The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1854-12-09

brief reference of the European systems may aid in
illustrating the views hereinafter submitted of weor-
ganized staff
The French staff is divided into branchesa mil
and civil The military has charge of all that relates 10
orders movements and military operations the civil fur
nishes all the supplies Of the army
The officers who furnish the supplies have no rank The
military staff have rank and succeed ordinarily to com
nand by virtue Of it, This military staff is composed Of
two classes OF officers the highest positions filed
by selection from the general officers of the army SO as to
the best capacity and experience the service For
the subordinate aud routine duties they have spe-
cal corps but the functions OF this corps of much i'm
portance and to supply it with fit officers they have pro-
vided special military school, and complete system of
instruction in all its duties
This system is simple, with many obvious merits 1t
brings all the military staff into line and under one
head 1t secures the double benefit of experience in the
general service and in the special duties of the corps But
it is system only practicable in large army The per-
manent corps must be such to afford sufficient field Of
promotion. small establishment does not allow of both
selections and permanent appointments Nor the sepa
rate school and corps for the staff needed in army
which large proportion OF the officers prepared for
such duties by the complete Of studies our Mill
tary Academy. This is advantage which service
has those services where the size OF armies does
permit the education of officers by government except for
those corps in which it is Indispensable and has attracted
the attention Of foreign officers and writer's
Instead of corps to which all the military staff bus
ness is assigned the English army has two principal mill
tary staff departmentsthe Adjutant Generals and the
Quarermaser Generals The chief officers of these are
the inferior appointed in like manner from the reg
mens Neither class gain rank by these appointments.
The Adiutant Generals is the department of military
orders and regulations Of the recruiting of the army and
equipment Of the troops
The duties of the Quartermaster Generals department
ing, encamping and cantoning of the troops and the dis
button of their quarters 1t is the Office of all correspond
ence relating to military science and topography maps and
plans.
Besides these military departments of the staff is the
Ordnance which, though not strictly staff department.
and having many important functions not of the staff yet
provides many supplies for the army and is charged with
much Of that part OF its staff business.
Both these systems it will be observed, avoid the mis-
chiefs indicated arising from corps organization like
ours limited to permanent officers. AS to which is best
where they diferhe English in dividing, the French in
uniting the military functions of the stahere not
much room for doubt if the purely military business Of
the staff only question The advantages gained by
unity of responsibility aud authority in military opera
tons oyerbaance those Of special experience and skill that
arise from division OF labor But there are mass OF
staff duties not purely military connected with army
plies and equipments All these cannot be accumulated
upon military staff; and organization which pro-
vdes only single military staff makes necessary the
poymen of other agents for supplies But supplies
essential the movement Of troops to the operations Of
army To separate the furnishing of army supplies from the
other staff duties is at last to destroy the unity of militia
ry administration in point where it s always useful and
sometimes necessary to preserve it, And to conhde the
supplies to civil agents to lose the control where 1t is so
important retain it, which commanders exercise
military officers 1t in his first great campaign to the
frontiers of Russia that the Emperor Napoleon found the
great utility Of giving military organization not only to
his artillery trains but also to the general equpage and
transportation trains of his The civil machinery
Of the French staff is censured by OF their able
military critics as too expensive and too much removed
from military CONTROL In these respects it is contrasted
with the Prussan system where every banch Of the
administration is brought under military supervision and
direction to which attributed that admirable efficiency
and economy which enable Prussia to maintain large
in proportion to her In lieu of this
troll the French system substitutes as machinery opapcr
checks of writings and amount of bureau labor
which have been justly condemned hardly possible in
and really afOrdng efficient security for the
fidelity and economy of the expenditures. In comparison
of the relative expense of the SYSTEMS the French is
stated at more than 100000 year in salaries and the
Prussian at $4,000
1t is not recommended bring our military staff into
CORPS incur the increased hazards and expense
of separate corps for supplies On the contrary it is
thought that, without attempting entire revolution
of the system to which have been accustomed, staff
organization may be devised which will avoid the evils of
present system and will the benefits Of the
French and English systems, with others which neither
Of them affords One principle however, should govern
in any system that may be adopted-that OF throwing
open the appointments the staff to selection from the
officers of the army at large.
proceed to state somew hat in detail, the
ganization recommended.
We have major general commanding the army,
and five other general officers commanding snch by bre
vet other commissions, the five geographical depart
me1s and brgader general Mt the head of the Quar-
teriAhsters department.
1t is proposed that the brgader generals shall be nine
in number. This Will give for each department, as
now; one for Quartermaster General now; one for
Adutant General and two for the Inspectors General,
being addition of three to those who now by brevet
otherwise have rank and command brigadier gen
ernL .f
The duties of the Aduant General of the army those
which in other services belong the chief Of the staff 1t
is obvious that he should have high rank any other
member the staff with him. and the department
mand Congress marked their of the duties of this
Office Fly special act allowing to the late Adutan Gem
era the exercise Of his rank of brgadier general.
InsDe m
and peace 1t is impossible for them land the regua-
ons of the French service explain the employment Of these
ocers) their inspection functions with troops
in actual campaign. There the generals in command must
take of the condition of the troops But in peace and
with scattered garrson and In service distributed like
ours the inspection service is highly important BY taking
in time Of peace inspectors from officers OF the grade OF
generals they will have proper rank and authority Tor
the inspection service when employed Their duties
suggest the special why the inspectors should not
be commissioned permanently and solely for that service
Besides the Adntant General Of the army there will be
needed in this branch Of the staff about officers taken
from the regiments and corps one at the headquarters OF
the army, the Office of the Adjuant General and
each department district headquarters One OF
these would probably be available when any important de
tachent may be collected for actual service or Others
are needed with armies in the field they may be author
ized occasion may require aa
The ordinary service of the uartermaiers department in
regiments posts detachmen should be performed by the
detail of capable officers from the command limited number
of experienced officers will be needed perform the
important duties OF the department with large commands
the principal stations and 10 supervise and control
under the generals in command the operations of the in
fcror officers in the parts Of the country most remote from
the of government and from the direct authority OF
the Quarermaster General Ten field officers would prob
ably be sufficient at any time 1t is doubted so many
would be always required. Selection and temporary ap
pontmens will regulate the number employed by the actua