New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-03-05
FROM WASHINGTON.
The Provos,-uarsbai-f;ener Depart
meni-sts Great success and Usefulness
Numerical Guin Of the Army since
Janunry, lsG3-EncOurnging Prospect.

January, lsG3-EncOurnging Prospect
! Corresp oudencs Of The N. I. Tribune
WARRINGTON, Feb q, 1864.
| Next 70 the unabating devotion of the loyal
people to the cause Of tie Union the best guaranty or
the ultimate success Of the Government in its efforts to
suppress the Rebellion is afforded by tho udicious and
effective system Of outstanding the military strength Of
the nation already developed. and OF making the yet
undeyeoped resources OF the country in men
available, devised and carried out last Spring
by tho establishment OF the Provost Marshal.
Generals Department. To raise an army for q
popular war; when patriotism was universally aroused
wa, much easier task than make up for its constant
numerical reduction from the rayagcs OF battle and dis
ease efter popular enthusiasm Rad become cooled of
by time and disaster How we; this greatest OF dil-
cuies with which the Government had TO struggle mas
been overcome the records Of the Provost
erals Office show. A an institution, auxiliary 20 the
War Department IL Las proved OF truly lAestlmable
value 10 the service.
the enrolment act Of last year was the enforcement Of
the draft But those 20 whom It's mGnagemen mt iu.
trusted with orcdtable sagaeity ana foresight com'
menced extending is sphere oil Usefulness as soon az TIE
fact became patent that the dfa OWING 10 the detects
Of the law would fall OF its object Of filing mp the army
20 the required numerical standard. by degrees results
worked during the past ten months that not only
fully COMPENSATED FOR the failure Of the dram, but
creased the effective strength OF the army FAR beyond
the number tAo COulu nave lSsluly Ita.4AtQ.
As soon % Assistant ProyostMarshals lad been ap-
pointed and ontered upon their duties in tie various
Congressional Districts OF the loyal States control was
assured and complete reorganNati1n erected OF the
volunteer recruiting business so ndihcontly and loose
ly managed by many Of the STATE authorities How sue
ocss.lly this was DONE is atosted by tie Official re-
turns Of the number OF volunteer entmenis during the
stated period There were mustered Eto tie service mp
Prom November 1883 to January 81 lsst......llOOuO
From January 81 IL 20 feor1aiy 20, lOti Including
both mustered IN AID el.ed about.............. 5000
Total In 600
In explanation OF the number fIr Jan. y, 1864 20
Feb % 1884, II Is well that there Is technical
difference between men mustered in" and men zen
listed" Only the former formally entered upon the
records Of the War Department as added % the army
from the rolls Of the mastering oicers yet there are
alwa Us many thousands upon the rods Of recruiting OF
fccrs that are informally reported but are rot, al
though enlisted considered belonging to the service
until after they have passed muster IL cities enlist
ments are Immediately followed by muste-s, but in tie
interior OF States considerable time usually ineryoneS
between tho former and latter. The figures CO,00O
given include both mustors and enlistmeuts.
The draft Of last year produced forty thousand men
and sixteen millions OF Communication money. Thus 1t
appears, that under udiclous management the yolun
teer.recruitng service which tho enrolment was
j. ynded to superseie IN great measure received snch
strong gnd general stlnrus that II produced moro
than six times many men as the draft. Owing to the
greater care exercised the physique OF the vol
untrcrs and The assignment Of most OF them as recruits
o. old re0imcnts this number has been n more yau.
larger obtained under the old ndiscriminate system
Ii IL notorious fact that during the first two years
o the the fear.uly rapid dCpenon Of our armies
iue much TO losses by disease and battle rs
10 LumerOu. dUsertons absence without leave, and TIE
want OF any organized effort a. return soldiers dis.
charged from hospitals detailed for special service TO
their respective examinations. These all but ruinOus
evils have been effectively roDoded by the Provost
Marshal system. Returns to the Provost Marshal Gen
cra show that from May 'd3 10 Jan l. 20, no less
than "a al actual desertrs returned 10 the SER
A 10 ~ ial
now exercised by local Provost Aiarhals so
strictly To MAKO Is very difficult for runaways from
the army reach and stay 1T their homes unobservcd
The Improvement in this respect can be Judged from
the steady decrease OF desertons during the stated
period. While IN May last the number WAS 6 239 for
December last only 1856 being an average Of less than
two from a regiment, reported Bes le the actua
ieserters, thousands Of enlisted separated from
heir organizations from various causes were returned
10 the field.
Another source Of military weakness has been the
abnormal difference between the number Of enlisted
md that actually In the field Ia consequence. mainly OF
he numerous and large details required for duty in
cities towns and posts; in guarding rail.
'oads depOtS, prisons, public buildings, &c. To the
absence nom the field Of tens OF thousands Of troops
nus employed many OF our disasters are directly Gt.
ributabe. This great drawback has beer all but en-.
rely removed by the organization OF the Invalid Corps
he plan for which conceived In the Provost Mar
halGenerals office The Corps now numbers nearly
$ 600 men, BY its organization equal number Of
lit for ied-service has been relieved from the duty
described and added TO the army a large number OF
nen, previously ulrcnhrgeu out
or light duty brought back to the service and honor
bile and suitable employment provided for thousands
sho would have otherwise been obliged TO become sub
ects OF public charity. II
Another most signal service TO tho country the Pro
ost Marshal Generals Department has rendered by
rawing and carrying out welconceved plan for the ?
enlistment for the war Of veteran soldiers 1t is
eedess to dwell upon the vital Importance of retaining
he old soldiers tho service 20 the close Of the war
is appreciated by every rejecting mind in the ocun
~ How far this important problem has been solved. O.
prov cd by the latest official returns which show that
M Of hhDnt one hnndreh md thlrtY tnnalrd mon rem.