Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1861-05-16
ORGANIzATION AND PARTS OF THE
ARMY.

So many persons unacquanted with the Or
ganzation of the army, are making inquiries
upon that subject, that we shall max an outline
OF lis elements, as recognized in the French
school, and in our own, so far as we have had
arms The number in companies, regiments,
&C., vary at different times and vary by law.
In times of peace the rank and file are reduced
to a skeleton, and the officers retained, 1--WE
speak of regular,) so that in time of war they
can soon be filed up. The outline elements Of
army are these:
a Company is the unit of an army, and is
supposed to average on war basis. 100 men,
officers included. The general rule for the or
ganization of such a company gives | captain,
lleutenants, sergeants and corporas and
So men. Formerly, each company had an en-
sign, who carried the flag but his place is now
supplied by the color sergeant. There is one
more sergeant than corporals, the third lieuten-
ant being called the orderly sergeant, and is,
next to the captain, the most important man in
the company-carrying the books of the COM
pany, and calling the roll, morning and evening.
The company is formed, when in column, into
two platoons and four sections, each platoon
commanded by lieutenant, and each section by
a sergeant.
A Regiment is regularly composed of ten
companies or two battalions-a battalion being
half regiment, composed of five companies
one OF them called Light, or Rolte Company,
intended in regular service to operate outside
of the heavy columns, as hanking parties,
guards, etc.
The officers of a regiment, independent of
company officers, are colonel, lieut.. colonel,
two majors, adjutant, quartermaster, and COM
missary. Each separate body of troops mult
have commissary and quarlermaster, but in a
larnn tbav .rtippa1 to
brigades. A regiment, when constituted, will
be formed thus | colonel, lieut.. colonel, adj
iutant, quartermaster, commissary, . majors,
10 captains, 20 lieutenants, 80 sergeants, 4C
corporals, and $50 private men-making 977,
but in reality there are some others each COM
pany has regularly drummer and ifer, which
make a regimental band 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 re.
| giments, squadron of cavalry, and corps Of
! field artillery. If these were all fall, com
pete brigade operating alone, would, in oui
service, or in the French, make $500 men
A Division is composed of two brgades
with additional corps of cavalry and artillery
making in cur army, including the whole stat
and music, 5000 men. This is the highest ei
eme,t of organization in our service but il
iIullNt, tlltI'
is one other.
The Corps is composed of two or more Di
visions, frequently of four or five. The corp
is, in French service properly commanded by
field marshal-an officer unknown to our coun
try-and the corps is properly complete arm
IN dSeit
In Napoeon's march on Russia, he had eigh
or ten of these corps in active service-makinl
a field army of from 100000 to 100000 men
From the clements we have given, it will be seer
that however large the army may be, it is S,
organized as to be perfect in all its parts, ant
moves with exact order and discipline. In tn
field all orders and operations are carried OF
through the staff of the army, and when VI
come to active service, the staff is the most i'm
portant part of the armyj for, this being vas
machine, of which each part is perfectly obedi
ent to, and directed by the hsad, it is eviden
that all must depend on the skill, ability, an,
discernment of tn staff through which it acts
1t is in vain that Scott, or any great Genera