Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1849-1856, 1852-05-20
ORGANIZATION AND
STRENGTH OF THE U. S. ARMY
Nh

ohbANlLA lJN AND
STRENGTH OF THE U. S. ARMY.
NO. 5.
Mn. EDITOR -
In our last number We
arrived at the conclusion hat We ought
TO have for national defense,
/. An adequate, well organized army
Of the greatest possible efficiency. IN pro-
portion TO its numbers;
2. A sufficient, well-disciplined, and
well-constituted Navy
3. Suitable and thoroughly admins
tered military and naval schools;
4. Depots Tor the preparation and sto-
rage Of such materials and munitions Of
war as require tin for preparation;
.. Fortifcations wherever these can
be made to serve as obstacl,s TO hostile
approach, AT an expense less than il
would cost TO effect the same purpose
by men.
If, as is believed, the principles laid
down in our preceding nos. be so ele-
mentary and commonplace that no one
questions them, this conclusion points
out grave duties which rest upon ii and
upon the people whom it represents and
who are responsible before God and
man for its action.
Let us now see what general provisions
Tor our national defense have been in
accordance with these conditions.
We have all army authorized by law
TO consist of
/. A general staff composed of
Mai. Genl., 2 Brig. GenI's
and 50 subordinate staff Oili-
GERS: total j6
2. A Medical Staf'-ofsurgeons
and assistant do. 80
3 A Pay Department 2s
4. Military store keepers II
5. A Corps OF Engineers-43
officers and 100 men. l43
6. A Corps Of Topol raphical
Engineers all officers sc
7. An Ordnance Department &c
offs and 302 men 33S
s. Two regiments Of Dragons
20 offs and 1880 men 1860
Q. One regiment of mounted RI
tlemcn 30 officers and 765 men
500
E.,r - ArtilI,rx,
20s officers and 26ii MEMS 2S52
IL. Eight regiments of Infantry
272 officers and 1892 men AGA
making The total number of
commissioned offs S96, and
the total number OF men 9233
Grand aggregate 1929
Into the particular objects and advan-
tages OF this organization, we need not
here inquire. 1t will suffice Tor general
information TO know that in lis main iea-
lures it conforms to that which has been
found by the immense experience Of our
! European cotcmpornries 10 answer best
the wants OF military service i'll mod
ern warfare.
OF the general efficiency Of this Little
army common reputation sufficiently
! speaks TO serve the space which, If Oc-
cupcd at all must be occupied in its
praise. But the adequacy of its num-
| bcrs TO meet our wants is a matter wor-
! thy The consideration OF the voters Of the
country. The total of ten thousand one
hundred and twenty nine officers and
men is our force on paper; because il
can never be greater than this legal linn
! il.
In fact it Is from 30 to 40 per cent
less. The present able Secr'y of War
in his annual report of 1850 says:
at rarely happens that company is
complete, for while on the one hand the
enlisiments can never exceed the limit
prescribed by law, deaths discharges
and dcsertion must always cause the
number of men actually enrolled and in
pay to fall short Of it," Owing TO this
and to time required 10 forward recruits
from the depots to their companies on
distant frontiers. he says "it is estima-
ted by competent Judges that the num-
Der OF men actually in service and fit
for duty, falls short Of the legal organ
izations from 30 10 40 per cent" TAX
a. n
force for duty, at prcst MT is 1901 officers
and men. The returns OF the Adlutant
General of the Army will show this to
be over rather than under the mark L.
this lorcc susceptible Of reduction, in
accordance with our principles Is il
adequate to our defensive wants 7 Let
the public mind contemplate our circum-
stances. We are 81 or 25 millions of
people spread over an area Of 100000
so. miles, with an Atlantic sea-board OF
5000 miles; Pacific coast OF 1900 miles;
n Canadian and lake frontier Of 2O0J
miles. and northwestern, western and
s. Western and Mexican frontier OF
5000 miles. To guard this immense
frontier Of 1000 miles to hold in check
m almost hostile population of FIVE hun
drcd thousand Indians on our western
| frontier 10 goard our seaboard fortif-
cations and secure ,h. property they
contain from sudden seizure, 10 man
ulacture arms, ammunition and NUM-
tons Of war to guard our arsensls to
sraonia our snlemn ,fahty 10 proteoi the