Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1862-03-27

TO Companies Forming and Regiments OrBahzih8'
The Confederacy is In the crisis OF Its tate Inc
time is no doubt gloomy one. By reason OF furloughs
on account of reenstments-the expiration OF limeo
terms of service Of volunteers who have not reensted
arc from other just well known to the Federal
authorities as to our Government or people, our
forces have during the last two months, been weaker
than any former period of the war, we except the
first few weeks We tremble to think how very weak
they have been.
But our ranks are filling up and forces are swell
ing both from the return of reensted men who have
been absent furlouh and from the addition OF new
recruits to the regiments already service and from the
embo dment of new infantry regiments, and batteries
battalions and corps of artillery and cavalry
These new recruits join and these new, regiments
companies etc. FORM for the purpose of serving and
of saving their country How can they best contribute
to this end? How best carry out their patriotic pur-
pose?
Evidently the first step is to become efficient soldiers
at the very earliest possible moment. 1t Will require
drill discipline and knowledge of military duty 10 Inc
camp and on the field make efficient soldiers and Inc
question is How shall these qualifications be most read
ily acquired this knowledge most speedily gained! EV
identity from those who have been drilled and disciplined
themselves have had practical experience OF the
order and of the duties of the camp.
In each company there are four commissioned officers
Now suppose one company chooses for its commissioned
officers men who have been in service long enough 10
have become perfectly familiar with all the details of
military duty and another company chooses Tor ITS COM
missoned officers men as ignorant of such details OF
duty as the newly enlisted recruits whom they are 10
command who can fail to see at once the great advan
that pith NriIo men
o6cerswould have over the last with wholly undriled
civilians? The drilled and disciplined officers would
AEON communicate the eaven of discipline to the whole
body of the company, which ofcers themselves lsno-
rant of drill and discipline could not do They would
necessarily have TO learn first themselves nor would Inc
Intervention of drnasters detailed for the purpose 90
much towards ob7ating this difficulty
D And then when companies thrown together to
form regiment how important that the reglmentai
officers should be military of at least some expert
ence, as well as Of good Judgment Men who already
know their duties and at once enter on their @
Gent discharge. Take regiment with three field Gil
GERS ten captains and thirty ieutenants all already Ia
miliar by experience, with military duty and the pro
gress made by that regiment towards military efficiency
will afford striking contrast to the conn aratvey slow
procress made by regiment whose officers like thel
men have to begin at the beginning and learn every
thing This reasoning will apply even more forciby tt
artillery than to most other branches of the service
Out of the ranks of the large number of regiment
that this State has had in service since last summe
surely a selection might be made of men drilled an'
competent to do great service in organizing and bring
ing up rapidly to the military standard large nnlH5e
= of newly raised companies and regiments. Withou
military training all know that there may be bodIe
a of men got together, bat that they cannot be cae
tro ps evident, and troops are urgently wanted an
earnestly CALLED for for immediate service, and ever
. moment lost now, is loss indeed; and much tim
- must be lost if wholly inexperienced officers are eece
to organize and command wholly inexperienced mer
II Every part of the State where troops are now BEN
- raised ha7 good 10 our camps IN Virginia or es
where filling subordinate POSITIONS who, if chosen
=. higher ones in newly raised companies or regimen
~ would be allowed to resign or could obtain discharg
at once il order to enable them to position
Possibly it might not be practicable to get all Il
officers from amongst men who have service, b'
surely one field officer in each regiment and that one,
possible the highest ought to be military man, ar
lies at least one commissioned officer in each company
It is not now as it was at the time when the bait
re- of Manassas fought, when comparatively nndri
let troops could be brought into the field The FEEDER
the troops then were merely body of menthey were ce
tay ainy very far from deserving the generally OF
do disciplined army They have been drilling and orga
hat ling ever SINCE and they calculate easily overtime
ing our new levies with their thoroughly trained
on ments 1t is absolutely essential to the safety of
God country that these eves Of patriotic citizens shou
of very soon become not only patriotic but effective sode
- and surely they can best do by obtaining for thu
sis regimenal and company officers many competent
the of experience liz military service they we'll can.
does appear that electng inexperienced men office
an at this time to command inexperienced volunteers wo1
bear an unfortunate resemblance to the act of putt
of the blind to lead the blind the consequence of which
ton as the Scripture tells u.s. that both shall fall into
by ditch.
- We submit these considerations to the good comm
sense of our soldiers eecting about to elect comps
officers and of our company officers about to elect re
No mental officers We confess that they to
ana to possess great weight however they may appear
i to othes-at any rate think they are worthy of s.
nks Gus attention, and We would respectfully urge them
OBJ on the notice Of newly enlisted companies and re
Jon nents.
con-
. Things about Ne" bern.--Facls al d Incidents
" - Evidently the Lincoln government is ungrateful
After the Reverend Marble Nash Taylor has traitori
enough to sin his stupied little soul away beyond
dempton or the hope Of redemption, the authorities
~ Washington have most shameully neglected that gr
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