Document Spotlight-Requisitions and Salary Edition

Recently transcriber Dapperlaw transcribed a document that gives us a snapshot of how much money it took to run the Quartermaster department of the Army. Likewise, we get a quick look at the salaries of various personnel, from officers to boatmen.

In the letter, James O’Hara, the Quartermaster General, makes a request for funds to pay the salaries of various Quartermaster officers and support personnel. For six months, O’Hara projects salary costs of $13,372–this figure does not include other expenses. He breaks out the salary position, so we know, for example, that master boatmen were paid $45 per month (4 master boatmen for 4 months totaled $720); regular boatmen were paid $12 per month. It’s a fascinating look at the budget process, as O’Hara projected his costs and made the appropriate request.

Read the original document here.

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