The cost of the cavalry uniforms
and of the dress of the non-commissioned officers is something
higher, but not sufficiently so to make it necessary to make special
provision for the difference in a statement so rough as this. At
$3.00 a month the clothing of the army would amount to 3,600,000
pounds. The actual annual cost would therefore be as follows:
Salaries and wages 25,484,400 pounds.
Diet of the soldiers 6,200,000 "
Clothing for the soldiers 3,600,000 "
- - - - -
35,280,400 "
I believe that these figures may be trusted, unless it be with
reference to that sum of $l7,000,000, or 3,400,000 pounds, which is
presumed to include the salaries of all general officers, with their
staffs, and also the extra wages paid to soldiers in certain cases.
This is given as an estimate, and may be over or under the mark.
The sum named as the cost of clothing would be correct, or nearly
so, if the army remained in its present force for five years. If it
so remained for only one year, the cost would be one-fifth higher.
It must of course be remembered that the sum above named includes
simply the wages, clothes, and food of the men. It does not
comprise the purchase of arms, horses, ammunition, or wagons; the
forage of horses; the transport of troops, or any of those
incidental expenses of warfare which are always, I presume, heavier
than the absolute cost of the men, and which, in this war, have been
probably heavier than in any war ever waged on the face of God's
earth. Nor does it include that terrible item of peculation, as to
which I will say a word or two before I finish this chapter.
The yearly total payment of the officers and soldiers of the army is
as follows. As regards the officers, it must be understood that
this includes all the allowances made to them, except as regards
those on the staff. The sums named apply only to the infantry and
artillery. The pay of the cavalry is about ten per cent. higher: -
Lieutenant-General* 1850 pounds.
Major-general 1150 "
Brigadier-General 800 "
Colonel 530 "
Lieutenant-Colonel** 475 "
Major 430 "
Captain 300 "
First Lieutenant 265 "
Second Lieutenant 245 "
First Sergeant 48 "
Sergeant 40 "
Corporal 34 "
Private 31 "
* General Scott alone holds that rank in the United States Army.
** A colonel and lieutenant-colonel are attached to each regiment.
In every grade named the pay is, I believe, higher than that given
by us, or, as I imagine, by any other nation. It is, however,
probable that the extra allowances paid to some of our higher
officers when on duty may give to their positions for a time a
higher pecuniary remuneration.
