Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1861-05-08
Organiza,ion and parts of the Army.

Organization and Parts OF the Army.
So many persons unacquainted with the organ
ization of an army, are making inquiries upon
that subject that we copy from the Cincinnati
Gazette the following outline of its elements, as
recognized in the French school and in our own,
so far as We have had:sarmies:
company is the unit of an army, and is sup
posed to average on a war basis, one hundred
men, officers included. The general rule for the
organization of such a company, gives one cap
tain, two lieutenants, five sergeants and four cor
pOras, and eighty-fve men, Formerly each
company had an ensign who carried the flag;
but his place is now supplied by the color sergeant
There is one more sergeant than cOrpOrals, the
the first sergeant being called the orderly ser
geant and is next to the captain, the ostimpOr
tant man in the company-carrying the books of
the company, aud calling the roll morning and
evening. The company is formed, when in col
umn, into two platOOns and four sections, each
platoon commanded by a Lieutenant, and each
section by sergeant
A regiment is regularly composed of ten COM
panies, or two battaliOns; battalion being half
a regiment, composed of five companies-One of
them called a light or rout company, intended in
regular service to operate outside of the heavy
columns fianking parties, guards, &c.
company officers, are colonel, lieutenant colonel,
two majors, adjutant, quartermaster and com
missary. Each separate body OF troops must
have commssary and quartermaster, but in a
large army they are appOrtiOned to regiments or
brigades. regiment, when constituted, will be
formed thus: ! colonel, lieutenant colonel, /
adlutant, | quartermaster, l commlssary, 2
majors 10 captains. 30 lieutenants. 80 sergeants,
40 corporas and $50 private men-making 975,
huti in raaltv fhara ofhQrS- each
pany has regularly drummer and fifer, which
make regimenta band of 90 beside the drum
major Then the regiment, when full, is made
up regularly of 600 men.
A brigade should be composed of twe regi-
ments, squadron of cavalry and 4 corps of field
artillery. If these were all full, complete bri-
gade, operating alone, would, in our service, or
in the French, make :, 400 men.
A division is composed of two brigades, with
additional corps of cavalry and artillery, making
in our army, including the whole staff and music,
about 5000 men, This is the highest element of
organization in service; but in France, as they
organize immense armies, there is one other.
The corps is composed of two or more divs-
ions frequently of four or five. The corps is, in
the French service, properly commanded by a
field marshal-an officer unknown to our country
and the corps is properly complete army in
itself.
In Napoleon's march on Russia, he had eight
or ten of these corps in active service-making a
field army of from 25c 900 TO 300, 900 men.
From the clements we have given, it will be
seen that however large the army may be. it is SO
organized rs to be perfect in all its parts, and
move with exact order and discipline In the
field, all orders and operations carried OH
through the staff of the army; and when we come
to active service, the staff is the most important
part of the army for, this being vast machine
of which each part perfectly obedient to and d.
rected by the head it is evident that all must de
pend or the skill, ability and discernment of the
staff, through which it acts. 1t is in vain that
Scott or any great general commands. if the staff
officers are incompetent.
The staff consists of the aids, the adjutant gen
eral the engineer, the quartermaster and com
missary generals. Through the adjutant general
all orders are conveyed to each particular part
By the quartermaster general all transportations,
commi.sary all supplies; by the engineer the to
Biography of the country is thoroughly examined
the practcability of passes determined, and for
tifcatons built or attacked. Then the static an
army becomes its eyes and all its faculties, the
general simply deciding the movements of the
army on the facts and elements thus furnished
In the grand French armies their was chief-Of-
the staff or head of the active military bureau
: In Napoleons time this chief of-the staff was
Marshal Berthier, deemed one of the ablest Off
GERS in the French army. Napoleon knew th,
value of good staff, and had ADLER men in il
than were at the head of the divisions.