Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1864-01-07
Command of Colored Troops.

Free Military School, established at Phil
adelphi.S by the Supervisory Committee
for recruit ting colored regiments, TO in
struct applicants for commands in such
regiments. John II. Taggart, late Colo
mel of the 18th regiment Pennsylvania
Reserves, is prece otor. Thomas Webster
il Chairman and Cadwalader Biddle,
secretary of .sS philadelphia Supervise
nv Committee above mentioned We can
not better commend the "'si piise WAN
to make the following extracU N0Ni inc
letter of Gen Phelps TO us.
"The object Is TO inform the young men
of the State, of the manner in which they
should proceed 10 obtain one of these Of
fees, and TO give them an idea OF what
qualifications are necessary. The Board
OF Examiners will receive none who can
not bring testimonials OF good moral
character as well us suitable degree OF
intelligence. The analysis on the last
page will show what the qualifications
of some of the applicants have been
when subjected to positive standard
The school, you will perceive, is free;
and l send you these pamphlets in the
hope that you will be pleased to notice
them editorially, and furnish them to
any who may desire them. Applicants
for admission to the school can learn
every requirement pertaining thereto, by
addressing either the Principal of the
School, Col. John II. Taggart, or the
Chairman of the Supervisory Committee,
Thomas Webster, Esq.
For my own part, | have no connec-
ton whatever with the School or Com
| mittee. but having been appealed to by
the Chairman, and having given the sub
ject careful deliberation | am willing
to forward it so far as to commend il to
your favorable notice, as matter of pub
lie interest and utility. There are, doubt
| less, many young men in the State, who
| would be glad to learn the mode OF pro
| cedure and the qualifications necessary
for procuring an Office in the coiored reg
| iment."
We also make the following extracts
from the pamphlet -
"The applicants are first examined in
| Infantry tactics army regulations, and
| In regard to their general information
| They are then turned over to the Surgeon
| for physical examination. If found ca
| pable, they are recommended to the War
| Department, to be appointed to such po-
sitions as they have respectively been
| adjudged competent to FILL Every can
| didate stands upon his merits-the most
obscure corporal or private stands an
equal chance with the most favored and
| inf,,antia1 ntfiran M Il ut
however high, are regarded as any COM
pensation for lack of qualifications, and
while the best testimonials that can be
offered are the evidence of faithful and
competent military service in the field,
| it is not to be understood that actual
| experience in the service is an indispen-
sable prerequisite A large number of
| the successful applicants have had no
| such experience, having but recently left
the school, the college, the desk, farm, or
workshop, and by a few weeks diligent
study of the elementary books, fitted
themselves for command, as Lieutenants
or Captains. and in some instances as
Majors and Lieutenant-C Colonies.
The Committee invites young men in
civil life, aeho are zhySiealky soasld, and es-
pecially privates, and non commissioned
officers in service who may aspire to
command colored soldiers, to avail them
selves of the facilities which this free
military school offers.
Camp William Penn, the largest camp
existing for the organization and disci-
plining of colored troops, is in the i'm
mediate vicinity of the city, of easy ac-
cess at low rates Of fare. Arrangements
have been made with Colonel Wagner
Post Commander, by which students OF
this school, upon the recommendation OF
the preceptor, will be allowed to sojourn
temporarily at the camps and exercise
the function of officers, in assisting to
drill and train the regiments that may be
organizing there.
The superior comforts and cheapness
of living, remarkable in Philadelphia
offer special attraction to all who may
seek the advantages of the school, and
especially to those of moderate means
Good board can be had for from Sc, so tc
IS per week
The Committee trusts that its efforts
by means of military school to provide
what the country so urgently needs at
the present time, namely, applicants com
| PSeSAS w DC OliNciS III tiiI. toioltu ItSl-
ments, will be handsomely responded to
by the spirited young men of the coun-
try-by those in the army, as well as
those in civil life, and that it may be able
to speedily furnish the Board of Exam.
liners a sufficient number of applicants
well-grounded in the knowledge of tao.
tics, and otherwise fitted to command
troops, who may pass examination and
| thus largely relieve the War Department
from the great pressure now existing fol-
officers to organize and train the hosts
of colored men now seeking to enter the
service Of their country"
i The analysis on the last page of the
pamphlet shows that out of l,075 appli-
cants examined by the Board at Washing.
ton for commands in colored regiments,
$40 were rejected.
Those DESTROYS Of obtaining further
particulars upon this subject, can do so
as suggested by Gen. Phelps, by address
ing the Principal of the School or tht
Chairman OF the Supervisory Committee
whose names are given above, at l2lt
n