Quartermaster General of the Union Army: A Biography of M. C. Meigs (review)

Book Reviews EDITED BY CHARLES T. MILLER Quartermaster General of the Union Army: A Biography of M. C. Meigs. By RusseU F. Weigley. (New York: Columbia University Press. 1959. Pp. x, 396. $7.50.) it is very satisfying that a biography of one of the Civü War's great men, Quartermaster General M. C. Meigs, has at last appeared. Few historians of the war have questioned Meigs's achievements, but few of them—Kenneth P. Williams is a notable exception—have more than mentioned him. Quartermaster generals, like the work of the Quartermaster Corps, are usually mentioned in histories of war only when they fail to function well. (Another figure in a key position at the time who has been even more neglected than Meigs was Joseph B. Taylor, Commissary General for Subsistence from 1861 to 1864.) From an abundance of famüy papers and documents Mr. Weigley has been able to give a detailed and interesting account of Meigs's famüy background, his boyhood in Philadelphia, attendance at West Point (where he graduated fifth in his class) , and his early career as an engineer. For the period of his greatest achievements as Quartermaster General, however, almost the only source of information is the official records, and even those on the actual operation of the Quartermaster General's office have been screened, and much material destroyed that would have been interesting now. Meigs's work on the Washington aqueduct and the extension of the Capitol, while interesting, was important principally for the training it gave him in dealing with private businessmen , in administration or complex contracts, and in disbursement of large amounts of public money. His administrative ability, self-reliance, and complete honesty recommended him to Lincoln and Seward for the post of Quartermaster General, but it is certain that Secretary of War Cameron would have preferred a more compliant candidate. One can only speculate on the results of such an appointment. 429 430CI VIL WAR HISTO R Y Kenneth P. Williams, in Lincoln Finds a General says that "Better quartermaster generals than M. C. Meigs do not often come along." When Meigs took over in 1861 the affairs of the Quartermaster Department were in chaos, and his staff of thirteen clerks was woefully inadequate in size and training for the tasks imposed by the rapid expansion of the Army. Expenditures had averaged four to five million dollars a year; Meigs's first annual estimate was seventyfive million. He moved with speed and energy to expand and organize the affairs of the Department. Few contracts were made in Washington, and Meigs's only control was the indirect one ofreviewing the accounts of frequently inexperienced officers and unsupervised civilians, many of whom were under the direct command of others. Procurement methods were often very lax; huge profits and even outright graft were common. Mr. Weigley covers in detail the fantastic situation under General Fremont in St. Louis which Meigs found when he took command . Large contracts were being let to favored dealers at very high prices. These men then bought supplies. Almost anything they offered was accepted, whether it met requirements or not. Profits of 40 per cent were not uncommon . Meigs took vigorous steps to correct the situation before a Congressional investigation made the scandal public. He insisted on public announcement of requirements except in the most extreme emergencies, and was liberal with reprimands for paying too high prices. At the same time he was very careful never to deny Army commanders the right to purchase any supplies they needed. Acceptance of inferior supplies was also common when Meigs took over, and he improved this situation by insisting on adequate inspection by trained personnel. It was typical of his ingenuity that, when he learned of the large number of unserviceable animals being accepted because there were not enough experienced men to inspect them, he urged the use of disabled cavalry and artillery officers as inspectors. Early in the war shortage of suitable cloth for uniforms was critical and soldiers were often in rags. Though there were violent complaints from the mills in New England that he was ruining native industry, Meigs had suitable cloth purchased in Europe until the...