Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1862-03-12
For the Standard.
For the Standard.
THE. ORDINANCE TO RAISE THE STATES
z QUOTA OF TROOPS FOR THE WAR

to raise North Cardinals quota of troops for the
Confederate service. 1t seems to me liable to sew
eral objections and manifestly inferior to the act
for the same purpose passed by the Legislature of
Virginia Our Ordinance presents to my mind much
complication and some inconsistency. II pretends
TO secure TO the enlisted the selection of their
officers, and at the same time gives it to the Gov
erDor. Whilst il aims to secure the enlistment Of
the requisite number of recruits, that end is to be
attained by such complex and rival means to
render it almost Intellectual certainly to deprive
the State troops regiments those who originally
enlisted for the Wnr, of the power to be recruited
up to the maximum number.
/ will not pretend to discuss the relative merits
OF the two systems of offering troops whether the
rank and file should elect, the Governor appoint
them; but will say the two methods cannot easily
be so blended together being inconsistent with each
other, as to apply to the same officers. One the
other plan must give way, occurred in the forma-
ton OF the present State troops regiments The
act OF the Legislature providing for the raising of
the ten infantry regiments of State troops, gave to
the Governor the appointment of all commissioned
officers. 1t was pet scheme of Gov. Ellis, throw
ing into his hands the dispensing Of about five hun
dred appointments. He bestowed them layishIngly
upon his political and personal friends In short
time the singular spectacle presented itself of
ten regiments Of officers, and not battalion of
| men. The consequence that those who held
commissions field officers in order to raise their
regiments and secure their seats in the saddle
compelled to look to the various volunteer compa
| MES already formed, having elected their company
officers, for the material to compose these regiments
and TO inercede with the Military Board to allow
these companies to join their regiments with the
understanding that the company officers which they
| had already elected should be commissioned
| Not until this course was pursued, could single
regiment OF State troops be formed. In the regi-
ment to which belong there is not Of the COM
pany officers originally appointed to it. The whole
hatch O thont pY-
| ception, proved themselves incompetent to raise
company. Thus the appointing power vested in the
| Governor, had, far it related to the company
! officers of these regiments, TO succumb to the
| elective
| The two methods thus embraced in the formation
oil the State troops regiments, present in the selec
| tons made under them this remarkable contrast,
almost without exception the field officers who owe
! their appointments to the Governors selection,
tertained political sentiments in harmony with his
own whilst the company officers, selected by the men
who were to fight under them, were Of the opposition.
| The contrast is made more striking when re.
| member that the latter not unfrequently de-
nominated " SubmiSsionists"
The 9th section of the Convention Ordinance
provides for the re-enStment of volunteers already
in the service That they may retain their present
organization or re organize at their ootion-in the
latter they shall be thrown into CO mpanies &c"
Would it not have been better to have allowed or
| even offered them some inducement to Join any one
| of the State troops regiments now in the field?
| The 9th section provides THAT the Governor
shall have power to appoint captains and Ieutenans
TO recruit men for the service aforesaid and to
ganize the recruited into companies and regi-
mentS; and the company commissioned officers shall
in all elect their field officers under the rules
! now prescribed Prorided h0lterer That no person
| shall receive commission pay under said ap-
! pointments, except as follows When any person
| shall tender forty privates, wLo in writing have
IN ,nGa him mia in'c
and pay; and in like manner for twenty five pri-
! Yates first LeutenantS commission and pay and
for fifteen privates, a second Leutenant's commits
sion and pay"
Suppose under this section, Capt. A. of Martin
county, tenders the names of forty men agreeing in
1oriting to under him Leut. B. of Ashe, the
names of twenty-five; Lieut. c. of Macon, and Lieut..
| D. Of Arson, the names of fifteen each; they form
a company Of ninetyfve enlisted men, filty-fve of
whom have not agreed in oriting to serve under
Captain A., and in all probability would not vote
| for him. seventy-fve have neither agreed or would
vote Tor the first Lieutenant B. eighty have neither
agreed would have voted for either of the second
| Lieutenants-then, of what avail is the prescribed
agreement in tcriting to Serre WHder these officers?
There is very decided majority against each, and
had the company held election after its formation
| neither of them would have probably been elected
{ yet there is the pretended semblance of the mems
! selecting each. Surely the Convention could not
have intended it as deceptive catch. To say the
least it dictates to the recruits whom they shall
| lect to lead them. Was the object to place in the
! field large number Of recruiting officers? Al
ready had subatern and enlisted man of each com-
| pany, by order of the War Department been dis
patched from the regiments in the field, to the
! section of country from which each of these
panieS came to recruit them up to one hundred and
| twenty five men. Would it not have been better
fill these regiments up to the maximum before FORM
ing Others have left open field to the recruit
! I'M fran rail mar.
aze their efforts by offering commissions to compel
ing parties Who with the same bounty to Offer and
a pretended semblance of allowing recruits the
lection of their officers would have the incentive of
Office to induce them to add some gratuity favor,
! perhaps the promise Of n-commssioned Office to
| seduce the recruit from the State Troops officer?
This surely not the intention Of the Ordinance,
| but, fear, will be its effect.
The State Troops of North Carolina are the best
equipped, best drilled and best disciplined soldiers
have in the Confederate service. Those in
| this army have that reputation Already being in
| for the war. fully and efficiently organized and
| equipped, with their ranks filed to twelve hundred
| and fifty men, they would be q force Of twelve
thousand five hundred men, more efficient an bet
ter prepared for active service in the early spring
campaign, than any like number furnished by either
of the other States. OF course fifty raw recruits
would learn much faster, and sooner become ell
Gent when placed in the company with sew
entv veterans, than with seventy green as them
! selves A moments reflection will suggest many
other advantages. There is one which | cannot
I omit calling attention to- These regiments now
number about seven hundred men each. They are
fully Differed. To increase them to twelve hun
dred and fifty men would not add single officer.
Suppose, instead of being increased they retain
their present number; the Confederate Government
wanting so many men, pot SO many regiments it
becomes necessary for North Carolina to double the
number of regiments She therefore places another
regiment of eight hundred men by the side of one
Of these old regiments The two of fifteen hundred
men would not be so easily manOeuvred together,
nor so efficient as twelve hundred and fifty men
under the better organization of the old regiment,
but would be attendant with double The baggage
train and double the expense in officers pay, with