The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-01-11

privates,) and the real importance of the subject
which often and 80 closely involve the public inter
ests, will, trust be sufficient apology for pre-
senting it again for consideration; and this cannot
better do than by laying before you the annexed
extracts from my. Annual Report to your predeces-
sor, dated NOpeDiber 3Oh, lS4S.
81 beg leave respectfully and earnestly to request
early attention to the subject of better organi-
zation of the peace establishment with respect to
the rank and file OF the several regiments which
the whole army believe should not be less than
$40 privates each; that is 81 per company There
can be no doubt that efficiency and true economy
require that the authorized strength should never
be less any where, while the companies on the Pa
cifc stations, in New Mexico, and on the Texan
frontiers, ought to be at least 80 and 100 men.
"If the provisions of the act entitled AN act to
authorize an increase of the rank and file of the
army Of the United States approved May l3,
1876, and which fixes the minimum number at 64
privates per company, could be re-enacted, the
! requisite amelioration would be thus easily OBJ
tanned. II should be understood that the sliding
scale which would authorize any increase above
g. would apply only 70 companies and regiments
on remote frontier stations as in Missouri Texas.
New Mexico, &c. Ibeg leave to refer you to my
report of July 18th upon this subject, Of which
annex an extract, U.)'
TssExTRAcTLI-* By the act entitled sAn
act to authorize an increase Of the rank and file of
the army of the United States approved May 13,
lS46, the President is empowered to increase the
number of prvates in each ofthe companies of the
several regiments Of the old army to any number
not exceeding one hundred tcheneUer in has OpiiOn
the erigencies Of the public service may require the
same, and to reduce the same to sixty -four, when
ever the exigences requiring the present increase
shall cease This Is the basis, therefore, recog
Missed by the President, and recommended by him
'as sufficient force to be retained in the service
during period of peace The minimum stand
ard of sixty four privates at the time intended
. to be permanent and fixed number, being in
cordance with former recommendations of the
Department, strenuousy urged for years pre-
viously by all experienced and practical men in
: the service, who had, upon SO many occasions in
10 "A Upfl " ted Ds 10
of the War Department show, the utter INSULT
cheney and unreliable number ofthe skeleton sys-
tenn OF forty two pryates to company. When
: General Atkinson advanced with sir compa-
nes of infantry from jefferson Barracks, TO sup
press the fret rising of Black Hawk, in 1892,
. his spirit derided the meagre force Of two
hundred and forty men, when he saw the sskeie
tom companies consisting of thirty ttco pripates
each. Again: in the battle of Withacoochie, De-
cember 81, 1885, General Cnch's battalion OF siI
companies of artillery was no stronger, the total
being only two hundred and forty and the TIVE
'skeston companies which met their fate under the
gallant Dade, December %, 1885, had altogether
but siIty ue for duty, (only forty nine priraes in
both!) though the day they marched from Tampa
Bay their number was increased to ninety seven
8 by transfers from other skeleton companies,
. which, the sequel showed, near proving
fatal to the remaining garrison, beleaguered as 1t
= subsequently by large Indian force, &C.,
. &c. The like evil of this extremely reduced
standard seriously felt in the first operations
Of General Taylor's army."* "These
laCts bau oSCasioh W IcPeol ih Peaooh "
9 bers of Congress, and friends, members of Com
mittees on Military Affairs, when respectfully
urging amelioration of the system; and which
: was eventually effected by the act above cited,
and the reinstating the standard provided for the
: peace establishment under the act OF March 2,
1902, to witt sirty.f four Picdtes for the infantry
and artillery companies, being an aggregate OF
eighty officers and men to each company From
1902 10 1921 the authorized number of pripoes
company ,cas nep beloto sixty -four; and for five
years after the reduction Of the establish
Inent in 1915 the number for the infantry was
srfy- eight and for the artillery one hundred pri-
vuies'
have the honor to be. with great respect, your
obedicnt servant,
r. JONES, Adjutant General
Hon. G. w. CsAwFoRD, Sec. Of War.
"The average number Of privates for duty on
the four memorable occasions referred TO- was but
thirty a company, the standard being forty ttco,
being a deficiency of twelve men, or nearly twenty
five per cent. Assuming this basis with the
standard of sirfyf eighty, and one hundred pr-
Yates, the average would be forty flee, fifty seuen,