Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-09-28
General Sherman ON the Army.

From General Sherman's standing in military
circles the recent publication in the Army 1ad
Nary Journal OF the concluding chapter Of his
unpublished "hemoir OF Events Of the late
War" is quite certain to be read with attention.
The first point General Sherman makes La
the necessity of providing In time OF peace an
army organization which can be made promptly
effective in war. 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 Mr.. Lin
coin foHnd il. The two great practical sugges-
lions OF General sherman for the future may be
said tn be: First, the reorganization Of the army
system, by dividing infantry regiments into
three bsttalions and giving each regiment a
war strength OF a thousand men, and adopting
in recruiting, the German method. The modes
OF recruiting and promotion were, he save the
greatest mistakes OF the war. Reduced regi.
ments were not filed up from the bottom, but
were lett TO dwindle into skeletons, while new
regiments, with new cOlOnels, captains and
men, were called into the field. Wisconsin kept
her regiments filled with recruits, ''and the re.
suit was" says General Sherman Uthat we
estimated Wisconsin regiment equal to an
ordinary brigade" The German method OF
recruiting he describes as simply perfect, and
thinks there is no good reason why we shOnlf
not follow it substantially.
The second main point OF the chapter Ia in
reference to the divided responsibility and au-
thOrity in the army. The proposed removal of
headquarters TO st. Louis by General 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, "the law and regulations
are, that 10 matter what may be the emergency.
y y in
leo and The remote frontiers, cannot draw from
tie aTsenals pistol cartridge or any sort OF
ordnance stores without first procuring an ordsr
or the Secretary OF War in Washington. The
commanding general, though intrusted with
the lives Of his soldiers and With the safety of a
frontier in a condition of chronic WAT. cannot
touch or be trusted with ordnance stores mr.
property, and that is declared to be the laT,,,
He then refers to the fact that the French. from
whom We copied the system, have utterly pro-
scTibed It, and urges Congress to profit by that
example and our own experience. al admit"
Gen Sherman says, ''in Its fullest force. the
strength Of the maxim that the civil Law shonIt
be superior to the military in time OF peace tbat
the army should be at all tunes subject to the
direct control Of Congress, and assert mat
fTom the formation Of our government to the
present day the regular army has set the high
est example OF obedience to law and authorize.
but, for the very reason that our army is COM
PaTatlVeiy 50 very small, hold that il should
be the best possible, organized and governed on
true military principles, and that in time of
peace We should preserve the habits and usayes
OF wal, so that when war does come we NAV
not again be compelled TO suffer the disgrace,
confusion and disorder of 1851"
Inc Ne" York Herald says in commenting
upon the last point :-s' These are the views Of
trnTHFEH her NF,.R
warmly opposed. Congress Will not be psrticn-
larry anxious to dispute with him upon the
proper method Of organizing an infantry regf-
ment, but il has members who are certain IN
diner with him on the principles of the gov
eminent OF the military establishment