, 1863-01-17


for the regular and volunteer setvfcc s believed
demand the application of a different rnlc. in pro-
= Although tho act Of Congress Of July - 1851.
coufers upon tho Governor tic power to ill racan.
ciea: which power may be yet
he desires In NIL cases TO etn+ult the odlcera and
motions, md therefore invites their 1ecommeada-
t:onB. - =:
! 70 The rnlc Of promotion BY seniority, there arc
some few cases which should be excepted. Insrau-
great personal bravery in the ne1d OF other dstu.
guished mcritoEions ssrsces, . junior non-coumis-
fioned officer or. private should be promoted
to the exclusion Of a senior commissioned officer.
artl that too without an Impeachment Of the gen
eral alnerits ol the letter. 80 when Officer proves
himself incompetent, q Junior officer. OF private
however, are io be considered only exceptions to
the rule and their existence should be fully shown
before they will be recognized. -:
In communication lately addses .ed to Governor
Yates by the Major General commanding this de-
paEtnents It fs stated that commanding ofcers Of
divisions. regincnts. or corps will be directed to
make recommendations for filing vacancies within
their respective command, stating the particular
Eeryice and merit Of the individuals recommend
Since that tine mary Recommendations for pro-
motions, othe7 than those By seniority, have been
msde, buthave been unacconpaaied BY any state
ment Of paEticnlar SERVICE Or smcri'' to justi-
Y tbetr adoption: dccision upon such cases has,
casioned By want Of oalcial imformation OF the
dcIth Of oNceEF. To prevent this in future 1T Is
report TO this department such deaths as eoon a.
practicable" '-'
It frequent or occasional reports were made to
tliis department of the sick and wounded sent to
deuce with relatiyes and friends who are constant.
" seeking information, as well as to enable the
State to reder assistance to those OF its citizens
By order OF His Exccl1cnty Gov. Tatea.
. ALIEN FULLER, Ad1utant Gen.
:; So fas as is known, this order has giycn, al
most, If not entire, satisfaction to rank and
Tile. That injustice will occasionally be done
under this or any other rule, is not denied, for
the commanding officer may recommend an ui-
deserving o1iccr for promotion. It's his duty,
however, unless some valid reason exists, and
that reason stated upon his honor as an oil.
Ger, to recommend promotions In the regular
liue. And 1t is also his duty to recommend,
to the exclusion of the regular line, in cases
Of special merit Of others. If he will always
DO iis duty intelligently and impartially; il
tue Captain will appoint the non-comnis-
stoned officers Of his company with reference
to their relative merits, and by that means
place the most meritoripus priyates in line of
promotion, Calthough strictly, there is rank
among noncommissioned officers a fayora.
BILE result will follow; otherwise not, But no
human foresight can provide against the par.
MEDICAL DEPAgralEET. !,
The "plan Of orgallization'' for voluntec,
forces as designated III General Orders No; Ii
of the War Department was SO far modified
on the 25th Of Mny, 1851, as to allow one Sur.
geon, and one Assistant Surgeon to be ap,
pointed by the Governors Of the respective
States, "aftcr having passed an examination
by competent Medical Board appointed by
the Governors Of the Statcs.'
{to1 ~n.,s, nr4 1.Y.
the Legislature, in April, 1861, constituted q
Medical Board, consisting Of Drs.. N. s
Davis, Chicago; Charles Ryan Of sanga
mon county; George w. Stipp Of Mclean
county; William Chambers Of Coles county;
and DR.. Carpenter of st. Clair county;
Surgeons and Assistant Surgeons were reguir
ed to pass an examination by this Board, and
procure their certificates Of quail fcAtion frou
said Board before receiving an appointment at
Surgeon or Assistant Surgeon in the regiments
composing that brigade. But in case any por
tion+of the troops should be ordered into act.
ycservicc before the session Of the Board, yoI
were authorized temporarily to assign Sur
geons or Assistant Surgeons until peIinanen
appointments could be made. The Board thu.
constituted continued to act until 14tll june
when new Board. consisting Il. 4. johnson
Chicago; Henry Wing, Collinsyillc; Henry
W=Dayis, Paris; O. n. Bryan, Sycamore, ani
Robert Roscotton, Peoria, we're appointed
under General Order No. Is. Dr.. Davis wa.
