Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1862-09-24
Volunteers---GOV. Tod---and Military Com
mittees,

mlttees,
WIEN Governor Tod came into Office,
he found a vicious practice in force, or
iginated by Mr. Dennison-that of ap-
pointing Field officers for regiments with
designated number, but without man
for the ranks. These commissions were
given without the slightest reference to
the fitness of the persons appointed it
was partly yielding to hard pressure,
mud partly a contrivance to raise men.
After time, the ingenious Governor
would squeeze two regiments into one !;
thus filling up the ranks, but One-half of
the double set of officers was left on hand
and to get rid of the bogus surplus he
would stick them into vacancies in the
old regiments. This was in violation of
law, and was a gross breach of faith to-
wards the officers of the regiments alre-
ady in theseryice. This abuse so freely
practiced by Gov, Dennison, has been
wholly done away with by Gov Tod.
But another contrivanee of Gov. DIS
was to have military committees in the
Counties and higher set of military
committees in Districts, who had some
underlined charge of military matters
Gov. Tod has dispensed with the Dis
trict committees, but he has continued
the County committees and even enlar-
ged their powers. He has, in fact, aban-
dOned to them all the duties of appoint
ment to Regimental and Company office,
and has become kind of clerk to these
Committees, and issued the commissions
on their nomination. He is understood
to have allotted things after this fashion
Counties A, BIC and D may raise regi-
ment; a can have the Colonel, B the
Lieut.. Colonel, c the Major, and D the
Adjutant; then would commence the
work of plying the committee, and the
man most prompt and adroit in getting
promises, would get the nomination, and
that never failed to bring the commission.
Favoritism, bargaining and combination
have been the rule; and if a single in
stance has occurred of an officer being
appointed on account of his fitness for
the place assigned him, it has not reach
ed the public ear. Gov. Tod has created
abOut 80 new regiments, and it may be
averred that he has not appointed sin
gle person who knew anything of his pro-
per duties at the time of his appoint
ment. All of these regiments have been
hurried into active service, and some of
them into battle.
1t cannot be supposed that the Deputy
Governors would have made any differ
ent appointments, if they had had free
choice in selecting tried officers from the
Regiments in service, but as if to ensure
the consummation of folly, the War De-
partment has forbidden the transfer Of
officers from the old regiments to higher
commands in the new. Many of the Of
fcers in these old regiments had been de-
prived of their proper promotion in the
old regiments by the illegal and arbitra-
ry acts of Gov. Dennison, and now by the
arbitrary and unjust and insane conduct
of Mr.. Stanton, they are deprived of ad-
7ancement in new places. Indignation
at these abuses will come in due time,
bui it will come too late: it viii come
only in full measure when disaster and
great sacrifice of life shall have made the |
folly-and the worse than folly-mani-
fest.