Mobile register and journal., 1846-12-22
Extracts from the Report Oftho socreIar,
 of War.


 regular service to than double the former num- Der. Prompt measures were taken 10 procure re- cruls but they have mol been attended with lhe de- sired effect. When filled up to the max inum allow. ed by law and executive apprObaton, our regular
 force will be Is,99S officers and men but il does nol now exceed 10, 300. The want of better success in recruiting IS, apDrehend mainly 10 be ascribed to
 the large number of volunteers which has m the mean. tlme been called out. The volunteer service is re- garded generally by citizens preferable to hat
 in the regular army; and as long volunteers are expected to be called TOT, it will be difficult 10 i'll lhe ranks of regular reg nens. unless additional induce. ments are offered, the terms of modified small pecuniary bounty given al he time of enlist. ment, or land al the end of the term sf vice. would il is believed have beneficial effect. Probably an equally favorable result would flow from aBnexInp q condition to the present period of service, allowing
 the recruit 10 be discharged al the end of the present war, Ii is presumed there are many thousand pat. riotic ctzens who would checruly enter the service for the WAT. il they could return the pursuits of civll life al it's close.
 IL is not possible to iorete with much precision what number of troops the exgencea of the war lnay require fer the e"suing year. The estimates pre-. senled to the Secretary of the Treasury have been made upon the present establishment of the regular troops wholly filled up, giving total force of l6 ,9o8 exclusive of enlisted men of orndAnce; upon ten ad- diliona regiments 10 be raised to serve to the end of the war; which will amount 10 9,3S0; and upon n contingent force of ten thousand volunteers To be or ganized under the existing laws, and called into ser vice if needed
 The volunteers who have encountered the enemy in the present campaign have than justified Ike high expectations formed of this description of troops but it is disparagamen to ihem to say that reg uar force is to be preferred m 10 be prosecu. ted in a foreign country. Besides, considerations oi economy are decidedly in favor of troops engaged Ia serve during the war. l am most socitous that this rlua Nf and body of troops to for tho war may l,e raised to take the place of those volunteers who will claim discharge the end of their years service Those who are now in the field, with the exception oi one regiment sent out 10 California, entered the service under the alternative of contuing in IL for twelve months. the end of tine war and it is pre- sumed they will have the right, at all events they will have the permission they claim the right to retire from the service at the end o that period, winch will expire about the first of June next Nine regiments and one battalion of volunteers have been recently called for from various States 10 the end oi the war, and the information received the Depart gives the assurance that these acquisitions will be promptly aad cheerlully complied with
 The efficiency Of the regular troops in the field has bean much impaired for the want of officers es pecially regimental field officers In many instances
 it appears that in the battles which have been fought officers of the Inea rank of captain have command. ed regiments and, of course, companies have been deprived of the command of those tn whom il proper ly belonged. Many of the regimental field officers by reason of disability, cannot perform service in an active campaign. The recruiting service. and ap poiniments in the staff which required 10 be ta- ken from the line and, in many instances, their In. cal rank retained. necessarily withdraw large number of officers from their appropriate commands in the field The letters of the adjulant general of ihe 30th ofJuy, with the accompanying report of the 3lst of that month, herewith transmitted, will show the number of regimenIal field officers permanently disabled for active service, and the number necessa. rily detached on other duties Less than one third of them were at that time available for service with their regiments. Even in regard to Captains and subalterns the service suffers in the same way to cons iderabe extent. As a partial remedy for this evil, I would recommend that Congress should be asked 10 authorize the appointment of an additional major 10 each reg nen in the regular establishment Such change in the present organization of the gimens is not d novelty; il is only restoring what has been usual in tune of war. In the war of 1872 each reg iment had two majors; and such, II IS be. lieved is the in the military establishments of other countries l quite sure the necessity for It could be more urgent than it is at this time in our regular regiments. But this would only be m. tipation of the evil 10 which have referred The service must continue to suffer deriment until some plan is devised to withdraw from their nominal com mands those who iucapacitated to discharge the r appropriate duties, and 10 prevent the actual command from being devoved upon officers of nfe. rior grade, who have, also, dn another position, their own appropriate duties to perform. It is for lhe best of the pubic service that each off cer should be employed, as far practicable. in per. forming the duties properly appertaning 10 his rank. When it s seen, not as an unusual thIng, that colones are taken from thelrregime to command brigades, captains from their companies command reg iments and companies left in charge of the low est grade of aomn sioned oaicers am quite certain (ana it may be said without disparagemeni to those put in command so much above their rank) that A sIae of things exists in the army delractng greatly from it's efficiency and demanding correction.
 The plan suggested by the late commanding aene- ral of the army, (Maior General Macomb.) m hls annual report of 1887, would, it is believed if car. ried into elfecl remove great extent the evils here presenled; and, il seems to be which has met with most favor, and against which the fewest object ions have been urged would respectfully re- commend il to favorable consideration. IL proposes to withdraw from command such officers as have be- come superannusted or incapacaied. continuing 10 them only their monthly pay, and giving to those who succeed 10 the command the other allowances 10 which the former are now eaitled by existing laws Thus, colonel who had become incapac- tated from age, or any other cause. would retire on the full pay of his rank without any other emolu- ments; the lieutenant colonel, highest in rank would succeed to the vacancy, with the rank oi colonel, and receive only the pay of lieutenant colonel, with he emolumenls of the colonel, who would be with drawn. So the major who would, by promotion, become lieutenant colonel, would receive the pay of major and the emouaIents of lieutenant colonel and the senior captain, in like manner, would receive the rank of major. with the pay of captain and cmoluments of major; and so with ihe other grades m succession Should this suggestion be adopted, il would be proper that the mode for designating the officers 10 be withdrawn from service should be re- gelaied by law. m such a manner that their disability shall be fairly and fully ascerlained.
 Many offences, and some of them Of the gravest may be committed by troops and per. sons connected win the army, winch are not by ex- press provision of law within the jurisdiction of any military tribunal Such offences, when committed within the limits of the United States, are referred 10 the federal or State courts, and the offenders are turned ever 10 them fer trial and punishment; but when perpetrated in the enemy's country, tempora- riiy in possession of Oar army, II IS very doubtful whether there is now any mode or punishing the criminals There may not be any civil tribunal to shch the can be referred, and the military courts decln to take cognzance of them under tho belief that they have no legal right te do so.
 Without some authority ts punish such crimes great injury will necessarily result. This impuoity 10 offenders is alike perncious in its effects upon the interests of the public service, and upon the rights and persons of own citizens belonging to em- plOyed with the army, well upon those of the of he country temporarily occupied by | ,ur troops. In such state of things, it is scarcely possible that the guarantees of protection, made by he direction or our government. can De tuilv exe- ,uted. therefore recommend that courts-martial, ,r some military tribunal to be organrxed by the general in command, should be vested by express provision of law, ith authority try offences com. nitted beyond the limits of the United States, and | within the disti ict of country in the actual occu- ,ancy of our military forces, where there are no ,ivil or criminal courts, none but those of the me my, to which the offenders can be delivered up | or iral and punishment.
 The act of Congress auihorizng ng the acceptance of he service of volunteers, provides that they shall srnish their own clehinE, and receive therefor ommutaton in money. It was determined that these ,rst cuIl.d cut sUsra entitled hv b.vv f,, he p.id