subsequently,. appointed Surgeon Of tho 1stt
regiment, and Pr. D. + Green, Of Salem, wa<
appointed in his placo Dr.. Bryan was subse
quently promoted to Brigade Surgeon, ant
Dr.. A. L, Macarthur, Of Ottawa, was appointed
in his place; and in October Inst Dr.. Danie
Brainard, Of Chicago, was appointed to fl
the yaeansy oceaslonea by the resignation o
During that year, the Board consisted O.
pEn,.3 T-1
Green. The increase Of business the past fen
months required full Board, and the number
was increased by the appointment Of Drs. Nc
Arthur and Brainard.
q report from the Board, made On the lStl
Of last mouth, shows TINT since. the 18th O.
June, 1851, 793 candidates hare registered
their names for examination, aud 405 have
commended as Surgeons, 2G6 have been re-
commended as Assistant Surgeons, and 20 re
jected. 1t further appears from the report
that considerable number, after being par
TALLY examined, Withdrew from examination
with the consent Of the Board, with the privi
port Of these examinations is brief, and cx
plains the extent Of their labors and the prin
cip1es which have governed them in their ex
aminations, submit copy, marked Schedule
The duty Of providing our regiments Will
greNt Importance. There is no branch of tht
service more SO, and none that is ut first lest
appreciated. Experience has shown that tht
health Of our troops in the field does no
depend so much upon q change Of climate, o.
exposure, as much ~ upon the character O
the surgeon, whose duty 1t is to prevent sick
ness as well as cure disease.
The losses in battle Is but q small per cent
Of the mortality in the army. The sanitary
condition Of a regiment is what Its Surgeon:
md commanding officer make 1t, and any maj
who takes upon himself the duties Of 4 eur
geor, supposing his duties begin and end will
treating surgical cases, is unfit for the place
in health; to maintain. rigid sanitary :; reg
ulations in emp, and in sickness to min
lister to LIS wants with . sisters tenderness
and mothers love, is what our volunteers il
the field, and their relatives and friends a
home have . right to demand. And
an rejoiced In believing that us
rule, such treatment they receive a
are Of course exceptions, but the; command
ing officers Of departments in which on
forces are serving, have asserted that 1llinoi
Surgeons hare generally faithfally discharge,
their whole duties.
The want Of additional Surgeons, was 1onl
time felt. After the battles Of Fort Donelso1
and Shiloh, large number were temporaril.,
appointed, and the: War Department was up
piled to, to allow more Surgeons to accom-
pany our regiments. The Secretary Of IVA
promptly conceded the necessity, but inform
cd you there WIS no law allowing any more t,
ever, Congress passed a: law allowing m addi
tional assistant Surgeon to each regiment o
infantry, and believe late law Of Congress
allows an additional assistant Surgeon to cay
fhe new regiments were provided Wit
these additional assistant Surgeons. Many q
the old regiments lad. assistant; Surgeon
who had served long, and deserved pro
motion; and also acting assistant Su.
gcons who could not get leave Of absenc
10 return to the State for examination. T
afford such an opportunity Of an examination
in the field, last year tho Medical Board wen
to the field md held sessions there: D.
Helena; Dr.: Green at Holly Springs !; and d.
Macarthur at Nashville; md arc expected t
return the present month. -,
ExTESsEs OF AD1UTAST GENERALS oFFIoI
/ Under the law Of May 2, 1851, the salary {
/ the Adjntant General Is fixed at seven do1Iarl
the First Assistant ut six, and Second Assis
ant at Are dollars per day. No express at
thority was given the Adiutant General t
employ. clerks, but the law authorized you
employ such clerks, aids and messengers {
| the public service might require, and allo'
them such reasonable compensation as in yor
Judgment they should be entitled to.
When took possession Of the, Office, NJ
yember II, 1861, three clerks and messengs
| boy were employed, beside the Adjutant Ger
eral and his Assistants =" =: ="
No injustice is done In saying that such In
been the pressure Of business upon the ofHe
that its affairs were very much behind hant
There were b9t few rolls on fllc, and few pc
mancnt records -
Notwithstanding the great increase Of bus
| I havo endcavored to keep tho expenses OF tt
office to the very lowest possible, figure, ar
in this I hare had tho generous co-operatio
Of my Assistant and Clerks. Thcayerage nun