1861-10-26_Letter-A_Alvord-to-Bro-Warren

21, Washington Oct 16th 61.

Bro. Warren

So far as we can see the plan in detail for the young men will be to appoint [their?] "Com-mission" consisting of say seven gentlemen selected from the more prominent associations of the larger cities - a quorum of whom should reside at some one point say at N. York. This commission to arrange for a Central Depot at Washington & for smaller ones at other Central points of the army or Navy The Depot [hve?] to have its Super-intendent having in Charge all supplies & distribution with a set of books for every detail - &

[page turned] I cant even read over a word of what I have written - as the mail for the day is closing.

Can you make it out? -

[Cannot?] fill hi-atus & do what you plan with it

It must [go at?] it is. You have the substance

J.W.A.

furnished with such assistance as will be [illegible] - /The young man here offer voluntary aid after 4 1/2 oC PM / At most often head quarters such as Baltimore. Pitts. -burg. Cincinnati. Cairo &c to gether with the plans of [tempo?]- -[rary?] encampment in the interior as at Chicago. Elmira. Phil, N. York & Boston the resident as-sociations will. it is hoped provide for the reception of supplies & distribution without expence to the Commission except it be for freight & expassages & such like incidentals - But here where an enormous army will most likely lie in winter quarters within from 3 to 20 miles of the city (we do not object to a victory & "on to Richmond" but the base not the plans of op-erations would then be changed) there

must be a well organized bureau with all its exact minutia though at considerable expence. After establishing getting the Depot with its Superin-tendent & assistance (we have ex-pectation of being getting a Govt. room in the Post Office Building) the [next?] & most difficult part will be to establish prompt & accurate convey-ances to [illegible] those ever changing encampments though winter quarters when reached will be more fixed for 3 or 4 months - These Camps cannot be reached by personal visits - nor by Post office - Our packages are too heavy for the regimental horseback mails - (Govt. do nothing beyond here) nor by Adams Ex. It stops at the first large places across the river - Nor by these army expresses as they are called. [here?] humbugs - To some extent the Chap-lains would cull or send to the Depot

if they were informed of supplies - but many Regts. have stupid or even un-godly - at least [heretical?] Chaplains. Some have none at all - & the best are often obliged to be absent tem-porarially - One plan then is this - to have them picked godly men making one for each of them then grand divisions of McClellen army - who shall on horseback [itinscate?] - taking each their division in order, calling on the Chaplain of each Regt. or if no Chaplain on some responsible christian man of the Regt. ascertain their condition. want go among them & make personal ob-servation & then leave on order for the [illegible] supply. This order who an-[wind?] at the Depot. The chaplan then himself casts about for the best way of obtaining it, by the mail [carrier?] (as most of the Chaps. manage the mails) by the [Sutter?] - or by the quartermaster waggon perhaps going himself - he can easily get it. & just when & where he wants it