, 1861-04-11
Tne WlHtafy.0reanfzatf OF the Con.
+ federate States.
lEroro tho ~.


Much mieapprehension exists In the pub1ic
mind In regard, to the military. Organization
established BY the Congress for the protection
OF the Confederate States. On making some
inquiries IN the proper quarters, We ascertain
that TWO DISTINCT armies have been provided
for BY the acts Of the Congress. They have
NC n connection with each other, the mode Of
oflcer1ng them is essentially different, and
their terms Of service are dissinilar.
), Inc frst OF these armies is what Is called
the provisional army" It Is this to whieh
the Iouave battalion and all other volunteer
corps now IN the service Of the Confederate
States belong. It was raised BY the Congress,
10 meet the pressing eIgencies upon US and
TA pc dlsbanded when the emergency shall
is composed Of such companies, battalions.
and regiments" as have been for may be1
turned over to the Confederacy, by their sew
6A States, from their several armies and corpe
ofVolunteers, with the consent Of: the TROOPS
transferred The minimum term of service il
one year a rule Of the War Department re-
qu1res these troops to be received only from
the several State Executives, they, OF course,
having previously secured the assent of the
organizations transferred. These troops re-
tain the organizations with which they enter
the provisional army; "compa1 les, battalions
and regiments remaining such and retaining
their officers. But the President has the rjph7
by Law to appoint certain field officers for this
provisional a.my-a right which he has exer-
G1sed IN making brfgadiers thereof Of Cols.
Bragg and Beauregard, and appointing Col.
Hardee colonel Of its first regiment. ;:
Many "crack" volunteer companies, not
only from the Confederate Statea, but also
from the Border States, hare sought, fnde-
pendent1y, to be Incorporated into this pre-
Vistonal army but the rule Is inilexible, aut1
unless they are offered by some one Of the
governors Of the Confederate States, upon a
fequision from the war department. they ara
not received. Practically, the ssprovisional
army: is about tull; the patriotism Of the
people Was fully up to the mark Of the needs
Of the country.
Memorandum That In contemplation ri
hw surgeons and assistant surgeons of the
volunteer and State army troops, turned over
to che confederacy to make part of the 3pro-
Visional army" are not ss officers, and thew ara
therefore not retained. The deficiency is sun.
Piled BY appointing Temporarily acting a.
s1stapt surgeons for such troops.
" Memorandum, also; That the sinp1e s,iphf
exception to the rule, that the component ur-
ganizations Of the provisional army" derived
as Aforesaid from the several States, remain aa
when mustered into the service of tho Confed-
crate States-is, that independent or isoIated
companies will be consolidated into t,attalions
or regiments. This, Of course, is indispensa
bls. Another point about the g ssproyIsioual
army" Its surgeons and. assistant surrenns
are only temporary appoiutees, acting az such
while the service may require them.
The regular army Of the ContedeIacv is en-
tirely distinct from the 'tproSisional," It ia
not yet organized. The officers of only two
regiments have yet been appointed; soon, the
officers OF four other regiments Will be np-
pointed: The organization is very aiuilar to
that OF the United States army. A soon Is
appointed, many Of the officers Of the reeular
army will be ordered to the recruiting service,
And 1t is in this way only that the regular ar.
my wtf be raised. As yet 1t does not contain
single commissioned officer or private,
while the provisional army has Thousands Of
men In the Held D..
The regular army will begin to take form
and substance, probably within six months.
Officers resigned on Reconnt, ,of secession.
from the army Of the United States, receive
appointments, as, Of course, in the regular
army. Civilians are eligible; but tie former
are certainly provided for. Applications, by ciy-
itians, for pohitiG1s as surgeons aud assistaut
surgeons In tho regular aTmy, nceduot hard
" be- made with expectation of success
There IL, only a limited number Of appoint
nents to till and these, necessarily; Viii Sc
given to resigned snEgeens and assistants from
the army Of the United etates, - T.,
The engineer corps is, We learn, most inac-
cesalble TO civilians, probably because thera
are accomplished officers {Eeaigued) from the
United States army, to I'll the positions, We
donbt---wthout being able to state positively
whether any civilian, whatever his attain
1nents, viii be received into the engineers.
Position, for civilians, il next most dificult Of
attainment in the artillery. e--,,... ::