Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1861-11-06
The StaAoafa..
Far the Standard.

= = - - ss'.s Ftf the Standard
pur ur1rfrA LAW OF NoRrH-CARolLaiNAr,
20 zoe. desire to call tho attention Of tue
IL or that portion Of it subject TO bear a.is "
nsw militia Law, and to point out Anew O US ".
cS . or omissions in few sections OF that acf ny
This &C, five years am added to the tune over tnsf
taxable age when men are required 70 90 Militia Nv
~ There ia no mode pointed OUT row cap'a'.s =. :
other company officers are to ascertain the age u
to nerson after he is IS years old after when aee
no ceases to list himself as taxable poll. suppose
r. tn he over As years old and under o. ne may
&c co ,.posed in order to evade military outs, oe-
Gina or refuse to give his age to the captain or Of
derry sergeant of the company and thus pla' pro
vision of the act may by evaded-the law being
blank as to the duties OF captains IN Inns respect
Rv tho new law the office of Major General rs viz
t,aliv abolished and the classiicatons OF the mill
Il, in divisions repealed, unless two brgades shall
Ina necessary to act together. See Sec. 10. This
officer is not to be elected like other Generals or field
officers but is to be appointed and commissioned 6y
the Governor. -s7s-sr. =. 49, ~
Section slst, requires officers of the militia to
wear the uniform prescribed for the army OF the
Confederate States. How are they to know what
that uniform isl The law fails to furnish the mill
tia officers with copies, of it, and the same is not
given in the regulations now in use, and may be
omitted in the work directed by the 10th resolution
of the Convention Of May last to oe furnished by
the State In the old United States regulations all
tins was given and explained.
After dligent examination of the new law, the
writer can find no penalty forfeiture on the part
OF non commissioned officers musicians and privateS,
for neglect or future to attend reviews, reSnenta
or battalion muSters Section 25th, which prescrbes
the penalty officers for failing to attend reviews
resimental and battalion musters is plain and ex-
pcit. Also the penalty officers and privates fail
ns to attend company musters, but no penalty as
the writer can find for falling or neslecting to attend
icgimental or battalion musters and reviews
By the new act, Section 26th, the militia are re-
qred to drill by llardees tactics. In all the tao
Tics heretofore used by the militia of the States, the
infantry exercise has been the school in which the
militia have been drilled. Such works as SCOTS,
Macomb's Coopei's and other tacticians, which arc
nearly the same now taught by Gillian, Richardson,
j. T. Lee and others except the change made by
the latter authors for percussion lock muSkct instead
of fiat and steel musket. Now as the militia are
the regular infantry, and are to military organza
ton what the alphabet is to English literature, the
foundation of all other discipline and exercise, it
seems to be departure from long and universally
established custom, TO adopt system OF tactics for
infantry devoted exclusively to light infantry and
rifle tactics. In none of the numerous editions
OF Hurdles works published by l.ppincott Kirk,
l,oeue and Others has the wri,erbeen able to find
the infantry m>ket exercise adapted to the per-
cussion lock in the manual OF arms. Yet the OIL
untcer's Home Book" which does give it. processes
to be ar ablidgement of Hardees tactics. l may
have overlooked it IN perusing those works, which
IL not likely. 4 copy containing the musket eAer-
else anxiously sought for, and to all inquiries
made at the book stores of Raleigh, Newbern, Will
mington, Hetersbur. and Richmond, the answer was,
I'VE have IIardees light infantry and rifle tactics,
but TO others of his works. would suggest if there
is no edition OF llardeeS works containing the mus
ket exercise percussion lock for the infantry or mill
tla that the State authorities have an edition pub
ii>hed containing the muSket exercise taken from
tiilhams Richardson's CT Lees works, (all standard
works and similar in this respecD TO distribute
among the officers OF the State.
The regulations now III use are very imperfect
No description of unit;rm arms of Contederat,
STATES, flags standards, guidons. &c, is given. w
should have uniformity at least in uniform, coat o
arms Of Confederate States, coiors, flags, &c. Non
of these to be found in the present regulations
In niany counties the militia only partially OIL
sanized, there being no officers except compan
officers. The Adutant General will probably hav
this matter attended TO soon Section 18th, vest
in that officer the authority to order the election fI
field Officers of regiments. Until this is done an
brgadicr Generals elected for the several brigadeE
the organization will not be completed.
Lastly difficulty presents itself in the colectio
OF fines and foieitures under the stay law Of the re
cent extra session of the Legislature. No excep,io
is made to the operation Of said act, except it be 70
the collection of State and county See sec
ton 18th of said act Iii doubtful even If an over
seer OF the public road can recover penalty from
delinquent who fails or refuses to work on publ
roads under the operations Of the present stay Law
lhave thus in rough and disjointed manner
without reflection, preSentc; a few Of the defects
ne militia law, and trust some one better quaie
ill, through the medium of the press, enlighten tn
public OH the subject 10y showing that the write
errs in his construction and views of the sucec
end correct any misrepresentation that the publ
lay labor under in regard to this useful branch {
lac public service. The writer's object in this con
jhunication is to have all defects and omissions,
any, in regard to the militia law passed by the lat
Legislature, remcdied and supplied by an ordinan,
or ordinances of the Convention soon to assembl
ii the same be within the sphere Of their duties
SOLDIER.