP NINETEENTH BATTALION VIRGINIA ARTILLERY, June 13th, 1864.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE EXAMINER:
We wish to make inquiries through your valuable paper of what we term an act of injustice towards us, on the part of some one in the department of subsistence.
The facts of the case are these: we daily see it stated in the columns of the city papers that the army is receiving “full rations, meal, flour, sugar, coffee, onions and other vegetables.” We will here state, for the benefit of the Commissary General, or some other high official whose duty it is to see to these matters, that there is at least one command of the army around Richmond who are NOT receiving “full rations.” Our daily allowance is one-third of a pound of meat, one and a quarter pounds of meal, three ounces of peas and of salt; a quantity so small that it is barely sufficient to season bread; as to sugar, coffee, onions and other vegetables” we never get a (illegible)eight.
Can you inform us why this unjust discrimination is made. Is one portion of the army entitled to full rations while another only gets half?
We would be proud to emulate the example of other troops, and contribute something for the relief of the suffering poor, but our short rations will not justify us in doing so.
We make mention of this because we cannot think it is the intention of the Government to discriminate, and exercise such palpable injustice; and believe it is only necessary to call the attention of the Commissary General to the matter to insure its speedy adjustment.
SOLDIERS.1
Source:
- “Camp Nineteenth Battalion Virginia Artillery, June 13th, 1864.” Richmond Examiner. June 15, 1864, p. 2 col. 3 ↩