Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1861-05-01
orxaniza,ion and Part. st N. Army.

So M my persons unacQ Quainted with the organ
iIation of al army, are making inquiries upon
that subject, that we shall make outline Of lis
elements, as recognized In the French school ard
In our own, so far rs we have had armies. The
Number in companies, regiments, &c. vary at diff
ferent times, and vary by law. In times Of peace
the rank and file are reduced to a skeleton. and
the officers reta ined, 1--WE speak of regulars,) so
that In time Of war they can soon be hlled up.
The outline elements Of an army are these:
A company Is the unit Of an army, and is sup
posed TO average en- the war basis 100 men, OFF,
GERS included. The general rule for the organt
zation OF such company gives captain, lieu-
tsnants, S sergcants and corporals and IS men.
Formerly each company had an ensign, who car
ried the flag; but his place Is now supplied by the
color sergeant. There Is one more sergeant than
cOrporas, the first lieutenant being called the
derly sergeant, and 10, next to the captain, the
most important man in the mpany-cafrying
the books Of the company, and calling the roll,
morning and evening. The company is formed,
when In column, into two platoons and four sec
lions, each platoon commanded by lieutenant,
and each section by a sergeant
"A regiment is regularly composed Of ten CON-
panies, or two battalions; a battalion being half
regiment, composed Of FIVE cOmpanies-one of
them called light, or rout company, intended in
regular service to operate outside of the heavy
columns, as Ranking parties, guards, &c.
The officers Of a regiment, independent Of CON-
pany officers, are a colonel, lieutenant colonel,
two majors, adjutant, quartermaster and comms-
sarv. Each separate body Of troops must have a
commissary and quartermaster, but I'm large
army they are app0rttoned TO regiments bri.
gades. A regiment, when constituted, win be
formed thus IL colonel. | lieutenant colonel
adjutant, quartermaster, commissary. mtjors
10 captains, 20 lieutenants, SO serssants 40
porals, and $50 private Matchmaking 975, tYlt ia
| reality there are some Others; each COMPANY has
regularly drummer and ffer, which make a
regimental band of 20 besides the drum major
Then the regiment, when full, is made up reg
ularly Of 600 men.
brigade should be com posed of two regiments
squadron OF cavalry, and corps Of field arril-
lerv Ii these were all full, com plete brigade
operating alone would, in our service or in the
French, make . 400 men.
A division is composed Of two brigades, with
additional corps Of cavalry and artillery making
In our army, including the whole stat and usic,
about 5000 men. This is the big hest element OF
organ Zdttnn In our service; but in + ance as they
organize immense armies there is one ether
The corps is composed of two or more divisions
French service, properly commanded by field
fnarsf al-an OfhCer unknown to our country-and
the corps Is properly a complete army IN ilSelE
In NapoleOn's march on Russia. ne bad eig ht
or ten OF these corps in active service-makinp a
field army Of from $50 0G0 to 800 900 uen From
the stsnents We have given, it will be seen that
however large the army may be- 1t is SO orr apized
as to be perfect In all its parts, and moves with
exact order and discipline. In the field all orders
and operations are carried OH through the af of
the army and when we come to active service,
the stall is the most Important part Of the arrny
for, this being vast mach ne of which each mart
u.
IL 1s evident that all must depend on the skill
ability, and discernment of the staff through
which II acts. IL Is in vain that Scott or any
great General commands, II the staff officers are
incompetent
The staff Consists Of the aids the Adiutant Gen.
eral the engineer, the ouartermaster and Com
inlssary Generals Through the adjutant general
all orders are conveyed to each particular part By
the quartermaster general all transportatons and
vehicles, and horses furnished by the commits
sary all supplies by the engineer the Topography
or the country is thoroughly examined the pract-
cab'iity OF passes determined, forthcations buit
or attached Then the staff of an army becomes
its eve, and all its faculties The general sim nly
deciding the movements OF the army on the fact,
and elements thus furnished In the grand French
armies there was chief the staff or head 81 the
Bureau. In Napoleon time this chief Of the sta n
was Marshal Berthier, deemed one of the ahlest
OF officers Of the French army. Napoleon knew
the value of good staff and had abler men In II
than were at the head Of the divisions II an
extensive army should formed, this should always
be the case
In the statement we have made It will he seen
there Is strong similarity between modern army
well organized, and that Of the Romans Onr
company corresponds with the Roman Century
and our division to the Roman Leg ion The
Roman Legicn, when full, contained 6 600
men, which comprehended portion Of au1flIa-
ries, and were divided SO as to include all kinds
OF service. Roman Legion was comnlete
army in Itself, and the experience then and now
Is that compact body or force Of 5000 men is
large as can be organized 10 act one bcdy; larger
than that, they must act as separate bodies NOV
Ing harmoniously together -CincinnatiG Gazette