, 1863-01-17

cd. An assurance was given that agents Of.
the State had been sent to purchase arms for
twenty regiments, and as soon as tho same
should be received. they would be tssned to
regiments prepared TO receive them. n fact,
every encouragement was given to the forma-
ton Of volunteer militia Companies, and get
| 5uttsco muster rolls hare been returned.
The result Of this last attempt to organize
volunteer militia force in this State, has con-
armed me In the opinion, long entertained,
militia organization cannot be secured.
However sound the theory that military
education is desirable; or ut least that al1 able
bodied male citizens should accustom them
selves to the use Of arms, and learn the radl-
ments o. tae at Of var yet our people Of
unless some induccmcnt is Offered by the
State.
Tho theory is sound md may be reduced to.
Practice. That our. people arc ready to fight
themselves to soldiers duties anda soldiers
life is also well established. That they will
not Turn out on general militia muster days
without some more Inducements from the
state, I think is also true. Let the State uni
form, md arm. md pay them Tor the time
and think there will be no difficulty in having
rciiable militia fofcc to meet any and eyory
emergency
Until this is done, think NC shall be obliged
to continue as heretofore, and rely upon un-
disciplined volunteers to take the field and
learn their duties as soldiers there.
!; -: ..PUEcuAsE OF ARMS.
1861, entitled tan Act to establish Maga,
zine to purchase efficient arms for the Statc
Militia, and for other purposes" commits
sioners we're appointed who visited Eastern
cities, in the summer Of 1861, to negotiate d
purchase Of arms contemplated By that law.
.fot+ *
then held in the market, as well as an urgent
reQuestf from the General Government to States
withdraw from the market and prevent COM
petition, induced the commissioners to make
no turtner efforts to purchase.
during the present summer, nm informed,
another effort was made to purchase arms for
twenty regiments Of infantry, but without
SUCCESS. They, however, purchased in 1861.
999 Enfield rides; 500 Colts regolyers; ESQ
Whitney 1eEolvers; oaD cavalry sabcrs; and
forty-two sets Of artillery harness. This
issued to Illinois volunteers, and the cost
charged to the General Government. -.
REPORTS.
lrcgrct to be unable at this. time to COM
municatc the reports Of these Commission
ers, as well as the reports Of the Qnarternas-
Ter Gcnern and Con1nissary General The
| operations Of the Quartcrmastcr Generals de-
| partment have been large. The reports OF
these officers are in couree Of Preparation,
and am assured will be ready in q few i,ayB.
The most Of the business transacted by them
was before became connected with the mill
taTy affairs Of the State, and am therefore
unable to state the substance, but as soon as
their reports are received they will be duly
transmitted.
APPOINTMENTS AND PnoMoT1oSs. ;
The tenth section Of the law Of April Is,
lsGl, provides for tho organization Of f1e first
SIX regiments; declares that at a1l elections
for company and rec:imcntal officers, every en-.
rolled man Of the company or regiment
should s pe entitled Ut to vote, md none Others.
For said brigade, all commissioned officers
should be entitled to vote and none Others, and
printed ballots.
The eleventh section declares that the pro.
visions OF that act should only apply to the
six regiments therein provided for.
These sfx regiments were organized, and
officers eleeted and commissioned as therein
provided. It wns organized by the State, and
7 accepted By the general government as M Il
Col Benjamin NJ. Prontiss vas elected Brig
adler General, commissioned by. you, and
mustered into tile United States service NaY
IL. l66l, with rank from May 8, 1851
The next ten regiments which wcre &C.
ccptcd in pursuance Of the act of the Legisla-
ture Of May z, we're organized as therein d.
rected. The fifteenth section Of the act pro
yidcd that Us soon as ten companies should
be formed In regiment, the Adjutant Gene
nj should order IN election tor regimental
officers for the said regiment. These rcgi-
State for thirty days, MS contemplated by that
law, but before the expiration Of that time
they were called upoIto enter the service Of
the United States, and were mustered into its
service in the latter part Of Alny and early in
june.
The second section provided that the com
panics should be "oficered in manner us
should be provided By the general militia Law
The law Of Mny Sd, authorizing the accept
ance of regiments Of cavalry, did not. declare
how the officers were to be selected. Tho
sta1 officers were appointed.
with the exception Of the first sixteen reg
ments Of infantry, one Of cavalry, and one
battalion Of artillery, authorized to be raised
State, the volunteer forces Of this State have
| been raised either under authority directly
| from the Var Department to individuals, or
| by. you under authority given you by the Sec
retary Of War.
The end section Of the law by Congress,
teers ellall be subject to the rules and regula-
| tions governing the army Of the United
States, and that they should be ssformed By
the President into regiments &c.
| l A[ AAtA 3EEttQA piutlAG6 tulG LuG EQS-
crnors of the States furnishing volunteers
shall commission tho t'held, staff and com
pany officers for the said yoluntecrs}' but in
cases where the State authorities refuse or
omit to furnish volunteers OF the call or on
the proclamation of the President. and vol
under such cali or proclamation, the Presi-
dent may accept their services and commits
sion the proper field, staff and compdny. Off
Gers.
vided that when vacancies should occur III
any Of the companies Of volunteers, such va
cancies should be filled by election, and that
| the person so elected should be commission
cd By the Governor or President This last
provision concerning filling vacancies was re-
pealed by the third section Of the net Of Con-
gress, approved August 6, 1861 and Govern
ors required to fill such vacancies in the same
manner MS original appointments. General
order Of the War Department, Of May 2, 1861,
heretofore referred to, is as follows:
"Thc commissioned officers Of the COM
the State furnishing 1t, and the non-commis-
stoned officers, until the company shall be
embodied in regiment, will be appointed by
the Captain; afterwards by the Colonel, on
RECOMMENDATION Of the Captain" :.
Under these laws Of Congress aud rcgula-
tions OF the War Department, the porer to
appoint and commission Held, staff, and line
officers Of volunteer regiments, is vested in
the Governors Of States furnishing the rcg-
mcuts. The exercise Of that power is full Of
e1nbarrassments and difficulties. The power
to appoint involves responsibility 10 the gov
crnment as well as the service, for. the nlnn-
ner in which 1t is exercised. With the large
amy which Illinois las now in the field, IN
cludiDg more than t, 600 commissioned Off
GERS, and being ten times greater than the
regular army Of the United States was . few
years since, the labor and dclicacy and anxiety
Of faithfully and impartially discharging such
responsibilities cannot be oycr-cstimated.
Original appointment Of line officers hayc
been made upon the recommendation Of the
company, or on account Of service performed
by those appointed in recruiting, and bring
Ing into camp the enlisted men, and in case
Of field officers upon the recommendation, or
supposed recommendation of the commits
stoned officers Of tho regiment. This has
been the rule. There may have been occas-
ional exceptions to 1t, but know Of but one,
md that .was the appointment Of MAJ. Gen:
: policy most liberal to the enlisted men Of
thc commands has been adopted as to original
appointments, Is undeniab1c. As to the np.
pointmcnt of field officers the original policy
was to procure the services Of at lc8st one
army officer to. each regiment, but frequent
| rcfueals Of the War Department to grant q
leaye Of absence to such officers to accept
commissions for field officers, made, to somt
extent, the practice finally adopted, ono O.
necessity. -. -. -:
In the organization of our new regiments
/ every possible effort WIS made to ohtain TIL
T consent Of the War Department tQallow OIL
, Gers who had served with distinction In oul
old regiments, to accept commissions by way
Of promotion, In our new regiments. -Thes'
: tie following order of the War Department
. l. 1ndnr date nf AUpnst II.