Union Generals Square Over The Price of Whiskey

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A curious war-date Union Commissary department document, 3pp. folio, "Hd. Qrs. 3rd Division, 2d Corps, Office of Division Inspector, July 24, 1864", reading, in small part: "…Report of 1st Brigade Inspector…I have inspected the returns and accounts of Capt. Geo. W. Cooney C. S., 1st Brigade, 3rd Divi., 2nd Corps…of the prices charged for subsistence stores. Theses prices do not vary from the established rate except…[in] the established price of whiskey has been 75 cts per canteen while it has been invoiced at $1.12, 1.44 and $1.46 per gallon. The C. S. justifies these charges…some canteens hold half a gallon. In the matter of altering provision returns to cover deficiencies…while on the march rations have been issued in the night or in a hurry…has been taken thereof by the Regt…when returns are approved ten days in advance and battles interfere reducing the number of men…I have not been able to find in this brigade any such alteration or evidence of fraud…and…I should not say that any have been made…of whiskey I find that the officers have been paying during the month of June .90 cts per canteen, making $2.40 per gallon and I find the whiskey has been invoiced to the commissary at $1.12, $ 1.46 and $1.73 per gallon. As yet I have failed to discover any instance where Comsy. Sergts…had sold provisions on their own accounts…". Whiskey rations created an ongoing problem for the Civil War armies from the very beginning of the war. Drunk soldiers, enterprising officers who took more than their fair share was not unusual either, but by June 1864 things seemed to get out of hand in the Third Division of the Army of the Potomac's Second Corps after it was alleged that acting commissary Capt. J. N. Crawford of the 6th New Jersey overcharged for the price of whiskey and that he failed to adjust requisition forms down after regimental losses in battle would call for less demand. A series of endorsements on the verso shows tug of war between two future Union generals, and reads, in very small part: "…[August 1, 1864]…referred to the major general comdg. with the recommendations that all the commissaries of the 3d Division who have been exacting more than the invoiced prices…be brought to trial…the within report sets forth that the commissary of the 1st brigade has habitually sold whiskey for seventy five cents per canteen which is at a rate $2.00 per gall…the commissary of the 3d Brig. has sold nearly all stores at an advance…there is no excuse for the practice and it ought to be broken up…C. H. Morgan [BRIGADIER GENERAL CHARLES H. MORGAN] Lt. Col. Asst. Insp. Genl…[August 10, 1864], Respectfully re-forwarded to Lt. Col. Morgan…as stated in the within report the evidence against Capt. Crawford is weak and…if brought to trial not strong enough to result in conviction. J. Willian, [BREVET BRIGADIER GENERAL JOHN WILLIAN for Lee's surrender] Major & Div. Insp.". Light soiling, else VG.

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