The Sun.
London, England, 1832-10-04 00:00:00

NOTES ON THE ARMY OF THE UNITED

STATES OF AMERICA.

(From the United Service Journal for October.)

The peace establishment of the United States is composed
of 4 regiments of artillery and 7 regiments of infantry,
and, with staff officers, amounts to about 6,000 men.
Each regiment of artillery consists of 9 companies, one of
which is equipped as light artillery. A company is offi-
cered by a captain, 4 subalterns, and S non commissioned,
with 3 artificers, 2 musicians, and 42 privates. A com-
pany of infantry consists of a captain, 2 subalterns, and 7
:ion-commissioned, 2 musicians, and 42 privates. And to
each regiment of artillery and infantry there are 1 colonel,
I lieutenant-colonel, 1 major, an adjutant, serjeant-major,
end quarter-master-serjeant.
The corps of Military and Topographical Encineers are
not attached to the ordnance department, which is merged
;n the artillery. Tire ordnance service in the States con-
sists merely of 30 officers of artillery, selected to command
the different depots of arms and arsenals of the Union,
with 10 superintendants of arm ries and store-keepers.
Mtjor-General Alexander !Macomb commands the army
at present; and he is allowed 2 aides-decamp. Besides
him there are 2 brigadier-generals, u ach with 1 aide-de-
camp; and these aides, taken from the subalterns of the
line, besides their other dutes, perform those of assistant-
adjutants-general. TWO inspectors-general annually visit
~he posts of the army: their duty is very severe, when ono
considers the extent of territory they have to traverse.
['here are also an adjutant and quarter-master-genera!, 2
quarter-masters, and 10 assistant quartermasters.
The Subsistence Department consists of I commissary-
qeneral and 50 assistant commissaries, taken from the
-übalterns of the line, with extra pay. There are also 1
paymaster-general and 14 paymasters, anti 1 surgeon-
general, 8 surgeons, and 45 assistant surgeons.
It is an extraordinary fact, but not the less true, that
nearly one half of the non commissioned and privates of
the American army deserts every year. All free white
males between the ages of 18 and 35 may be enlisted ; 5
fret 6 inches is the standard height, and 12 dollars is tire

bounty money. According to the spirit of the institutions
of the country, all enlistments shall be " voluntary"—that
is to say, 24 hours must elapse between the recruit's ex-
pressing his wish to enli,t and his subscribing the oath
ind receiving the bounty; and though the period of service
is only five years, yet few remain to complete it.
The great extent of territory in the States, with a
scanty population, causes wages to be high, and provisions
are cheap. Generally speaking, then, the most worthless
characters enter the army, which consists of a melange of
English deserters, Dutch, French, Americans, 8:c. Five
dollars is the monthly pay of a private, and many labour-
ers in the States earn a dollar per day; so that it is obvious
there is no great inducement to belong to an army which
is held in no estimation by the citizens generally, and has
uo pension list or asylum for disabled soldiers.
General Macomb approves highly of the ❑ew regulation
double-breasted coatee of the British service, with epau-
lettes for all rank, and means to adopt it next year;
though the citizens think that it is too gaudy for Republi-
cans; however, as it is, they are obliged to tempt the
Ricers by high pay to remain in the service— a captain
receiving 3101. per annum; the British, 1801. So that
a handsome uniform will be an additional inducement to
remain in the service.

The American arsenals are very neatly kept, and with
very small means; and the superintendants deserve g eat
credit for the order in which they keep their arms, with
few assistants allowed them by Government. Their can-
non are all copied from the British. An American
Let is well fabricated, and costs 12 dollars. A new rifle
I has been introduced this year, called Hall's patent ; it loads
at the breach, which is elevated for this purpose by touch-
ing a spring, when a flask with a double head, one con-
' aining powder, the other a magazine of balls, loads it
expeditiously, It might be worth while to experiment
with this rifle, as it saves the tedious operation of loading
with the ramrod ; and with a percussion lock, and a light
rest in lieu of a ramrod, would (it is suggested) be an im-
proved weapon for the British rifle corps.
Cadets remain at the Military Academy four years ;
when admitted at fourteen years of age, they are examined
in English reading, writing, and arithmetic only; but
after six months there is a severe mathematical examina-
tion, which many are unable to pass. As at the Royal
thlitary College, there are half-yearly examinations at
West Point ; but these are so strict, and the course in
t;eneral so severe, that half of those who enter the College
are obliged to leave after the first examinations. There is
it remarkable difference between the cadets of the Northern
and Southern States; the former are generally studious
and industrious ; the latter, brought up among slaves, are
idle and inattentive, so that they are almost all dismissed ;
consequently, the Academy is not " in good odour" with
the planters, for they imagine that favouritism prevails,
and that the dismissals are not impartial. •

DIRECTIONS FOR FINDING THE COMET.-
Any person desirous of finding the cornet, should look out
it:mut 10 o'clock, with a good achromatic telescope, of a
power not less than 100. The best rule for finding the
exact place of the comet will be first to get the star ri
Aurigce, and then joining this star with Gerninarizon,
the comet will appear somewhere in that line ; but, as
every evening causes a change of place, if the astronomer
is desirous to snake a selies of observations, he must pur-
sue it in the reverse order of the signs, its tight ascension
being less every succeeding day. It has already been oh-
s.?rved at Springfield, at Borebam, and in the neighbour.
hood of Tophana.—Essex Herald.

On the 17th ult. the great bell of St. Paul's
Church, at Warsaw, fell down, and in its descent broke
through the roof of the church, and did considerable
damage. Fortunately no one was hurt.

NEW WORK BY THE AUTHOR OF " HAJ.J/
BABA."-Mr. Mourtit's Persian Romance (Zobrab the
Hostage) is running a race of popularity as great as that of
Mr. Hors's " Anastasius." The character of the Shah,
AGA MokrAmEn, notwithstanding his monstrous cruelty,
ors almost infallible wisdom, and the daring of his military
exploits, is true to history, as may be seen l,y re-
ference to Sir JoHN MALcoLm's work on Persia ; and
equally true are the sketches of the Prince FATTEII
the Vizier HAJJI IBRAHIM, and tke slave SADICEK, how-
ever excessively they may seem at first to draw on the
reader's credulity. All who know the powers of the
author, and are aware of his perfect familiarity with
Eastern localities and manners, will feel secure that his
.:ramatic inventions are distinguished by perfect verisimi-
litude.

GIPSIES.—In the commencement of tho Hith
century King JAMES IV. of Scotland grateed a pass and
recommendation to the King of DENMARK, in favour of
the tribe of ANTHONY GA.witis, an Earl from Little
Egypt. He specifies that this miserable train had visited
Scotland by command of the POPE, and having conducted
themselves properly, they wished to go to Denmark. He,
therefore, solicited the extension of his Ro)al uncle's mu-
nificence towards them ; adding, at the same time, that
these wandering Egyptians must be better known to him,
because the kingdom of Denmark was nearer to Egypt !
A curious circumstance occurred at Bristol
last week. A brute of an Irishman aimed a blow at his
vile with a pair of shears called clippers ; the blow took
ffect upon the forehead of an infant which the woman held
in her arms, and inflicted so dreadful a wound that part
Hof the brain actually escaped from it. The mild was
aken to the hospital, where an operation was performed;
►nd the surgeon having bandaged th►e wound, the child was
iilaced in the arms of the mother, when it a, tual ) took to
h►e breast and sucked away as it nothing had happened.
Ile mother continues to suckle it, and, if infhiimation
hoes not ensue, there is every ICAO= tQ believe that tbt
child will recover.