Windham County Democrat. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1836-1853, 1847-12-30

TWENTY-FIVE regiments OF the regular army, as DIS
tinguiscd from the volunteer force when hled up
to the limit fixed by law, would be twenty-eight
thousand eight hundred aud fourteen, exclusive OF
officers; but the actual strength, as near as can De
ascertained, is now twemty-one thousand liVe nun
dred and tiry-hree it will therefore require seven
thousand three hundred and eighty-onc enlisted men
TO complete the regular military establishment
During the last year, the recruiting service for the
regular army has been attended with considerable
success. The recruits enlisted for the fifteen ola
regiments amount to eleven thousand and eighy-one
and those for the ten reginens raised under the act
of the last session of Congress eleven thousand
one hundred and siXty-two.
Nv the operations of the recruiting service, it is
believed that the present strength OF these regular
regiments will be fully sustained, and probably in-
creased.
The ACCOMPANYING tables from the Adjutant Cen
erals Office show that there are now IN service, en-
..r, Seven ,r.,tSions, and thirty-three companies
not organized into regiments or battnons; but tile
rank and file of all these do not probably exceed
twenty thousand men. Most of the volunteer for
ces have borne IL conspicuous part in the present
duous campaign, aud particularly in the series of
we're conflicts with the enemy. The casualties Of
service have, therefore, fallen heavily upon them.-
They have become considerably reduced TO give
those serving for the their complete organiza-
ton, will require an addition of about twelve thou
sand five hundred men.
Attempts have been made, under the act passed
ut the last session of Congress- engage volunteers
to fill up the companies in service, and officers have
been detached from their commands for that purpose
These efforts have not been successful; only eight
hundred and twCnty-one have been procured. One
of the disadvantages attending these attempts has
been the want of authority to place them on the
same footing in respect TO compensation as recruits
for the regular army. As the volunteers engage for
the same term the recruits for the Ten regiments
there can be no reason for not holding to them
the same inducements to enter the public service
1t is, therefore, respectfully recommended that Con-
gress he asked TO authorize like bounty TO volun-
teer recruits.
also suggest that those raised in the same State
be consolidated temporarily, and the supernunerary
officers home obtain recruits for their respect
i've companies. Should this attempt prove uilsur-
cessul, then recommend that the consolidation be
made permanent, and that entire companies of vol
unteers be accepted, tn take the place of the
cies in regiments and haalions which may be occa-
stoned by The consolidation.
The forces now in service, augmented by recruits
10 the extent which il is reasonable to expect, will
not, in my opinion, be sufficient for our contempa-
ted military operations. therefore submit for your
consideration and approval the proposition to raise
ten additional regiments Of regular forces for the
war. Ii is important that authority should he given
for this purpose early period in the approach
ing session of Congress. delay, even OF few
months, would be very injurious, as it would give
time the enemy to reorganzc his shattered forces
and recruit his exhausted strength II such author
ity he at once given, the new regiments might be
raised and sent to the seat of war in season to pass
the unhealthy district along the of the Gulf be-
fore the Of the epidemic, and to participate in
the next campaign. Ii is desirable that Congress
should be impressed with the importance of provi-
ding at once Tor this increase ol. our troops.
vto,t i t,,,,l ,., c,,.iS 10 :. G,r,bo. ali c lin
900 40, Io,,,i.,,r L,r,o tLo c,.,,,o,. - c
able the latter for courage endurance or gallant
deeds of daring; for, in these high attributes, The
regular troops and the volunteers have been alike
; ' VII = , iU' :, 'i e. iii ~ o ,9 ".lIn'S
Wv; $50 oo9 o,' ':. ~ y; i.I '', J"I i: :
-. ,l,n ,,, n h $500 - ~ ,;,;oe, ,' c ~
~ IL ' 49,. a, i.,,
t, nv, III ~; 900 - 49, i.I H.
49, a' Hill; t''I -, l ;I - tt' I W ''
Tie exigencies of Tie war may REQUIRE a larger
force than eau o brought into the deld, including
the proposed new regiments. 1t is therefore urged
that authority should also be given to accept the SER
vices of more volunteers. Ii should not be resric-
ted TO n number less than twenty thousand. With
the increase Of our present force by the ten new reg
imeuts it is not probable that there will he occasion
to exercise this authority; yet an emergency may IL
rise when to it would be of great importance
TO the public interest.
The department has presented estimates for con-
siderable deficiencies in of the appropria-
tions for the current fiscal yee: Provision was made
in these appropriations for continuing in service, be-
sides the regular troops ten thousand volunteers
but il was subsequently, deemed important greatly to
augment this volunteer force The excess of vol
unteers called ont beyond that numbers over fifteen
thousand, for which no appropriation was made
The expenses Of organizing and transporting them
to the seat of war; together with their pay, sbsst-
ence, and allowance for clothing, have produced a
considerable part of these Deficiencies. The unfore-
seen and extraordinary rise in the price of articles of
Subsistence has also caused n Inuch lorrer oxnendi-
ture in the Commissary's Department fhnn wos ov
peced when the estimates for subsistence were pre-
sentcd IN the last CONGRESS The LARGEST nmount nj
disbursements has been in the Quarternoster's De-
partment For statement of his amount. os we'll
NJ The necessity for II I resncctf,lIv recr ., rho ro
,,ort Of rho Ounrternoster t,anorI Tho Iut;os ~,