The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-16
BRACING UP THE MILITIA.
GEN. DE PErSTER,S ON PR0JEOr
FOR REORG aNIzISG II.

Inc reorganization or the National Guard 10
still in the future, but the prospects of its being
effected soon arc thought to be better than they
were two months ago. What tho scheme
adopted may be, no one outside of the sacred
b~oard-thcy don't have committees in military
matters-knows or has any right to know.
Perhaps there will he an increase In the Govcrs
nor's staff, perhaps n Chief OF Cavalry and q
Chaplain. General will he added to that aususu
body (thc appointment of such officers hns been
urged by some persons as absolutely necessary
to tho completeness Of the Governors military
entourago,; perhaps the staff will be reducedi
perhaps. but only perhaps. tho staff may DO
abolished altoRether! Perhaps anything may
happen; and. again, perhaps nothing. At any
rate. up to the present, 1t is all perhaps.
There have been other congratulations of the
militia and the National Guard Of this State.
In fact, when n Governor finds time on his hands
to burn, he Is apt to send for his -Adjutant.Gen-
eral and ask him to tell him n funny story; aud
then the Acknowledgement springs his plan of
reorganization Of the National 3uard" upon
his superior officer.
More years ago than a middle.aged man likes
to think about there was u Brigadier. General
OF this State named DE Peystcr, who travelled
abroad and devoted himself to his business
with a vigor that would tcrrify some Generals
who could be named. Later in life he bocom
Acknowledgement for n time; and no IL now
New Works only Major. General Ivy brcvet. He
planned to rcorganizo the National Guard-it
was not called National Guard in those days;
the Seventh Regiment alone had the namc then
and on July !, 1852, he published his sugees-
tons for changes in the Militia law.
Gen. De Peyster annotated his suggestions
and gave references to paragraphs in the militia
law Of foreign countries. He started off with
a suggestion that n military fund be created by
imposing a poll tax Of 81 on each voter or by .
property tax. The fund would be for military
purposes only. Then he suggested that the Iist
Of voters should be the basis of the enrolment.
He continues: s;
From such list, Rosters shall be made out in
and deposited at the Head Quarters Of each
Reginental District, whose Commandment sh all
designate a commissioned officer to hoar ex-
cuses and decide upon exemptions in each cleo
ton district, as shall be determined by law
Gen Do Peyster in an aside remarked that
Pennsylvania and Ohio were said to use their
voting lists when they reported to tho Go yern-
ment1 the number of their militia, while New York
used her actual rosters, SO those States got many
more arms than they were entitled to. .
Lists Of those liable TO military duty in
each town shall be deposited with the Town
Clerk; then in case of War. Insurrection or
Riot, the Commandant of each Company Dis
trict. or other Military officer residing near
the threatened p oint, shall have power to call
out rs many and any of those whose names ap-
pear on such lists as he shall be directed to fur
nish by any Civil officer who shall be author
ized to make such rcauisition." We do things
rather differently now. Fancy the levy that tho
commandant Of the Company District would geti
1t would do more damage to itself than
a volunteer fire company does to the furniture
or a house after the fire is out.
"Thc number subject to Military duty should
be divided into 4 le vies. 16 TO 20; % to 80: So
to 45; 45 to CO." Then the General made a
note that he got that idea from the Swiss Mill
tia laws.
"In each Wing o. an unorganizcd Regimental
District there should be at once, formed by Vol.
source and:in case Volunteers in sufficient num-
Der do not present themselves in. sixty days, by
Rifcmen: and in the liegimental District 40
large, a Platoon Of Cavalry and a Section Of Ar.
1@.IlaTEii nf amt FH' both 1n nhani Se and ntfG Ri aE e as
Foot Artillery; the Cavalry as Horse Artillery;
and the SECTION OF artillery as Cavalry and In.
fantry.' This idea, 1.-THE General explained, came
from the English Militia laws. He believed
that the system suggested would furnish an
quartered in a riotous district to protect property
emd prevent yom ti disor dc t;m and be ere reli icy sha by other Dd@
lin each Division; brigade and Rcgimcntal
Cadrc Of General. Field and Line Officers, up.
pointed by. the Governor; staff Officers, as 40
G ttaninai Of %Hesi%enfs. o commi1 @ii ,ai
and Non Commissioned Line Officers shall be
T TofnpSl@ t Ge sery lie nI Psyst severe ren BenSl,iet th tot
,rcolopels, or rather Good Go!onels, are valuable.
each Itcgimental District the Nucleus Cndre or
q, company Of Artillery; Cavalry, Infantry, and
i viii be noticed TIM: the Generals scheme kent
Nncle us The noV Colonel a" sc Captain Would d't com.
mand: Nucleus, 'TGn:shpni Right shoulder
worse than being called an odd file, in the Eng
iish Negotiations; Then, says the General fur.
OF ofe the J" company u n'rty'p shall Il ibS be Unable to Sn attend nlpdd' p@r
radcs. he should be compelled to send His horse
to n,r %GEnt aisa tGHSpsF T TSe Ga nSsss p @at th be lem.
as he admits, from the Militia laws of the Danifh
West Indies; Then be wants to have two field
mental district headquarters; he preferred
mnintain howitzcrs on prairie carriages.
Then comes a strange suggestion: that the
fire companies outside of Manhattan Island,
should be, under the orders of tho officers of tho
vision transferred from tho French National
Guard code; and the Brigadicr;G General. Colonel
OF, the Board of Supervisors. were to decide
when and where new fire comnnnics should DO
right of line. The rapidity with which the Fire
that Gen. De Peystcr knew what he was about
when he put the fire companies under military
The General wanted twcnty.four parades for
800 N..' '"''f ~ ..'"'' '' -.
he paid. or u months encampmcnt. ut which
he mon should receive less bay. hu; full ratiops.
'siy"POlitiCs and Ignorance should never DO
allowed TO creep into /, Military Organization"
That's what ten. De Peys'er said in his scheme
though some persons don't think So. Then Gen.
Dc Pcystcr proposed Marks of Distinction" for
officers who should have served more than four
years that time being the period necessary to
exempt them from further service; he proposed
Il gold medal for n general, n silver star for
field and company officers and a Maltese cross.
Of the material appropriate to the officers rank.
for staff officers. Then he proposed an Order
of Merit" for officers and men 70 reward distin-
guishcd services or merit. Forty years later
Adit. Gen. Porter put these suggestions into
practice; but while many long service medals
have been given out, no medals Of merit have
been issued, though several applications have
been made.
Gen. DE Pcystcr's final suggestion was that
the State establish n military school. at which
the course should be five years, students to re-
main at the disposition Of the state Govern
mcnt for two years after their studies were
ended and to be employed in staff duties.
The reason why these suggestions wcre never
acted upon lor at least one reason there may