The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 51, July 1947 - April, 1948 Page: 357
406 p. : ill., ports. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Notes and Documents
Five posts, viz. Forts Merrill, Ewell, McIntosh, Duncan and Clark,
receive their subsistence stores through this depot. Provisions for the
first two, are usually shipped from Baltimore; for the other three, and
the depot itself, from New Orleans. The issues made by the Asst.
Commissary of Subsistence and to quartermaster's men, soldiers on
extra duty in the Quartermaster's Department, and to detachments,
express men, & c. The number varies from 1oo to 150 per month.
One soldier is employed in the office of the depot Commissary as a
clerk. The expenditures are from $75 to $150 per month. The cost
of the ration is 141/2 cents. If purchased in the market here (accord-
ing to the memorandum given me by the Commissary), its price
would be 28 cents. The provisions are securely stored and are gen-
erally of good quality. Bvt. Capt. Rhett is an efficient officer, and his
books and accounts exhibited accuracy and method.
At the time of my inspection Capt. Rhett was acting both in the
Quartermaster's and Subsistence Departments, and his time was then
fully engrossed; but here, as at Indianola and San Antonio, I should
not think the duties of depot Commissary would, ordinarily, be
sufficient to require the services of a separate officer; and I, therefore,
feel bound to recommend (as in Lt. Barton's case) that they be
devolved upon the Asst. Quartermaster of the station, or the Chief
Commissary be required to perform them.
PAY DEPARTMENT.
Paymaster Henry Hill, who pays the Rio Grande District-his sta-
tion being at Corpus Christi-was absent in New Orleans for funds,
but his clerk, Mr. Sommerville, was in charge of the office, and ex-
hibited to me the books and accounts. They were regularly kept and
appeared to be correct. Maj. Hill subsequently joined me at Fort
Brown and availed himself of my escort (on a tour of payment) as
far as Fort McIntosh. The Major entered on duty in Texas, March
29, 1851, and has served most of the time on the Rio Grande. His
district embraces, at present, eight posts, viz. Corpus Christi, Fort
Brown, Camp at Edinburg, Ringgold Barracks, Camp at Redmand's
Ranche, Forts McIntosh, Ewell, and Merrill. In visiting these posts
he is required to make a circuit of 66 miles. His quarterly payments
amount usually to $30,000.
(To be continued)357
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 51, July 1947 - April, 1948, periodical, 1948; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101119/m1/451/: accessed April 23, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.