The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1874-10-09

depend chiefly on the infantry. Artil-
lery is more valuable with new and in
experienced troops than with veterans.
In the early stages of the war the field
guns often bore the proportion of six to
a thousand men, but towards the close
of the war one gun, or at most two, to
1000 men, was deemed enough. Sieges,
such as characterized the wars of the
last century, are too slow for this period
of the world, and the Prussians recently
almost ignored them altogether, pene-
tratcd France between the forts, and left
a superior force ain observation" to
watch the garrison and accept its sur
render when the greater events of the
war made further resistance useless-but
earth works, and especially field works,
will hereafter play an important part i'll
wars, because they enable a minor force
to hold superior one in check for a
time, and time is most valuable ele-
ment in all wars.
DISCIPLINE.
/ have many time crept forward to
the skirmish line to avail myself Of the
cover of the pickets' 'Iittle fort" to OBJ
serve more closely some expected result;
and always talked familiarly with the
men, and was astonished to see how well
they comprehended the general object,
and how accurately they were informed
of the state of facts existing miles away
from their particular corps. Soldiers
are very quick to catch the general drift
and purpose of a campaign, and are al
ways sensible when they are well COM
mauded or we'll cared for. Once i'm
pressed with this fact, and that they are
making progress, they bear cheerfully
any amount of labor and privation.
In camp, and especially in the pres
ence of an active enemy, it is much easi-
ier to maintain discipline than in bar
racks in time of peace. Crime and
breaches of discipline are much less fire.
quent, and the necessity for courts-mar-
tial far less. the captain can usually
infiict all the punishment necessary, and
| the colonel should always. The field
officers court is the best form for
war, viz, one of the field oficers-the
lieutenant-colonel or major-can exam
inc the case and report his verdict, and
the colonel should execute it. OF course
there are statutory offences which de-
mand general court-martial, and these
must be ordered by the division or corps
commander; but the presence of one ot
our regular civilian judge-advocates in
an army in the field would be rst-class
nuisance, for technical courts alwas work
mischief. Too many conrts-martial in
any command is evidence of poor dis
cipline and inefficient officers.
THE STAFF.
| As to the staff. The more intimately
it comes into contact with the troops the
more usefnl and valuable it becomes
The almost entire separation of the staf
from the line, as now practised by us
and hitherto by the French, has proven
| LlASCll4CNOuSJ anu LAlC SASdb ISllIluGS VI
staff officers with which some of ou1
earlier generals began the war were sim.
ply ridiculous. I don't believe in &
chief of staff at all, and any general com.
manding an army, corps, or division
that has a staff officer who processes tc
know more than his chief is to be pitied
Each regiment should have a competent
adjutant, quartermaster, and commissary
with two or three medical officers. Each
brigade commander should have the
same staff, with the addition of a couple
lected from the subaIterns ofthe brigade
who should be good riders, and intelli
gent enough to give and explain the or
ders of their general.
The same staff will answer for a di
vision. The General in command of ;
separate army and of corps d'armeC
should have the same professional assist
ance, with two more good engineers, anC
his Adjutant General should cxercis,
all the functions usually ascribed to
chief of staff, viz, he should possess tn,
ability to comprehend the scope of oper
ations and to make verbally and in writ
ing all the orders and details necessar,
to carry into effect the views of his Gen
eral, as we'll as to keep the returns anC
records of events for the information O
the next higher authority; and for histo
ry. A bulky staff implies a division O
responsibility, slowness of action, an,
indecsion, whereas small staff implie
activity and concentration of purpose
The smallness of General Grants stat
throughout the civil war forms the bes
model for future imitation.
A recent message, July Is, 1874, mad
to the French Assembly by Marsha
, MacMahon, President of the French Re
/ public, submits projet d'loi, with a re
2 port prepared by board oI French gen
2 eral on "army administration" which
= full of information, and IS as applicabl
g to us as to the French. l quote from il
e very beginning: "The misfortunes {
4 the compaign of 1870 have demonstra
Y ed the inferiority of our system" "Tw
s separate organizations existed with pa
g allel functions, the general more occr
e pied giving directions to his troops tina
y in providing for their material want
e which he regarded as the special pr,
e vince of the staff, and the intenda
d (staH) often working at random, takir
= on his shoulders crushing burden
: functions and duties, exhausting himse
If with useless efforts and aiming to a
e complish an insufficient service, to Il
= disappointment of everybody" Th
i separation of the administration an
! command, this coexistence of two will