Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-03-30
Its Complete History is Yet to Be
Wpitten.
)NCE CONSISTED OF ONE MAN
Increase at hesBeginning of the
st.BizfG
IndianW Wars.
REDUCTIONS AFTER WARS

If one should go to the Congressional
Library. the War Department library or
any other big library in America and ask
for a volume of the history of the army he
would doubtless be met with an inquiring
stare and possibly be asked, Which
army?" The United States army. of course,
Is the one he wants to know something
about in these days of great engagements
and many radical changes, but he will ask
in vain for it's complete history. He could
be furnished with big editions Of the Army
of the Cumberland. the Tennessee. the Po-
tomac, the Grand Army. the Salvation
Army. the volunteer army in the civil war,
ct al ad 1ibitum-in fact, any history OF
every other army in the world possibly ex-
cept the regular army of the United States
OF America.
But II he insists upon being furnished
with something definite and authoritative
concerning the federal military he would
be referred to various works. and probably
would be told that. after all. the regular
historians of the United States, and es-
pecially its wars, would give as much in
formation on the subject is obtainable.
In nearly all large countries but ours the
army has been a prolific subject Of specific
history. In the United States. however,
the complete history of the military estab-
lishment is yet to be written. Fragmentary
accounts only of particular arms Of the
service and disconnected narratives of par
ticular organizations like the attempted
system Of regimental histories of seven
years ago, can alone be referred to by the
student of our military scheme. Neither
public nor private library contains the fun
history of military organization its rises
or it's falls, nor has any publisher or any
bookseller ever heard of one for none mas
ever been written. We have had accounts
of the continental army, histories galore or
the wars of 1912, 1917 and 1861, and half
dozen or more so-calied histories OF the
recent war with Spain have already ap--x
peared But there is still lacking and stii4
much desired a complete consecutive HIST
tory of the United States army, its first or
ganization, it's earlier composition, ITS IN
crease after every war has begun and de-
crease after every war has ended, It's
achievements, both civic and military; its
praises by an almost idolatrous people
while battles ragged, and It's ABUSE ana con
demnation by partisan politicians when
victories are accomplished and dangers
past.
Army Once Consisted of One Man.
Few know the singular fact that once the
regular army of the United States con-
sisted of only one man-George Washing
ton of Virginia. This was, of course. after
the Continental Congress mad ADOPTED us
famous pronunciamento against the dan
gers Of standing army, In the memorable
language declaring. that standing armies
in times of peace are inconsistent with the
principles Of republican government, dan
gerous to the liberties of a free people
and generally converted into destructive
engines for arrant despotism.' Neverthe-
less, even then it was deemed essential, IN
order to avoid the repetition of the Boston
massacre of ITO, when there was abso-
lutely no military scheme whatever to pro-
vide single head or nucleus for a possible
military organization. Accordingly, reso-
luton was passed by the same Continental
Congress providing that general be APP
pointed to command all the continental
forces raised, or to be raised. for the de-
Tense of liberty. \
The Congress then proceeded to the
choice of a general by ballot. and the rec
ords show that George Washington, Es-
airy Of $500 per month"; There was no pro-
vision whatever at that time for federal
or continental army. There was no mill
tary organization save the remaining Mas
sachusetts Minute Men" at Concord.
This was in 1854, when, so far as any war
rant Of law existed, General George Wash
ington embodied the entire rank and file
Of the federal army. OF the emergency
troops, however, mustered out of the war
service after independence had been estab-
lished by the treaty Of Versailles, the
Congress Resolved, That the commanding
officer Crealiy meaning the board of war;
be, and he is hereby, directed to discharge
the troops now in the service of the United
States, except twenty-five prlyates to guard
stores at Fort Pitt and fifty-five to guard
stores at West Point and other magazines.
with proportionate number of officers no
officer above the rank of captain to re-
main in service Thus Washingtons new
eighty privates. Even this small band was
but a temporary affair, inasmuch as the
Congress confessed it's lack of power or
authority to maintain regular army-the
provision for George Washington's ap-
pointment as commander-in-chief being a
bold stroke of usurpation much questioned
at the time.
Indian Troubles Begin.
In few months after the eighty men
were authorized to be retained as magazine
guards, however, Indian troubles on the
frontier necessitated tine increase of the
guard to 500 men with Gen. Harmer In i'm
mediate command. This army, however
caused great concern among the politicians,
who discovered in it the babe of possible
despotism. but from that day to this
regular military establishment has been
maintained. The first legal recognition of
any body of troops as part of the then So
called United States army was in Septem-
Der. 1887, when the Harmer body of from
tier fighters was designated as the "Regi-
ment Of infantry in the service of the
United States''-this. too, before the Con-
stitution was ratified by the states. Thus
1t will be seen the regular army is coexist-
enu with the Constitution and antedated
the federal government. Army regulations,
in fact, which are a part of the laws of
the land, are older than any statute, since
they were instituted before the Constitu-
ton.
Up to the close of the eighteenth CEN
fury exigencies arose necessitating the use
Of armed force. and the army varied In
size until 1902, when 1t numbered 1928, all
told, officers and men. The actual number
in service In 1905 however, was only 2,732,
and this, too. despite the varying impetus
given during the previous decade by the In
dian massacres. the whisky Instruction, the
Algierine dispute and the threatened war
with France. Indeed. as late as 1909 the
regular army consisted of only 2,765, off,
GERS and men, and Just before the declara-
ton of war against England We had an
army of only 6,744. exclusive of the staff.
The impending conflict, however. spurred
Congress to provide, for an army Of q, 4S4,
and it was estimated that the regular forces
could be increased to $4,000, which, how
ever, was not the fact, as much reliance
seemed to have been. placed upon the ag-
gregate 410,6O3 militiamen employed in the
war. 1890 of whom, by the way, ran away
from the Bladensburg battlefield and left
Washington prey to the freebooter Cock
burn. f.ar.,5
The army, by the act Of March g. 1915,
within two months after the victory at
New Orleans, was reduced to 10,000 men,
and the Army Register of January 1. 1916,
showed two major generals Jacob Brown
and Andrew Jacksonl, five brigadiers Gems.
Macomb, Gaines, Winfield Scott and Rip
ord, Io,, ,,oaISn