Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-10-01
THE ARMY,
lis Present Strength ana Disposition
Ercro 4ba Rorto,

Ills Present Strength ana Disposition
From the Boston Traveller.
The present army of the United States,
as established by late Law of Congress, con-
sists of five regiments of artillery, ten OF
cavalry, and fortyrfve of infantry. The
number of commissioned officers is 2999,
including one General, one Lieutenant
General, ten Brigadier Generals, 442 Off
GERS of cavalry, 335 of artillery, and 1879
of infantry, in the army proper The total
number of enlisted men is 81 ,582, making
the grand aggregate of the army 81, 4,5Sl
OF the enlisted men only 36,2S0 are pri-
Yates, the remainder being sergeants, cor.
porals. musicians, trumpeters, hospital
stewards, artiicers, sadlers, wagoners, etc.
This is the minimum strength of the army,
allowing sixty-four men to a company of
artillery and fifty to a company of infantry.
If all the companies of the infantry arm
were increased to 100, as they may be. at
the discretion of the President, whenever
the exigencies Of the service require it, and
if the artillery companies were also in
creased TO the full complement allowed by
law, the total number of enlisted men
would be II ,259, and the grand aggregate
of the army 80,25S.
Two of the cavalry and four of the in
fantry regiments are composed of colored
men, and four of the infantry regiments
constitute what is called the Veteran Re,
serve Corps. Men who have been wound
ed in the army, and are untitled for full
service, may be entered and assigned TO this
corps, which is devoted TO garrison and
other light duty, and which is officered by
appointment from officers and soldiers of
volunteers or of the regular army, who
have been wounded In the late war and
who may yet be competent for the duties to
which the corps is assigned. The army
list embraces fifteen bands, the whole num-
ber of musicians allowed being 800. All
enlistments must be made for five wears for
cavalry and three years for artillery and
infantry service. The Judge Advocate
Generals Department is called the Bureau
of Military Justice, in which are received,
revised and recorded the proceedings of all
courts martial, courts ofinquiry, and mil
itary commissions; and all Judge Advo-
Gates perform their duties under the direc-
tion of the Judge Advocate General
The Office of sutler, which has on
the whole been a source of corruption
and decentralization in the army. is now
abolished. The military spirit endangered
by the late war is fostered and encouraged
by the late law, which provides that for the
purpose of promoting knowledge of mill
tary science among young men, the Presi-
dent may, upon the application of an
established college or university, with suf
fcient capacity to educate at one time not
less than one hundred and fifty male stu
| dents, detail an officer of the army to act
as President, Superintendent. or Professor
the number of officers so detailed not to
exceed twenty at any time.
Our army, small as it is, constituting
what is called the peace establishment, is
spread over a territory as large as all
Europe. The present geographical divis-
ions and departments, twenty-five in num-
Der, extend from the eastern coast to the
Gulf and over the plains and maintains to
California, Oregon and Washington, and
even to our new possessions on Behring's
Straits and the Arctic ocean. embracing
the divisions of the Atlantic, Mississippi,
Gulf Tennessee, and Pacific, and the de-
partments of the East, Washington, Ohio
Cumberland, Missouri, the Platte, Vir-
ginia, the Carolinas, South, Florida,
Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas,
the Columbia, and California.