Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1861-05-01
ORGANIzATION AND PARTS OF THE ARMY.

ORGANIZATION AND PARTS OF THE ARMY.
So many persons unacquaiuted with the organization
OF army making Inquiries upon that subject that
We copy from the CINCINNATI Gazette the following out
line Of its elements recognized in the French school
and in our o~n, 50 far as We have had armies
company is the unit of army, and supposed to
average, on the war basis hundred officers in
cuded The general rule for the organization of such
company gives one captain, two leuensnts, five
geants and icur cor9orals and eghtyive men. For
mery each company had ensign, who carried the flag
but his place Is nov supplied by the color sergeant
There is one more sergeant than corpOrelS the first
geaut being called the orderly sergeant aud is to
toe Captain, the most important in the company
carrying the books OF the company, and calling the roll
morning ard evening The company is formed when
in column into tao paioons and four sections each pla
toon commanded BY lieutenant, and each section by
sergeant.
A regiment is regularly composed of ten companies
or two blttalions; battalion being hall regiment
composed Of five compauies-onc OF them called light
company, intended in regular service operate
outside Of the heavy columns as tAuklng parties, guards
/ etc
| The officers OF regiment Independent of company
officers &c coload, leu,. colonel two majors, adJl
tat, gCartermaster, and commi.sary. Each separate
body OF troops mus: have commssary and quarter
master, but in large urmy, they appointed to regi
ments or brlgatcs. regiment when constituted, will
/ BE- formed thus l coone lieut.. colonel, adutart,
QuartermasteT, oommis-ary, aors 10 captains 20
eutenant, 5D Sergeants 40 cCrporas and $50 private
Matchmaking 0i5, but in reality there others
each company has regularly drummer and l!er which
make a gimertll baud of 20 besides the drum major
Then the regiment when full is made up regularly to
| 1000 men.
| A brigade should be composed of two regiments
squadron Of cavalry and corps Of field artillery. II
these all full. complete brigade operating alone
would in service il the French, make 400
division is composed Of two brgates, with addition
al corps OF clysl,y and artillery, making IN our aruv
including the whole staff and music, about 5000 men -
This is TIE highest ce Of organic ttiou in service
hut in France, they organise immense armies there Is
one other.
The corps is composed Of two or more divisions fre
quelty Of foug ye The corps i5 in the French
vice, properly commanded by field marsia-an officer
unknown TO ou- country and the corps is properly
| piste army ~ Itself
In Nspoleons march on Russia he had eight or ten
of these corps in active se-yicemak field army Of
/ from 25O 900 to 100000 men, From the elements we
have given il will be that however large the army
may be il is organized to be perfect in all lis parts
aId moves with exact order and discipline. In the field
all orders aud operations carried through the staff
OF the G-my and when We come 20 active service the
staff is the most important part of the army for this
being vast machine OF which each part is perfectly obe
dent and directed by the head il is evident that all
must depend the skill ability and dgcernaent Of the
staff through which t Il IS in vain that Scott
any great general Commands if the staff scers ir-
competent.
The s;of consists of the aids, the adutan general
tue eusIueeI, tuc PuiIteIuasVs Uuu Cuihhl%u! bsue
ras Through the adjuant neral orders conveyed
TO each particular part BY the quartermaster general
all transporatiOns and vehicles and horses furnish
ed by the commissary all supplies by the engineer the
topography of the country is thoroughly examined the
practcabity OF passes determined lortiicaons built
attacked Then the stau of an army becomes its eyes,
ard its facues, the general simply deciding the move
ments of the army the facts and clements thus fur
nished In the grand French armies thero was chief
ofthe staff head Of the active uilitGry bureau In
Napoleons time this chef-of the-sta Marshal BeT.
thier deemed Que OF the abtst officers of The Fnoh
army. Napoleon knew the value of good staff and
had aber men in 1t than were at the heads of divisions