The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-12-11

form service m an active campaign The recruiting
vice, and appointments in the staff which required TO
be taken from the line and many instances their lin
cal rank retained necessarily withdraw large number
OF officers IRON their appropriate commands IN the field
The letters OF the adutant general OF the 3Oh of July,
with the accompanying report OF the 3lst OF that month,
herewith Transmitted will show the number OF regimenal
field officers permanently disabled for active service and
the number necessarily detached other duties Less
than onethird OF them at that time available for
service with their regiments Even in regard TO captains
and subaerns, the service suffers in the same way 10
considerable extent As partial remedy for this evil
would recommend that Congress should be asked TO
thorZe the appointment OF additional major 10 each
glment IN the regular establishment Such change in
the present organization of the regiments is not novel
ty; is only restoring what has been usual in time OF
war In the OF 1912 each regiment had two majors
and such, II is believed, is the the military estab
lshments OF other countries. am quite the
sity for il could be urgent than il is at this
time in regular regiments But this would only be
mitigation Of the evil 10 which have referred The
vice must eoneue TO suffer detrment until some plan
| devised % withdraw from their nominal commands
those who incapacltaed to discharge their ap.
pfopriate duties, and 10 prevent the actual command
from being devoved upon officers Of inferior grade
who have, Also in another position their approTi-
ate duties perform IL is for the best interest OF the
public service that each officer should be employed,
far practicable, in performing the duties properly ap
pertaining to this rank When is seen, not unu
sua thing that colonies taken from their regiments TO
| command bTigades captains from their companies to
command regiments and companies left nSchaTge Of the
lowest grade Of commissioned officers am quite certain
(and may be said without dspaagement to those put
things exists in the army detactng greatly from its eff
| cheney and demanding correction
The plan suggested by the late commanding general OF
| the army, MAJOR General Macomb) in his annual re-
port OF 1887 would, believed, il carried into effect
remove, to great extent the evils here presented and,
as it TO be one which has met with most favor,
and against which the ewes objections have been urged,
would respectfully recommend II TO favorable conside-
Tton 1t proposes to withdraw from command such Of
fcers have become superannuated or incapacated,
continuing TO them only their monthly pay, and giving to
those who succeed 10 the command the other allowances
to which the former are entitled by existing laws.
Thus, a colonel who had become incapacated from
age any other cause, would retire the full pay of
his rank, without any other emOuments the lieutenant
colonel highest in rank, would succeed TO the vacancy,
with the rank Of colonel and receive only the pay OF
lieutenant colonel with the emoumens of the colonel,
who would be Withdrawn. So the major who would,
by promotion, become lieutenant colonel would receive
the pay OF major and the emouments OF lieutenant colo
mel and the senior captain, in like manner, would
ceiye the rank of major with the pay OF captain and
emoumens major; and with the other grades in
cession Should this suggestion be adopted, i would be
proper that the mode for designating the officers to be
Withdrawn from service should be regulated by law, in
such thai their disability shall be fairly and full
| Is ascertaned.
MANY offences and some of them of the gravest char
acter may be committed by troops and persons
connected with the army which not by express pro-
visions OF law within the jurisdiction OF any military ri-
buna Such offences when committed within the limits
of the United States referred to the federal State
courts and the offenders turned to them for trial
and punishment; but when perpetraed in the enemy's
country, temporarily in possession of army II Is very
doubtful whether there is any mode OF Furnishing the
criminals There may not be any civil tribunal to which
the be referred and the military courts decline
to take cognzance of them under the belief that they
have no legal right to do
Without some authority to punish such crimes great
injury will necessarily result This IMMUNITY offenders
alike pecous in its effects upon the interests of the
public service, and upon the rights and persons OF our
own citizens belonging to or employed with the army, as
well upon those OF the inhabitants Of the country tenn
porariy occupied by our troops In such state OF
things is scarcely possible that the guarantees of pro-
tecon made by the direction of our government can be
fully executed. therefore recommend that courts mar
tal or some military tribunal to be organized by the
general in command should be vested, by express pro-
visions of law, with authority to try offences committed
beyond the limits of the United States and within the
district of country in the actual occupancy of military
forces, where there civil criminal courts, or
none but those OF the enemy, to which the offenders
be delivered up for trial and punishment.
The act Of Congress authorizing the acceptance OF
the services Of volunteers provides that they shall fur
nsh their own clothing, and receive therefor commu,
taton in money 1t determined that those first called
out were entitled by law to be paid in advance for one
years clothing and each volunteer received fortytwo
dollars on being mustered into service. This sum
not always appropriated for clothing and many Of them
soon became destitute to suffer In Their health, and,
in other respects to be scarcely fit for service. To this
cause in no uncomfortable degree is TO be ascrbed the
great disparity of sickness between the volunteers and
the regular troops the latter being well clothed by the
government and comparatively much more healthy. If
paid in advance there is danger that the communication
money will not be applied to the proper object or not
udiciously applied; and if withheld until earned, those
entering the service will not be able, many cases, to
procure needu supply, and consequently will suffer for
the want thereof or be obliged pay enormous prices To
remedy these Inconvenience recommend that the pres
law should in this respect be altered and that the APP
preparation for clothing should be enlarged, and the gov
eminent required to provide supply for the volunteers,
and furnish TO them at cost lieu OF the allowance III
money now directed to be paid and that money in
lieu Of clothing should be paid, unless the commanding
officer of the company to which the soldier belongs shall
certify that he is well supplied with proper clothing
With view TO bring to your particular notice the
tbnc thp
connected with this department during the last year,
herewith transmit the reports made to me by the chief Of
fcers in charge of them These reports will show that
the duties of each have been discharged with industry
fidelity, and skill In most of them suggestions made
for changes which be effected only by the action of
TO these suggestions but OF them deemed by
necessary to remedy existing evils, to improve the
efficiency OF the service, that of duty urges
only to notice. but to commend them to favorable
sideration
With proper feeling against an overgrown military
establishment constant efforts have been made through
long period of peace with which this country blessed
to reduce all the branches of it to the lowest point
pable with the very moderate wants of tranquil times
but the intervention of state of renders not only
necessary this process of reduction but pro-
vide for the greatly increased demands resulting from this
important change. 49,.
The notifications which seem to me to be required will
be briefly noticed remarks upon these subordinate
departments; the usefulness necessity for several of
them are stated more at large In the accompanying re-
ports.
Our peaceful relations with those foreign powers who
could command the of assailng us, particularly
on our seaboard are now better settled than when sub
mitted my last annual report This consideration, to-
geher with the anticipation OF large expenditures in pros
II - IL L