Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1856-03-04
ORGANIZE THE MlLITIA-THE CRIsIs-THE DE-
MAEpS OF THE PEOPLE.

MAHps OF THE PEOPLE.
We earnestly invite the attention OF the General
Assembly, to the communication below, addressed
by the Adiutaut General OF the State to the Chair
man of the Committee on Militia Laws Of the House
Of Delegates. It furnishes really alarming eLPose
Of the dllapidated condition Of the deences Of the
Commonwealth, aud the necessity OF Immediate le'
gisaliou ON the subject IL II not enough to strike
every patriot with CONSERVATION, 10 know, that In
case Of invasion, or Of disruption Of the tederal
Union or of insurrection In counties where an iusub-
ordinate black population proponderates over the
whites in the ratio Of three to one, it would be simply
impracticable for the Governor TO embody force to
preserve the honor of the State the lives of citi
zensl In view Of the threatened danger of collision
aud strife, will any representative ofthe people assume
the responsibility Of opposing all preparation for do
fence' We are assured, by decided and daily mani
estation. Of public sentiment that the almost entire
body Of the people, large, loudly demand some such
organization OF the Militia that proposed aud
pending in the House of Delegates; that they feel
deep interest in the passage of the BILL and would
gard its defeat with condemnation and regret.
We are informed TINT the bill creates not charge of
single dollar upon the treasury-that its operations
will save thousands annually to tho State, in proper
ty which can only be saved by organization Of the
State Militia, and that il affords the only conceivable
means of defence in emergency, such as darkly
broods over the Union. We rely upon the represen
tatives Of the people for action.
ADJurASr GENERALS OFFICE
January 20 1856.
Dear Sir I have TO say, 10 reply to the cuquirios
contained in your note Of the 2lst-
AZ NJ ia irny,r tn
any degree Of certainty what would be the annual
expense Of the Militia under the provisions of the
bill now pending but feel confident that with the
advantage of such organization as will be effected
by it, the expense must be less than under the sys-
tenn which was superseded by the act OF 1853, with
out taking into consideration the greater security Of the
public arms which may be issued for the use OF the
militia.
hbited by the last Brigade returns, preceding the act
Csvalry-e2 Troops aggregate e,Ts men.
Artillery-5U companies, 3,ll3 g
Light Infantry, ~ companies; Ritemen, %
companies, (returned and included in the
return Of the Malta of the Line but may
be estimated at 40 each,) aggregate 1850 men.
Total l4,U4 men.
BY the returns of 1885, under the act Of s53 only the
following can be ascertsined:
Cavalry U troop
Artillery company
Light Infantry companies
Rhemeu l company
Aggregate stated at s63, though the report of the
number Of men, at the last MUSTER hnder arms, was
but 223 and this in the city of Richmond, where there
are probably 5000 men, at least, who ought to be
subject to militia duty.
In addition TO the last mentioned ii companies,
believe (or there are no means ut my command for
sscertsiung the fact that there two three COM
oanies fragments Of companies at Norfolk, and as
many at Petersburg.
id The value Of the annual quota of arms to which
The State is entitled from the United States, correct
.eturns of the militia could be made, and taking for
he sake of calculation, the number exhibited by the
asst Brigade returns, viz: l25,O00 men, is about
bl3 UD0. The apportonment to the States, under the
ict OF Congress Of lSO8 is mnde upon the force Of the
militia in the several States as exhibited by tho re
urns of the Adjutant General of each one of them
You will SEQ, by the reports from this Office that in
1854 there was falling of from the last Brigade re-
urns of ,55l men, and in 1855 OF sl,7l4 men, and
hat the returns cannot now DO made IN the form ne
,essarily required by the War Department. If they
,ould we should lose upon the present system three
ourths Of the apportonment of arms this year. and
probably more each succeeding year that the present
continues
4th. The loss upon the public arms which have
,een issued cannot he ascetained by computation
or any one year. But it is immense, amounting to
wentiehs of all the issued for many
ears past BY the 9Th section of chapter q of the
Iode the Adjutant General is required, from time to
urned to the nearest arsenal and, to that end, to is
ue orders to the commandments OF regiments, who shall
equire their aduants or quarter-masters to collect
nd return the same. Well, order after order has
een ssued and, as yet, not az many or the pubic |
rns have been collected and returned as would, If |
old at auction, after deducting the expense pay for
he printing and postage Of the orders Often there
no comnandsnts Of regiments and as often, where
hese nominally e1is there no adjutants or quar-
but where there all three few feel or
acknowledge the duty Of obedience to the Order and
4 teannot be enforced.
9th. The amount which the State will lose in the
Snua spportionment Of arms, from the impractica-
@ 10y vi getting returns Of regiments as they now
a Moud be double or treble the cost Of all the Brig
House. f'0''N'N ''' :" Wv o'' oe'o'" Wv
oto. ne state mustlo primarily and mainly to the
Si ,e Military Institute for training the mi
.a ~ suo % 4! ~ mistake to assume that no in
lays training Any tolerably Intelligent mnn NAV nnd
Will acquire ln mat time good dea of elementary
Instruction in tho school mot the scencel of r,ct;cs
Is the princlpies aa practice Of the formation of
military bodies from squads to companies hattalnn.
egiments--the mode Of making returns, &c: and he
o whom, without that instruction, u hand hook of
actcs would be sealed volume, may after a tbrsa
lays drill, study that same volume pnderstandnely
nd practically. This is no theory Iknovo il TO he
ses. The Brigade inspectors arc indispensable to
ny effective organization Of the militia, not only as
astruotors for the officers in the school Of tactics but
,r epforeiug q system Of correct returns from the
ompany up to the Brigade.
By means of the graduates Of the United States
iiitary Academy and the Virginia Military Institute,
very brigade in the State may be supplied with
qualified Inspector through whom there
,sy be sent out from those institutions to militia Of
GERS an amount of instruction atanabe in no other
ay. No one cortemplates thorough training OF
,e militia in time of peace it is mpracticable-or,
snizaton is the thing-Lnd that cannot be effected
itbout some musters. It is different as regards the
ficers; they may be trained, and well trained, by
ood instructors in the time contemplated by the bill
he State is now reaping through the Virginia Ailita'
Institute, harvest Of we'll informed well eduea-
d and practical officers, whose value will be felt in
mes Of emargepcY-and With an infusion Of these