The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-07-28

Fifty Companies OF Infantry and Twenty
Troons of CnvalrH Aholinhad.


Fifty Companies OF Infantry ana Twenty
Troops or Cavalry Abolished.
WASHINGTON, July 27.-No order issued from
tho War Department for many years has
created such a stir, or has been intrinsically 30
important. as the one which reduces Compa-
MES and X In each OF tile twenty i've reGl-
ments OF infantry to skeleton organizations by
the transfer OF all their enlisted men TO other
companies in tho same regiments. II was ac-
companied by information that like order.
already in preparation, would make Troops L
and NJ OF each OF the ten cavalry regments
merely nominal organizations by distributing
their men among tho other troops OF these
regiments Secretary Proctor thus accom-
pushes with few strokes OF his pom what
Congress has been unsuccessfully laboring at
through many sessions.
In this respect tho present ster OF tho War
Department recalls its action concerning as
sEnments to stan duty. During several years
measure has been pending in successive
congresses for putting an end to the practice
OF Keeping line officers detailed ten. fifteen,
ana IN some cases nearly twenty years for
aNduty, thGs retaining desirable places in the
possession Of n favored few, while othor officers
were wearing out their lives in the monotony
o! tho remote frontier or amid tho porils and
uniatrness OF that custom was generally con.
ceded, repeated efforts showed the difficulty Of
procuring adequate attention to 1t from Con-
Hfcss. AT length the War Department, rCIyfnE
on us own administrative functions, issued
brlef order limiting such details Tor stnf1 du;y
10 Jour yoars. and tMus was accomplished
without further ado all that had been sought
tails then established IL etill in operation.
IN like manner what is now effected 10y Con
eral orders No. IG Is that concentration oil the
nent which has been aimed ut in yarlous bills
brought before Congress during the last dozen
GUIDE also tho cavalry and the artillery In
similar SIN ~, policy OF concentration. but tho rend-
naturally eXUmpts this arm from the present
sseh , One such plan Of consolidation vii
le found in section ) OF House Bill NO. u "
The present Congress:
And The President may. in his discretion consolidate
ne en- iStsd men ASSIGNED to any regiment into SUCH
niOer OF oelcers VITO arc usually on duty with the
tdnRe to inns s r ~ Tuoyr OF Som H.ss propnr
absent on detached service, without enlisted men, IN
.sTyi.s sGa uer tl C c. implement q orcoFs and
men generally present tor duty.
In tho Fiftioth Congress the Laird bill pro-
vidod that in tine of peace a cavalry regiment
should contain only eight troops and an artil-
!ery regiment only ton battcries instead Of
Twelve troops and batteries as now. Each in
iantry regiment under that measure was TO
nave twelve COMPANIES, organized IN three
batta!lons Of tour companies each: but the
twenty-five infantry reg ments were to be con-
centratcd into sixteen. 1t contemplat ed, OF
course. the transfer Of enlisted men from the
SUP US conn anIeS. batteries. and troops.
This same aim ut cons olidatiou which is now
accomplished by the War Department order
gave to each arm OF tho service three bat
tnions Of four companies each. and then pro-
commands in All "bould n bs H.anned SectIon
IL OF that measure provided as follows:
The President snail by tho necessary transfers and
eomp emen OF commissioned otire's and enlisted men
The present. easS fFce mai ne an mto
10 cOmranieS the artillery force shall be consolidated
tantry force shan be consolidated into % companies
In Mr.. Fiuerty's bill provision appeared
Tor keeping only eight companies Of infantry
content ed itself with dealing with the infantry
arm. Other bills co4ld be cited having the
same purpose, but 1t must be sufficiently evil
dent from these examples that members of tho
Military committees of both Houses have for
years been trying to bring about through legis-
an administrative order
The primary effect Of this new departure
seNsnty troops and com panies, and. by the dis |
trlbution OF from 5000 to 1000 men among the
Ist IN; r2xnS and gYs these
gre arrays which many OF them now show. To-
sides the advantage thus gained Tor purposes
Of drill; one benefit to the. soldier, will be a
liGhioning OF guard duty, which falls heavily on
small garrlsons, ana is one OF the most irE- |
some OF routine military tasks. In cases OF
heard from the veteran who knows all about |
garrison life l. us to the number Of full nights |
nt sleep he can count on during the week at
the post 10 which there is talk OF sending him. |
The Present strengthening OF the companies |
Will diminish the frequency OF tho turn Of |
guard duty and fatigue duty A gain in an
other direction will be a decrease in expense, |
since the Withdrawal Of these seventy com
lanieS will lead 10 tho Abandonment OF several
small military posts and a concen' ration OF |
forces in tho larger ones. with n consequent
saving in the Transportation OF supplies and
other current eXl enSes. The abandoned forts
and the surrounding grounds can then be sold. |
l. /. provided hv Tho orders, that AS far as
the transfers will he made To COM |
Danles serving at til" same post and IL any |
.Ient 40 ms 70 Involve the least practicable cost
81 trau sportation."
OF the other features OF the order in question |
Il is enough 10 noto that the officers now on |
luty with Companies | and X OF the infan- |
fIy VIII Ue tran ~ferrrd 10 other COMPANIES in |
he same regiment in the places Of officers |
who are absent Oh detached service or pro- |
places With the rolorS are thu. lod are 10 be |
assigned to the nominal Companies and K. |
This last order keeps up these companies on |
9aper, while putting all the officers present for
luty MS well as tho men into n small or number
d com aneS. and 30 IrovlulUE that these COM
)anes shall hereafter be more fully Office ed |
As well ms more iuly manned, This will lie an
advantage in relief from Guard aud other
iutles Tor company officers analogous to that
NJ nshcd to the mon.
The new plan which effects u change so
great. may Enthusiastically be pronounced ju-
iLcluus. ana Congress will find itself relieved
y AT least one portion o. the military legSla-
Ion Tor which 1t has often been called upon.