HIGHLY IMPORTANT NEWS: Fairfax Court-house Occupied by Federal Troops; Another Brilliant Cavalry Dash on Saturday Night; THE REBELS ON THE POTOMAC (6/3/1861)

New York Times archives – Times Machine ^ | 6/3/1861

[Homer_J_Simpson]

WASHINGTON, Sunday, June 2.

The strictures upon the Subsistence Department, in which one of your correspondents lately indulged, were so general in their character as to do gross injustice to many, without correcting abuses by specifying the guilty. It is not to be doubted that there has been some suffering among the troops on account of a want of necessary supplies. Provisions have been scarce, and sometimes parts of regiments have gone without food longer than was right; but whenever such cases have occurred, the fault has been clearly traceable to the ignorance or indifference of the Quartermasters of the regiments. In nearly all cases they have had no experience, and in many cases they prefer the ease and eclat of the hotels to the labors of their departments.

Since the strictures to which I have alluded, I have taken the trouble to acquaint myself with the routine of the Commissary's Department, under charge of Capt. BEEKWITH. I confess to a surprise that there was so little of red tape connected with that branch of the service. There are blanks for every kind of requisition, and forms that any man ought to comprehend. An approach to conformity with these is all that Capt. BECKWITH requires, and frequently supplies for a Regiment are given out with fewer precautions than a New-York bank would exercise in cashing a check of ten dollars. The orders from head-quarters are to deal liberally with the regiments, and they are fully obeyed. If Colonels of regiments will look after their Quartermasters, and see that they report at Capt. BECKWITH's office, there will be no hungry men. Soldiers' rations are more than any man can eat, and a full ration is dealt out whenever the demand is made out, or the department is notified of a necessity.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Free Republic University, Department of History presents U.S. History, 1855-1860: Seminar and Discussion Forum
The American Civil War, as seen through news reports of the time and later historical accounts

First session: November 21, 2015. Last date to add: Sometime in the future.
Reading: Self-assigned. Recommendations made and welcomed.

Posting history, in reverse order

https://www.freerepublic.com/tag/by:homerjsimpson/index?tab=articles

To add this class to or drop it from your schedule notify Admissions and Records (Attn: Homer_J_Simpson) by reply or freepmail.

Link to previous New York Times thread

https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/3964308/posts

[Homer_J_Simpson]

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[Homer_J_Simpson]

Highly Important News: Fairfax Court-house Occupied by Federal Troops– 2-3
The Two Missing Dragoons Rescued from Fairfax Court-house – 3
The Second Attack on the Aquia Creek Batteries – 3
Don’t Attack Fort Pickens – 3
The Rebels on the Potomac: A Skirmish at Williamsport, Md. – 3
Editorial: One of their Errors – 3
Editorial: Glimpses of Camp-Life – 3-4
Editorial: On the Look-out for Cotton – 4-5
A Contrast – 5
How to Perfect the Blockade – 5
The War by Way of New-Orleans – 5
Journalism in Secessiondom – 5
Rebellion and Mail Robbery – 5
Reports from Cairo – 5
The MacDonald Habeas Corpus – 5

[BroJoeK]

"Editorial: One of their Errors – 3...
Editorial: On the Look-out for Cotton – 4-5 A Contrast – 5"

Both of these editorials review the roles of "King Cotton" in the war and in international relations.
It's fair to expect these reflect the views of those "Northeastern power brokers" (NPBs) about whom posters like DiogenesLamp have so thoroughly instructed us.

But a careful reading of their words shows us those NPBs are not at all thinking about disruptions in their own "money flows from Europe", but rather are more concerned that European powers, on losing their cotton supplies from the Confederacy will turn to other global producers, thus ending the South's near monopoly on world cotton production.

The loser in the game of "cotton diplomacy" will be the South, our editors say.