The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1862-01-08

er It's extension or restriction be most eX,
pedient, is yet to he demonstrated by ex-
perience.
3d. However muclr the number Of the
privates, in the beat companies, may be
diminished, by supplying the three first
classes Of the whole military force the
compliment Of officers and non commis
stoned officers will not be affected for
those classes have, each, their separate,
and independent organization.
4th. Any portion Ct this class may be
assembled by the Commander in Chief,
or Major General, or Brigade. G eneral,
at such places, as either Of them may
deem proper Act lS41, Sec. 80. In
case Of invasion, or insurrec,ion, or rebel
lion, the Commander in Chief "mav raise
and assemble as many of the divisions,
brigades, regiments, buttalions, and com,
panies, within this State, as he shall think
sufficient 10 suppress and repel such inva.
sion, insurrection or rebellion, rs may
happen" and order them to march and
rendezvous at such time and places, with.
in the State, as the Governor or Com.
mander'in Chief, for the time being, shall
think fit )" and "to march to the assis.
tance Of any of the inhabitants Of the
State, who are in danger" Art lS4l,
Secs 14l-2. In the lst Sec. oe Act
1861, it is enacted, "Lhat all males, from
the ages Of sixteen to sixty shall be liza.
BILE to perform patrol duty, and shall be
subject TO be ordered by the Governor
and Commanderin Chief, to perform mill
itary service an their respective brigades."
Whether this refers to tue territorial linn,
its OF the brigades, or generally to
military s,may admit OF some
question. 1t seems, at first view, to 10.
caze the service /; yet that may super.
csde, by implication, the provisions of the
Act Of lS4l above referred to; and |
nigh, cripple the effective disposal of the
militia.
5th. 1t is observable that the recent
law only suspends so much Of the Act of
ls4l relating to invasions. DC, "as limits
tie terms Of service, &c" Its other pro-
visions seem to refer mainly to the mode
Of organizing and employing the third
class above considered. Ye, in case Of
alarm, some doubts might exist, as to the |
construction Of the l4Glh Sec. Of the Act |
Of ls4l, "when any person shall receive
orders TO march out Of his parish, county,
best,or district" 1t is to be expected how.
ever, that they will be solved, when the
emergency arises, by the discretion of the
Commander in.Chief, and OF the Gene.
rails, who will be supported by the loyalty
and patriotism Of the people.
9th. The 9th Sec. of the late law directs
that census shall be taken Of all persons
liable to militia duty under the Act, aud
hat rolls shall he made, classifying the
men, according TO age. Under the seth
Sec. Of A. A. 1s4l, the Clerk of each
Beat company was required, 'orce in
every year, to take the census Of his com
pany )" and to keep rolls of all persons
liable to do ordinary patrol duty, and Of
alarm men also ito make out and pre-.
sent to the commanding officer Of his
company, all the returns OF the strength,
and equipments, that shall be required"
II the duties Of all the Clerks of com
panies were regularly performed, it would
be easy for the Commander in,Chief, to
ascertain the effective force Of the State,
and its classification. He can, only in
this way, SO far as Legislation has gone,
learn the strength and equipments Of the
militia. IL is to be apprebended that the
company Clerks have not yet been IRE,
qnired' to make such returns generally.
throughout the State: and it is probable
that such returns would expose a deplo
rable deficiency in the arms, and equip.
ments Of our militia.
The dispropor,'on Of arms and men,
may be less now than before the war, as
those who enlisted in the first and second
classes, were supplied with arms by the
Confederate Government, and the State
respectively. The same remark applies
to the twelve months volunteers, who are
now in the Confederate army. There
have been recently, two proclamations Of
the Governor for volunteers, for the de
fence Of the State. In the first, men
who should be organized into ompanies,
and who could bring arms with them,
were invited to assemble at Columbia
and in the last, twelve thousand men are
called for under the recent law but the
announcement was made, at the same
time, that the Governor had only three