The New York herald., 1875-12-20
THE DIsBANDED REGIMENTS.
WHY THEY HAVE BEEN BROKEN UP, AND THE
REASONS FOR THEIR ANNIHLATIoN

j.
Yesterdays HERALD, to the effect that the Adjutant
General had ordered the disbanding OF the Fifty nh
the Seventy ninth. tho Eighty and the Ninety
sixth regiments OF the First division or the National
Guard or the State OF New York, together with Bat
terry A, Of the Second division, and that the several
brgadcs OF the FIRST division to be thoroughly re-
organized has created lively discussion in military
circles throughout tho city For the purpose OF as
ccrainng the sentiments OF the members OF some OF
the organizations whose existence Is assaled by
order representative of the HERALD called upon sew
era leading officers yesterday and obtained from them
an expression OF views
Colonel Gilon, OF the Fifty-ffh regiment was found
at home, absorbed in the morning papers. He had
not yet the despatch from Albany,
and was surprised when the reporter stated
the facts Of the case to him. After few
moments reflection he said that, after ALL he was in
no way surprised he had expected some such order
as the in question for several weeks Fer the last
two years he said the Board OF Supervisors had mad
great deal OF trouble the armory question. The
old Ring Board had used the National Guard for money
making purposes; and when the new reform, Board
ofSupervsors came into power It found saddlcd upon
the city large number of buildings used and occupied
as armores, for which the county paying enor-
nous rents The Ring Board would rent q building as
In the or
EIGHTH REGIMENTS AR4oRY
IN West Twenty third street, furnish in the most
sumptuous manner, and then, by simple resolution Of
the plant Board OF Aldermen, designate such such
regiment occupy it, In this way the annual rental
of the various armories for the National Guard not.
wthstanding the city four such buildings, cost tha
city and county $3.50 000 Some three months ago. the
Colonel continued, Alderman Billings offered a resou'
on in the Board Of Aldermen looking to reduction Of
the First division brgades of four regiments
ch lip,fn ttpu nva iVfan ana
cavalry regiment and two troops Of cavalry. This
resolution referred to the Committee Supplies
and Repairs OF which chairman
considered the matter very carefully, and,
while / conscious that something must be
done TO reduce the expenses, was also conscious
OF the fact that We, Board of Aldermen, had
nothing whatever to do with the National Guard which
is part and parcel OF the State establishment saw
AdJutan General Townsend in reference to the matter
and he alterward came down from Albany and we had
proracted interview, the Inspector General also be-
ing present. We carefully discussed the matter in
hand and though colonel of OF the regiments
ana had been connected with the service for twenty
years and had lost OF the esprit de corps which
had always animated me- yet felt that owed service
TO the taxpayers. l recognized the fact that there
were, and still, several comparatively useless regi-
ments, which cost the county just rs much as the
most efficient, and these, thought should be dis
banded thus saving the county many thousands OF
contcnded for the retention of three brgades putting
each three regiments this would leave the organ
ization OF the force conformity with the tactics
and at the same time reduce the expenses as desired
Tor
THE sTAFP OFFICERS ARE NO EXPENSE
whatever to the city The Adjutant General agreed to
this. He wanted however, to disband the Third
cavalry the city. he thought did not need the SER
vices OF such organization. To this strenuousy
objected, arguing as believed to be the case that the
composing this command such Will not join
an infantry regiment and their term OF service having
q
organization. General Townsend did not then agree
me, but at the time he promised to consider
tho matter. am glad to see he has followed my sug
geston for In this despatch from Albany nothing IA
said in regard to the Third cavalry After this inter-
view made q report on behalf OF the Committee on
Supplies md Repairs TO the Board Of Aldermen and
accompanied said report with resolution about in
these words
Resolved, That His Exceency the Governor be respect
division three brades consisting three infantry
each and make such disposition OF the cavalry
he IN ay and expedient.
This was adopted, and, you know, has been acted
upon by tine Governor. This is the history OF my
necon with and action in the matter OF reducing the
force OF the National Guard Had not been Alder
man | would have strenuously opposed the measure,
consider every military organization, especially In
large cities, nucleus and at the time school
around which the citizen who a stranger to military
duty times or great emergencies concentrate and
I'LL up the OF the outbreak OF the rebellion,
when all will rememuer, every command the city
speedily found with oyerfowing ranks. No man
can feel more poignant pain at
THE DISSOLUTION or -HE GRAND OLD FIFTyFiFTH
i.
paraded 255 men and had 262 absent This
October last. The regiment first known the Old
Guard Lafayette and was one OF the first military or
ganZatons the city. About iorty years ago IL
designated the Fffty-hfth regiment. II was first
composed, as its namc would indicate, almost ex-
clusively of French residents; but now there is
scarcely Frenchman IN its ranks. This change
effected by very foolish action OF Colonel Allen, who
commanded tho regiment in 1871 Some years ago a
great many Alsalian-Lorraine young men joined
the command These people speak with equal
tuency German and French Gradually the German
aIa cFap I'M a ka nua
forth by the Asatian Lorraine members TO obtain
cruts and at the time OF the great German festival
held In this city in 1871 In honor Of the success " the
German arms over those OF France, the French and
German element in the regiment was Just about equally
divided the French having the best OF It, IL thing
Colonel Allen paraded the regiment in the great jubilee
referred and Of course, this reused the nuignator
o the French clement and IT ever afterward refused u
90 duty. This fatal blow to the organiZation and
the sole occasion of its decline and TALL The Fifty
fifth served in the Army Of tho Potomac three years
during the war and It's record Is to-day honorable
that OF any other command which lent its aid TO the
general government In her hour Of affection General
De Trobriand went the Army OF the Potomac as
colonel of the regiment.
THE ORDER JUST ISSUED
by the Adutant General will cause vast deal Of dis
satisfaction among the officers and men OF the
mands affected, but firmly believe 1t is the best thing
that could be done. do not look for very general
enlistment of the dsbanded men In other regiments
IL has my experience that more than per
cent OF such men go into other regiments.
To MAJORITY OF the Board OF Officers Of the regiment
the would, the Colonel thought, be very unwel-
come Tho Board had but recently decided partci-
pate In the Centennial ceremonies the Quaker City
next summer. They bad also adopted iull dress
uniform, consisting OF gray swallow tail coat, neatly
appropriately trimmed with red and gold, and pan
taoons OF gray, with red stripe. or course, OF
these things have been purchased and under existing
circumstances will not be.
REGIMENTS.
The HERALD representative searched in vain for
Colunel Joseph Lang the commander Of the Seventy
ninth or Highlandors The gallant Colonel no.
where TO be found which Is greatly 10 be regretted In
view OF the fact that but few days he exceed
ingly sangune that his command would not be dis
banded and published the following card in OF the
morning papers,
NEw YORK, Dec g. 1875
Ruors circulated by malicious aud designing persons
relative dsbandment OF the Seventy ninth regiment
having under the notice of It's commandant deeml
his duty emphacally that they entirely
false. The record Of this regiment Is well known Fir
brigade division and headquarters and II this
advance In point Of numbers discipline
drill IL has during the the idea Of
will prove be absurd There will be chance
of consolidation. JOSEPH LAlNG, Colonel, sc.
The record OF the Seventy ninth well known for lew