Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1862-09-04
Report of the Secretary of War.

WAR DEPARTMENT. :
Richmond, August 18th 1862.
To His Excellency JEFFERSON DAVIS,
of to.St

President of the Confederate States.
SIR Although is Tot customary for the heads of de-
yet consideration OF changes in the organization
of the army and of he necessity further legslaton it
casion.
1t became apparent the of the last Spring,
all acquainted with the condition of the Arm that the
acts Of Congress, providing Te-enlstmens would
effect the desired objec The privilege allowed of
enlstg and for different arms Of the SERVICE
coupled with the love of change always found in camps,
ard heightened in the of armies by the moEotony
and discomfort CT winter quarters, caused such extensive
changes that the Teenistments tended to the dso
ton of the Army.
Large numbers Of yeHrnng for home weary Ct
the discomfort OF camp me- ana deceived oy Tue appaiehI
inactivity OF tbs enemy into the belief that their services
longer declined to reent AID prepar-
ed the burden OF the to those who had as
brne part OF H. Efforts 10 procure re enlisments
and the expectation OF change, relaxed the dSciune OF
the Army, impaired its Efficiency and rendered it ncapa
be Of accomplishing what otherwise might have been
While armies tbrs passing through successive
stages Of disOrganiZaon to dissolution those OF the enemy
efficiency and ready at the opening OF the campaign
to enter it, with every guarantee of that
berd discipline, complete Organization and perfect equip
The they obai1ed under these circumstances far
from ing matter ct surprise, were necessary conse-
quences OF the relative conditions OF 'he armies and is
truly surprising that these successes were lot greater and
more complete.
The plan Of voluntary enlistment having failed to pre-
the organ cation and recruit the strength OF
armies time when the safety ofAhe country req Tired
both to be effected ort to draft consumption
the only alternative To all acquainted with the
ditlon of things there be ground tor doubt.
period or 6y day the terms OF service OF one hundre
and toriyeight gimens expired. There good
to believe that large 0Iity Of the had not
sed and OF those who had re-enisted very large
ority had entered corps Whi" could be assembled
or if assembled could prepared for the field
TO meet the Invasion actually commenced.
There was therefore, interval If 2orgauizatcn and
weakness impending, and the enemy mad already
Virginia with army; known to have had than
double the nuneca strength Of and superior
it in everything but courage and good 1t obv
ons that coEscrpon alone could and cou hal d.
y be supposed that Constitution adopted the midst of
Inhibited the only possible mode of raising armies.
Influenced by these aud other considerations CONGRESS
adopted the popularity known as the
Act -Four months have not elapsed since its passage and
the present condition Of tue and of the coDptr
cienty prove its wisdom. -Four months ago armies
retiring weak and disOganzed before the whem
ing 1orce OF the enemy yielding to item the seacoast ths
miaes the manufacturing power, the grain fields snd
entire ates Of the Ccniederacy Now advancing
With increased numbers improyirg organ zaon
courage and the prestige of victory enemy defeat
ed dsheartened and sheleng himself behind defensive
"orhs ana 1huer cover OF MS boats IN ary sys-
tenn which has done much iQ short me- >hould be
Cherished and perfected and its defects speedily
Soon after the passage CT the ConscrpI Act the depart
ment prepared to cut and the 23h Of April
published General Order No 30, copy of which here
with returned prescribing regulations for the enrolment
mastering N subsistence transportation and disposition OF
1t was determined to establish one or more permanent
camps in eFch State points selected with reference
health and cies for subsistence and transportation
Each camp has its Commanding officer its Drill cers its
10 be assembled drilled, taken through the camp dis
cases. and distributed among the regiments of the state
proportion 81 their respective deficiencies.
The necty of sending them imme dately into the field,
has nterered with this plan of operations but has been
carried cut as tar practicable and during any period
comparative inactivity can be fully executed Recruits
thus prepared for the field, will be little inferior to Of sol
ders and the will be relieved from crowded hos
pitfalls and the long train Ct neectves that drag in
the law has been that which constitutes the chief mped
ment in all involuntary military systems the enrolment Of
recruits The third section of the Act requires enroll
ing Officers Of the state to be used with the the
respective Governors, and it is only failure to OBJ
tain such consent that the President is auth
ploy Confederate officers
Tie military systems Of many Of the states have fallen
into such d;suse that there either enrolling officers,
or none that can De re led on so far the experiment OF
using State cfces has proved failure and would sug
gest that perm be given to other measures
for enrolling recruits.
This may be done either by the appointment Of crtan
number of enrolling officers tor each Congressional District
or by giving each corps supernumeTa1y officers to act
erOng officers fer the corps The latter plan would pro-
babygv activity and efficiency to enroments than
the former as the enrolling officers would be under military
CONTROL and Inefficient, might be ordered bac their
regiments and be substituted by Others.
The 4h and 18th sections CT the require all conscrps
and VouDteers to enter companies in existence pas
sage If the thus cutting recruits companies
tered ato service after that time The object of this re-
strction apparent the companies then forming
allowed thirty days complete their organic ation
and lad the advant &c companies field in re-
crung 1t supposed necessary therefore, restore
equality by giving the conscTpts and volunteers after th
~ days to the oid companies
The effect will be- that many fine regiments brought into
service since tie passage of the will down for the
want of recruits think it will be we'll to permit con-
in service
1t true that the number of recimenta already too
great, and that it is impossible to keep them ali up This
have been motive for reRtriC og recruits to old regi
mens and permitting the ohers gradually decline But
it will be better TO discriminate in the reduction of
Der OF regiments and to consolidate such become too
weak to recruited. The power consolidating regi
ments, battaons and companies essential that
mics cannot be maintained in toerable Of efficiency
without its exercise The Department has been compelled
to dlsband corps because useless from loss OF or other
but tie law stands this only be done by dis
charging the entire corps and enrolling the within ne
conscrpt age for service in other companies.
Two Inconvenience attend this mode of proceeding
First, ali the thrtyfve and under eighteen are
y it doubtful whether conscpts be enrolled of
their States and company, therefore, be dis
banded out OF the State WITCH it raised without los
ing the whole company
suggest therefore, that whenever corps becomes so
much reduced to be unfit for service and there
sOnabe expectation OF recruiting it, the President be
thorzed to dsband it, to put the officers out Of commission
and to transfer the officers and privates
to other corps from the same state be objected
that this violates the contract OF enlistment which for
service in the company selected by the volunteer and thus
the government IN accepting the volunteer implicitly
cages to keep him in the company Of his choice. think
that the engagement of the Government is fulfilled by
tanning the volunteer in his company long it is st for
service but that there implied promise dscahrge
him when his company be longer preserved. Such
promise would be premium to ineffcency. compa-
leave the service would secure its object by
rendering itself unfit to remain.
also further recommend that power be given to enrol
cOnscrlps wherever they may be found. Military service
is debt due to the Conederacy, and the power exact
Ing should depend the accident place. Conscrp-
.on "S OF men
if merely crossing line exonerates them from it. The
practice of employing substitutes at pleasure supposed
be author By the section of the Conscrp Act has
led to great abuses The procGraon substitutes has
become uar business Men thus obtained are Usually
unfit for service and frequently desert Department
has restricted the practice by prohibiting the reception of
foreigners substitutes, but the wills he
system still great and further restrictions
cessary.
1t would be well to authorize substitution only where the
services Of the principal equally useful to the public
at home in the field. Such is the with experts
trades for the prosecution of war; with
il districts of country having few whites and large