New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-01-27
HOME CORRESPONDENTS.
ARMY REDUCTION AND SUPPLEMENTARY OFF,
GERS.

ARMY ht>bONAiON A-''
GERS.
WASHINGTON. Jan. 1S-The XLth Congress
snept much time the question OF the reduction OF
the army but nothing really done. and the legisla
tion that finally passed both Houses was hNed UP jill
Conference Committee on the last night OF the session.
and tackled on to an appropriation bill 1t consisted oil
dozen lines prohibiting new commissions, promotions, or
enhstments in the infantry regiments until the NUMBER
of such regiments should be reduced to 25 and directing
the consolidation Of the infantry as rapidly as the re-
oprements OF the public and the reduction OF inc
number OF officers would permit" Further promouons
and appointments In the staff Corps were also sopu
Gen Sherman with the approval OF Gen schoneld 'heh
Secretary of War, was courageous enough :"
disregard altogether the clause making consohua-
tion wait upon the slow reduction by casualty
OF the officers Acting upon the idea that officers were
made for the army and not the army for It's oucers e
consolidated at once aud IN very few weeks ha MS 20
new regiments completed out OF the old as ana ocereu
from the officers present for duty with the od regmehs
at the time Of the consolidation This left 622 officers WITH
ont commands The army was complete without them'
and what 20 do with them the question The law
had contemplated reduction In the line only as fast as re-
duotion occurred among the officers, ana had cohse
queny made provision for supernumeraries IL was
very buugng law Conference Committee WORKS apt
to be- for it prohibited enstments until the officers
had reduced themselves 10 number sum-
Gent for Is regiments. and long before this
slow process could be completed not an enlisted
man would have been left In the service
Gen Sherman found what work he could for his army OF
supernumerary officers, and 353 of them something
20 dos being put on reconstruction duty oO
on recruiting service GO Indian service &C. One for
tuuate fellow sent 10 Spain with Gen. sokles where
it 20 be presumed that he finds going to bufghts, and
trying TO fahom the mysteries Of politics at Madrid not
an unpleasant kind Of military duty Up to the goth OF
November officers assigned to fill vacancies, or
had left the by death or dismissal reducing the
supernumerary list to sos, Of whom l5o were at homo
awaiting orders.
is evident from the experience OF the past year that
10 places for by waiting for
cancles will require nearly four more during which
tine there can be no promotions in the army-a DIS
couragng prospect for the officers performing hard ser
vice. who every vacancy filed by some man who has
been awaiting orders and drawing his pay at home.
Gen Sherman proposes remedy for this In his annual
report and in bill which has recently been submitted
10 the Military Committee OF the House. His plan Is TO
dispose OF the supenumerary officers by enlargng the
army and creating offices to make places for them
lie proposes to add two companies to each OF the
25 infantry regiments (Which would be equtva-
lent to raising five additional accompany regiments).
and to give extra first lieutenant to each company OF
cavalry and infantry and an extra major to each In
fantry regiment which would absorb all the officers in
excess of the present organization.
Gen. Shcrmans proposition is a remarkable one, In
view Of his prompt reduction Of the army last Spring
regiments OF 10 companies each do not furnish sum-
cent force OF infantry for the service then mis-
take reduce the number at that time low, as the
reduction obligatory but left to the discretion OF
the Secretary Of War. As to the proposed l2company
organization the experience Of the war freely demon
sirated companies to be the proper number for an
infantry regiment. When the army recognized In
1885, the opinions OF nearly all the prominent officers In
the obtained upon this point and they were
unanimous in this The ACCESSIBILITY Of breaking up
the cumbersome three battalion regiments and OF giving
the regular army the accompany organization that works
well IN volunteer service, questioned by nobody
AT that time The necessity of supplying the army with
800 900 extra First Leuteuaus appears also TO be
questionable. We got through the war with but two
leutenans a company, and now that the reconstruc
ZION business nearly finished, and the chief duties OF
army viii be TO take OF the Indians and occupy
forts along the coast can do very well with
that number.
II is not likely that Cen sherman's scheme will be
adopted by Congress. Neither the Military Committees
Of the House the Senate disposed TO indOrse H.
The Chairmen Of both committees have already intro
duced bills Of quite a different character. Senator
Wilson's proposing TO induce officers TO resign by gratn
ity Of from to two years pay according tC
tie length OF their service and IL this does not get nd OF
"a sufficient number, 10 muster out the remaining super
uumeraries with the same gratuity while the bill o.
Gen Logan provides for commission TO select from thC
supornumerares the best officers TO I'LL any vacancies
that occur during the next months, at the expiration
Of which time all officers without commands are to bt
mustered out with one years pay.