The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1814-02-23
rContinued)
War Department,
April J. 1918.

War Department.
April !, 1918 g
Yosr dispatch Of the 18th ultimo, from Chilli
cothe, has been received, and hasten TO repeat to
you the views OF the President in relation to the
next campaign, and the ipunc tons growing out OF
these, with regard to the employ ment OK militia,
&c. 80 .'..s fs :
Or frat object is TO get commaud Of the lakes
Means to accomplish this object have been taken,
ami wehsye- the fullest assurance, that by the LIST
dsy of June it VIII be accomplished.
This fact assumed, there can be no longer a
doubt BY what mcans, by what route, the division
Maiden. A passage By rudtey' win carry you di-
rectiy to the fortress would attack, without i'm
pairing your strength by fatigue, diminishing it
by battle. A passage ~ land will, on the other
hand, call for grest efforts, and you to great
Losses, which if they do not destroy, will at least
cripple you. The former viii be essy. safe, and e.
economical; the latter difficult, eanl srout, and en-
normousy expensive. $3.50
On the other suppositon, that we fail to obtain
the com mand of the lake, question will a
rise !: whether the eamp.ien shall take offensive
or defensive character BE this question determine
ed asit may, the utu ost extent which be given
to the force empioyed will be seven thousand efec-
tives. "a -
ysrieus reasons, determine this point The enc
yoy have had in the fed. for the defence of
Maiden, more than two thousand men. Their
number has doubt been hitherto limited by their
means Of subsistence, and this is not likely to
suffer any very material change in their favor du.
ring the ensuing campaign More than seven thou
sand men, therefore. would be unnecessary
part Again: to maintain greater number, would
be impracticabe in the present state OF the
~. rri'e $3.50 t.s's rsi t'e
1t now remains only to tigni r to you, clearly and
distinctly, the kind of force the government mean
hereafter to employ in offensive operations, If i:
be obtained.
). Whcnthe legislature at their last session. adopted
the measure OF ausmentng the army tn SO reg-
ments OF the line, il expressly IN the view of
supercedins hereafter the necessity Of employing
ss~,w, Il.
In obediencato this policy, the President assigned
TO the Sth military district of the United States four
OF :hese ney regiments, which, it filed and super
added to the tworesiments in she line now in that
district and the Gath ia marei, for d, viii give
total of seven regiments, or seven thousand men
This number forbids the belief that any employ
nent OF militia drafta will be necessary, when il
shaii have been collected. Till, however, thi3 be
done, or at least time be given tor the experiment,
so many militia enIy are to be called out shall
be necessary for the DEFENCE OF your post, on
TOE Miami. and OF your depots of provision on the
lake And should the recruiting service GO on less
tWuna.e'y in the patriotic states of Kentucky aud
Oaio, than in other parts sf the Union, you are u
hatcase, and in that case only, authorized TO call
Ont so many militia drafts zpiH MAKE good The
asfcseneys organizing these under the rules AREA
dy prescribed, await the farther orders ofthe Pres
dept in your camp at tine Rapids.
70 thess orders have TO add, that you win re-
gard 1t as your duty to keep this department regu-
iariy and freluenly Informed of the actual condi-
ton OF the troops under your comnand as well in
Hgsrd 20 equipments and suppiet OF provisions &
ammunition, as to nus,ber, discipline, and health
snd that yeur weekly and monthly reports, shall
include also the state of tie ordnance and or mas
tsr"s departments, nothing particularly the number
ct horses and oxen employed by both. You will
readily perceive the necessity gor giving this order,
when state, thst return Of any description from
your division of the army has been received ut
che adj. generals office. Your proportion of the
new staff has been gwen to you Capt Adams has
Been appointed assistant adjutant general and Mr..
Bartlett depnty quarter master general, of your
division. The brigsdier generals MsArthur and
Casa are employed in experimenting the recruiting
service. a letter from the latter gives reason to
believe, that this will go we'll in the stsse Of o.
bio
lam, Sir,
Very respectfully ~
Your most obt serv't.
John kRMGTRANE