The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1861-06-19
Organization and Parts of the Army,

The number in compsnies, regiments, |
&c, vary at different time, and vary BY |
law. In time Of peace the rank and file !
are reduced to a skeleton, and the off.
GERS retained, we speak Of regulars, so
that in times Of war they can soon be
filled up. The outline elements oe an
army are these
A company is the unit of an army,
and Is supposed to average, on the war
basis, 100 men, officers included The
| general ruIe for the organization Of such
company gives one captain, two lieu
tenants, hive sergeants aud four corporaIs
and S5 men. Formerly each COMPANY
had an ensign, who carried the flag, hu,
his place Is now supplied by the coiour
sergeant. There is one more serpcan,
than cJrporals, the first Heutenan, beinp
called the orderly sergeant, and is next
to the captain, The most important man
IN the company-carrying the books of
the company, and calling the roll mornr
ing aud evening. The company is formed,
when in column, into Two platoons and
four sections, each platoon comm landed
by lieutenant, and each section by
sergeant.
regiment is regularly composed of
ten companies or two batallions {; a bat.
tallIon being half regiment, composed
OF tive companies-one of them called a
Ight or route company, intended in reg.
niar service to operate outside of the
heavy columns, AS tlauking parties,
guards, d..
The officers OF a regiment, independent
OF company otileerS, are colonel, leu
tenant colonel, two majors, adjutant.
qnaricrn"stcr, aud commissary. Each
separate body of troops must have
commissary and quartermas,er, but in a
iarge army they are appointed to regi-
ments or Orlyades. A regiment, when
constituted, will be formed thus: l
Co'"neI, lieutenant colonel, l djutant,
lnnrtermaster, l commIssarv, 9 majors.
10 captains, 20 Iieutenants, SO scrgean;$,
40 corporals and $50 private men, ma
hing 975, but in reality there are some
Others each company has regularly a
drummer and fifer. which makes regi
mental band OF 90, besides the drum
major. Then the regiment, when full, is
made up regularly of 900 men.
A brigade should be composed Of two
regiments, "A squadron Of cavalry and IA
corps OF field artillery. Ii these were all
ful!, complete brigade, operating alone,
would, IN cur service, or in the French,
make 2400 men.
division is composed Of two brig.
AIDES, with additional corps Of cavalrg
aud artillery, making in our army, incIu.
ding tEs whole staff and music, about
5000 men. This is the highest element
OF oiganization in our service but in
France, rs they orgauize immense ar.
| mIes, there is one other.
The corps is composed Of two or more
divisions. frequently OF four or five The
corps Is, IN the French service, properly
commanded by field marshal-an otii
cTr unkno"n IN our country and the
corps Is properly complete army in it,
self.
la Napoleon's march on Russia, he
had eight or ten Of these corps in active
sefvice-mak'ng field srmy of from
100000 to 100000 men. From the e!e.
n'ents we have gwen, it will be seen that
however large the army may be, it is SO
organized as to he perfect in all its parts,
and moves with exact order and discip.
line. In the field orders and operations
are carried on through the staff of the
army, aud when we come TO active SER
wee the statf Is the most Important part
OF the army for, this being vast ma.
chine, OF which each part is perfectly
obedltnt TO, and directed by the head, i,
Is evident that all must depend on the
skill, ability, and discernment of the staff
through which It acts. 1t is in vain that
great General commands, if the staff
officers are incompetent
The staff consists OF the aids, the alju.
tant'general, the engineer, the quarter.
master and commissary generals Through
The adJutant-general, all orders are con
veyed to each particular part by the
qnartermaster general, all trsnsportations
are furnished by the comnissary all
supplies; 10y the engineer, the iopo
graphy OF the country is thoroughly ex
amiued, tho prscticabiii,y of passes de
lerhined, tortllications built or attacked.
Then the staff Of an army becomes its
eye, 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
there was a chief Of the staff, or head of
the bureau. In Napoleon's time, this
chief of.thestaff was Marshal Bertier,
deemed one of the abest officers of the
French army. Napoleon knew the value
OF good staff, and had ADLER men in IL
than were ut the head of the divisions
II an extensive army should be formed,
this should always be the case.