Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-12-12

choice of the hospital sites, and eSfablisb.
ments for our sick and wounsed. ofwbicb
We have every reason to be proud. bava
been opened in st. Louis, Washington
Georgetown, Baltimore and Annapolis. and
VIII De attached to every division of the
army IN the field. To the close of the war
ygIiant care shall be given to the health of
ene Wei soldier, and to the comfort and re-
covery of the sick.
! Il recommend that the system of nrom,.
tons which prevails in, the Regular service
be applied to the Volunteer forces in the
respective States; restricting, however, the
promotions to men actually in the field At
! present each Governor selects and appoints
| the ofhcers for the troops furnished by his
State, and complaint is not unfreouentIv
made that. when vacancies occur in the field
men OF inferior qualifications are placed in
! command OYER those in the ranks who are
ther superiers in military experience and
capaclty- The advancement of merit should
DC ne leadlng principle in all promotions.
anu the volunteer soldier should be given ~
understand that preferment viii he the snre
reward of intelligence, fidelity and distin.
| guished service.
-Ihe course above recommended bas boan
pursued oy this Department, and it is nv
intention, so Tar as in my power, to continue
system which cannot fail to have the most
beneficial effect upon the entire service. e
by existing laws and regulations an officer
OF the Regular army ranks an officer of
oIunteers OF the same grade, notwithstand-
arg the commission of tho latter NAV be- of
ahtecedent da,e. In my Judgment, this
practice has tendency to repress the ardor
and to limit the opportunity for distinction
OF volunteer officers, and q change should
be made by which seniority of commission
should confer the right of command. Z.
L submit for reflection the question.
whether the distinction between Regulars
ana Volunteers which now exists, should be
permitted to continue. The efficiency of
the army, 1t appears to me, might be greatly
increased by consolidation of the two
during the continuance of the war, which.
combining both forces, would constitute
them one grand army of the Union.
Recruiting for the Regular army has not
been attended with that success which was
anticipated, although large number of
men have entered this branch of the ser
vice. While it is admitted that soldiers in
the Regular army under the control of Off
GERS of military education and experience
are generally better cared for than those in
the Volunteer service, it is certain that the
popular preference is largely given to the
latter. Young men evidently prefer to en-
ter corps Offered by their friends and
acquaintances, and, besides the bounty
granted to volunteers in most of the States.
inducements are often directly offered to
them by those whose commissions DEPEND
upon their success in obtaining recruits In
addition, the Volunteer is allowed to draw
his full pay of Sl3 per month, while by law
81 per month are deducted from the paw of
the Regular, to be returned to him at the
end Of his term Of service. In my iudr-
ment, this law should be repealed and the
Regular soldier be allowed to receive his
full pay when due. He should also receive
either reasonable bounty upon enlisting,
or an advance of $50 of the 500 which
law of the last session of Congress grants
to regulars and volunteers on the expiration
of their terms of service This would
doubtless stimulate enlistments, as it would
allow the soldier to make some provision for
those dependent upon him for support until
he receives his pay.
& BY the Act approved August 5, 1861, the
President is authorized to appoint as many
aids to Major Generals Of the Regular ar
my, acting in the field, as he may think |
proper. The number of aids, in my opin- |
ion, should be limited, and no more should |
be allowed to each Major General than can |
be advantagepusly employed upon his own |
proper staff. Much expense would thus be |
saved, and the Executive and this Depart
ment would be relieved Of applications very |
embarrassing from their nature and extent |
The fifth section OF the act approved Sep
TENDER %, 1850, makes the discharge of |
minors obligatory upon this Department,
upon proof that their enlistment was with |
out the consent of their parents or guar
dams. In view of the injurious operation |
of this law, and of the facilities which it |
opens to frauds, Tres pectfully urge its early |
repeal. Applications for discharge of mi
nors can then be determined either by this
Department, in accordance with such regnla-
tions as experience may have shown to be |
or by the civil tribunals Of the |
The employment Of regimental bands
should be limited; the proportion of must
clans now allowed by law being too great
and not at all commensurate with their
heavy expense, -"s y
Corporations, like individuals. are liable |
to be governed by selfish motives in the alb
sence Of competition. An instance of this
kind occurred in the management Of the
railroads between Baltimore and New York.
The sum of six dollars was charged upon
that route for the transportation of each
soldier from New York to Baltimore. AS /
this rate seemed extravsgant to the Depart
ment, when considered in connection with
the great increase of trade upon these roads,
made necessary by the wants of the Gov
eminent, inquiry was made concerning the
expediency of using the roads from New
York to Baltimore, ria Harrisburg. The
result was an arrangement by which troops
were brought by the last named route at
four dollars each; and, as consequence,
this rate was at once necessarily adopted