Arkansas true Democrat., 1860-09-29
tne Militiamen of the State of ~ ArkansasN
SxEouTIvE OFFICE,
 Litlle Rock. drk
Z Itl August. 126o

O States, on the s,biect of inc n,;l;4;a G 'i.ea your lnformationSobservance and rayaro ro' ment
 The constitution onr Stato ao.,
 that the military sAll be kept in stfict subordlnatlon to the cxil power, The constitution of the UniteS States declares that we'll regulated militI;s ,eeessor,,, aso,ss the secuyaty of a free State. '9'o'y So
 l appeal to you to remembeAtbot ;t; the duty of every good citizen tSv;eIa .o ms country such services as the lawsgson;re or nm. 1oueannot perform those Maor. Etant duties entrusted to you as citizen'Ssl. dlers without being thoroughly organizM framed and disciplined. You must be "S wett tregulate2 malaia," to be such security to the State as the constitution declares to be necessary
 Militia officers of the State of Arkansas: point you to the laws regulating your du- ties, and appeal to you to be prompt, zealous and e5fcient in their performance. Let me remind you that those who continue to hold such offices are legally and morally bound to perform, as far as possible, the duties enioined by law. This is no time to be in- different on the subject of organizing the militia of our State. We do not know how soon the strong arm of the military may be needed. Then, if we have any State pride, let us be prepared with a we'll regulated militia l enioin it upon each major gen erai to nave all vacancies, if any exis. in his division, in the office of brigadier gen eral, filled as early as practicable; and to cause thorough organization fthe militia in every brigade in his division, and to have the returns made as required by law.
 The laws of this State and of the United States, require each militiaman to furnish hls own arms and equipments. The State l has only one hundred amI thirteen muskets land carblnes on deposit, at the U. s. arenal, a Little Rock
 lhe State of Arkansas is entitled to re- celvs from the United States, fourteen hund,ed and ninety four muskets, at an as- sumedValue of thirteen dollars for each musket,pr if rifle muskets be required, with accoutrehents, the State is entitled to but l,0b9. Harms of more expensive char acter be lHuired, the number of them would be reluced in proportion to their cost There isno law of this State author izlng the Govefqor to furnish volunteer or other companies If militia with arms. In my message of November, 1851, recom- mended legislation tn this subject, but the General Assembly has not vet passed any law giving such authoiitv to the Governor. But the whole amount of arms due from the United States to the,State would not be sufficient to arm all tfe miltiamen in more than one of our large counties The l 1,494 muskets now due from the United States to this State, constitute the aogre- gate oi all the arms apportioGed to the , State, under the acts of Congress, during nine years, including the year 1860 The number of muskets apportioned to the State of Arkansas for the year 1860, was only l69. It IS therefore maifest that the mili- tia of our State cannot, under existing laws, be fsiiy armed by tn. State, nor by the United States unless the militia eehould be called into actual service of the United States. The expense of arming all the militia would be so great that the laws of the United States and of this State require \ every militiaman to provide for himself lsuch arms and equipments as the law pre- srlbes. All the volunteer companies au- tprized by law in every county in the State
 
 ought to be speedily and thoroughly or ganized and disciplined, and armed and -+ A44iiinned- in the best hammer as soon as pOSsibIv. IT naTtncr.frrrrs SIT I-arsy..--A. ~ " ed States can furnish the necessary arms arms for the volunteer companies, there is one mode by which the people of each county could procure them and have them always under the control of the proper authorities of the county m county arsenal except when in use by the volunteer companies.- A law could be passed by our General As sembly to authorize the people of each and choose to do so, by evying tax on all taxable property in the county, to raise the money to buy arms and equipments suffi- cient to arm all the volunteer mpanies in the county. Thelaw provides that " there may be organized in each county in the State, four volunteer companies one of in iantry, one of light infantry or rihemen, one of cavalry, aud one of artillery" "who shall be wholly independent of the militia of the county, excepfa battalion and regi- mental parades.''
 Were the whole of the volunteer com panies authorized by law organized and armed as they should be, each composed of the full complement of men, they would amount in the aggregate to twenty-two thousand volunteers, armed and equipped, and at all times really for service, in addi- tion to our regular militia, of which we now have sixty two regiments, and others will soon be organized.
 Section fifty of chapter 113. pro. vldes that volunteer companies |" shall elect their officers at the first election at a time and place to 6e ordered by Me colonel of the 1 regiment. upon whose certificate of election commissions shall issne''
 The law of the United States provides that "out of the militia enrolled, there shall be formed for each baao1ion, at least ono company of grenadiers, light infantry, or riHemen, ands that to each division there shall be at least one company of artillery, and one troop of horse" These volunteer companies do not compose any part of the regiments of the regular militia.
 Our militia law provides that no com- pany shall consist of less than thirty-two, nor more than one hundred non-commis- stoned officers and privates-n addition eacn company- irao -oupt,,i.., vnv- firp. lieutenant and one second lieutenant.
 A battalion cannot consist of Jess thaa taco nor more Man four companies.
 No regiment shall consist of more than eight nor less Man four companies. The companies in regiment are designated by letters, beginning with "A.'
 Volunteer companies are designated by the proper terms indicating the character of troops which they are intended to be- Each volunteer company is entitled to Mree lleutenants, but company in a regiment of the regular militia is entitled to but tco lieutenants.
 It tdevolves upon each colonel commando ant not only to organize his regiment, but also to have formed within the bounds ofbis regiment, as many volunteer companies, in- dependent of his reriment.s ae tbo I