Delaware State journal and statesman., 1863-12-08
The Examination of Officers for
Colored Troops,

Many persons in our State are DESTROYS of
attaching themselves to on organization of COL
cred Troops In view of the order of Governor
Cannon, published to-day, there will doubtless
be many applications for this purpose. 10 order
to give full understanding respecting the man
nar Of becoming officers We give the following
information, taken chiefly from the correspond
ence of the New York Times 1t may be OBJ
served in the first place, that uone but we'll
drilled and excellent men will be appointed to
command in Negro Regiments and in the sec
ond place, that those officers who pass salts
factory examination are assigned to command by
the War Department, and are not at liberty 10
choose to be attached to any particular Regiment.
Negro Recruits are organized not as State
Troops but as United States Troops Blu. any
State furnishing large proportion of men will
doubtless be allowed fair proportion of the Off
cprs from those who may have passed the Board.
For instance, Delaware contributes say FIVE
hundred Nero Soldiers. There are twenty Off
GERS who have passed the Board waiting to be
assigned, five of them Delawareans. These five,
with some Of the others, would doubtless lie
placed in a regiment embracing the five hundred
Delaware men,
''Callei before the Board, tho applicants find it
to be composed of one Major General, two Colo
nels two Lieutenant. Colonels, one Surgeon, and
one Lieutenant, who acts as Recorder. Tho ex-
aiming rooms are on f. street, opposite the
Paymaster-GeneraPs office. The questioning of
candidates generally runs in this channel:
FlRsr-IN INFANTRY TACTICS.
"The questions, of COURSE are not stereotyped,
but their range would be pretty sure to include
inquiries about the number of ranks 10 which
the applicant would form q company; the dis.
lance between the ranks; how the Gle-closers
are posted about the principles of the step :
the taciugs; the wheel about the dress how
to break into column Of platoons to the right or
lett; how TO form into line on the right or left.
II the answers show knowledge Of elementary
principles, the candidate is then questioned in
the school Of the battalions
sEcoND-IS THE ARMY REGULATIONS.
"There is no insane expectation that anybody
has n knowledge of the contents of this buIkv
and necessarily changing mass Of military law (.
but the candidate is expected to be familiar with
the portions which regulate the mastering of
troops for pay, and the preparation Of muster
rolls and pay-rolls-tho keeping of the companv
MAKING
Of the soldiers Descriptive list. On egery one 81
these points, Il Is erDerfed that Me commissioned otf
d. ''A'''''' his rank 'Aa@ be thoroughly inform
Third-ln ARITHMETIC.
Fourth--ln GEOGRAPHY.
FDh-In lIIsTORY.
The examination in Arithmetic. Geogranbv
and History is superficial, az it ought to be. =
Those who have had the Northern Common School
education can answer the questions without de-
lay or should answer them. HANNIBAL, if walked
up, couldn't answer any Of them but General
CASEY holds that HANNIBAL would not hayo been
any tue worse soldier for knowing decimal frae
tons, and being cured of his geographical error
that this Garth was plane.
siXrn-fE TUE sAXITARY CARE oP TROOPS.
'Ihe test questions under this head are design
ed to discover candidates. knowledge of the
praencal business of selecting camping ground.
inaKlhg camp locating and constructing sinks.
keeping tents and clothing dry, policing camp,
COOKING ratons, keeping troops in health. and
the sanitary aud iathcrly care of a regiment
and company.
''SeUenM-The candidate is stripped to his skin
ana examined physically. The service wants an
able bodied, enduring oiicer-and the surgeon
on Gen. CAsEY's Board sees to it that none oiber
gets commissioned. He listens against the can
didates lungs, knocks at them with his knnc-
kles, kneads into his spine, fingers his Joints
hunts for scrofula, searches for consumption looks
for rheumatism, spies everywhere'for hereditary
lr acquired taints, aud stands there an insunera-
81 barrier to diseased, unsound or feeble man,
} bis dishonesty ambitious way to the National