The New York herald., 1874-09-27
General Sherman on tho Americ - n
Army

Whatever General Sherman has to say upon
the art of war will be received with marked
respect for the country is aware that with him
the largest experience in the field is united
with unusual intelligence. The publication
in the Army and Navy Journal of the current
week of the concluding chapter of his unpub-
lished Memoir OF Events of the War" is,
therefore, in itself ON important contribution
to modern military literature. After record
ing the war, 'all of which he saw and part Of
which he was," he has summed up with much
force and candor some of the useful lessons to
be derived thererom.
The first point General Sherman makes is
the necessity Of providing in time of peace an
army organization which can be made
promptly effective in war. The illustra-
ton of this must be evident to all The
beginning of the late war found the United
States with an army tied up by red tape and
badly organized, and nine years after the end
of the war Congress proposes to make the
army even feebler than MIR. Lincoln found it.
The two great practical suggestions of General
Sherman for the future may be said to be:-
First, the reorganization Of the army system,
by dividing infantry regiments into three bat
talions and giving each regiment war
strength of thousand men, and adopting, in
recruiting, the German method. The
modes of recruiting and promotion were,
he says, the greatest mistakes Of the
war. Reduced regiments were not filed
up from the bottom, but were left to dwindle
L l. IL -, a.
new colonies, captains and men, were called
into the field Wisconsin kept her regiments
flel with recruits, 'and the result was"
says General Sherman, ''that we estimated
Wisconsin regiment equal to an ordinary bri-
gade." The German method of recruiting he
describes as simply perfect, and thinks there
is no good reason why We should not follow
it substantially.
The second main point Of the chapter is in
reference to the divided responsibility and
authority in the army. The proposed re-
moval of headquarters to st. Louis by Cen
eral Sherman in October, because as General
of the Army he is not comfortable in
Washington, gives to his remarks on
this point especial interest. "With
US to-day" he says, 1.-THE law and
regulations are, that no matter what may be
the emergency, the commanding general in
Texas, New Mexico and the remote frontiers,
cannot draw from the arsenals pistol car
fridge or any sort OF ordnance stores without
first procuring an order Of the Secretary of
War in Washington. The commanding gen.
eral, though intrusted with the lives OF his
soldiers and with the safety Of frontier in
condition Of chronic war, cannot touch or be
trusted with ordnance stores or property, and
that is declared to be the law!" He then re-
fers to the fact that the French, from whom
we copied the system, have utterly prescribed
it, and urges Congress to profit by that example
and our own experience. 81 admit" General
Sherman says, and these strong words ought to
be needed, Gin its fullest force, the strength of
the maxim that the civil law should be su-
perior to the military in time of peace; that
the army should be at all times subject to the
direct control of Congress. and 1 assert that
from the formation Of our government to the
present day the regular army has set the
highest example of obedience to law and
authority; but. for the very reason that our
army is comparatively so very small, / hold
that it should be the best possible, organized
and governed on true military principles and
that in time of peace we should preserve the
habits and usages of war, so that when war
does come we may not again be compelled to
suffer the disgrace, confusion and disorder of
1861" These are the views of General Sher-
that 70 ha n1,y
opposed Congress will not be particularly
anxious to dispute with him upon the proper
method Of organizing an infantry regiment,
but it has members who are certain to differ
with him on the principles Of the government
OF the military establishment. But the coun-
try must hope that the President and the Gen
eral will in time direct the army, and that the
ten distinct bureaux of the Secretary of War
will cease to be perpetual cause of embar-
rassment and dissatisfaction.
We agree with the Army and Nary Journal in
the hope that General Sherman may be in
duced to give this memoir to the world and
not withhold it for posthumous publication.
The concluding chapter deals with general
subjects it is true, while the record of events
must deal to some extent with persons; yet
we cannot see that any one could reasonably
object to General Sherman's candid and in
telligent criticism. But, in any case, this
chapter can stand alone as practical,
simple analysis of deficiencies and reforms,
and as q compendium of suggestions which
ought not to be neglected by all who have
the interests of the United States Army at
heart.