The National tribune., 1908-03-04

DEPARTMENT PHOTOGRAPH.
Chief Ordnance Officer. Lieut.. d. w.
Flagler.
Aid Camp, Maj. William H. Law
renee.
Aid-de-Camp. Capt. William L.
Chandler.
Aid-de-C Camp. Capt Alexander Moore
Aid-de-Camp, Capt. Harry Russell.
Stopping Desertions.
| The worst feature of the situation was
, the appalling number of assertions
which had followed Burnside's unsuc-
cessful movements. Many of the people
of the country sympathized with the
| soldiers in their desire to get away, and
| facilities We're given them for this pur-
pose by sending them suits of citizens
clothes in carefully closed packages.
Even many officers connived at this,
and openly expressed their sympathy
with those who were abandoning their
| flag. When Hooker assumed command
the assertions were at the rate of 200
| a day, and the consolidated morning
returns showed that there were 2,S22
commissioned officers and S1,964 nom
| commissioned officers and privateS away
! from their commands, many of them
| on frivolous preteXts and without au-
! thority, much the greatest number on
what was euphemistically termed
| French leave Rockers method for
curing this canker of the army was
what might be called the homeopathic
one of like cures like" His first order,
after announcing his staff, was one very
| skilful and well studied granting fur
| loughs. 1t provided that one brigade
| commander, one field officer and two
line officers of a regiment and two en-
listed men for every 100 on duty might
be absent at one time for period not
/ exceeding Is days to the more distant
| States and 10 days to the nearer ones.
The order provided that furlough
should only be granted to those men who
had the most excellent record for fideli-
ty and zeal in the performance of their
duties. A register should be kept at
headquarters of each regiment, from
which an exact report should be made
weekly of all furlougEs granted, with
remarks respecting the description and
probable whereabouts of deserters.
!, If a soldier failed to return upon the
expiration of his furlough, he was when
found tried by courr-martial, and all
furloughs for his company, and, if an
officer, for his regiment, were stopped.
This put to the man the question of
: the consequences to his comrades of his
! failure to return.
: If the inspector found a regiment in
excellent condition, the furlOughS in il
were increased to three for each 100
: men, but if one was found to be below
grade in efficiency and discipline fur
loughs in that regiment were stopped
altogether.
|, This order alarmed the President
| who demonstrated with Gen. Hooker:
You have ruined the army by that
order for Burroughs. If you let your
: men loose in that way. from Dan to
Pcersheba you will never get them back
, again"
t This did not shake Hooker at all
. who persisted in the execution of his
order Each soldier saw that by at
: tending to his duty he would receive q
furlough home some time during the
5 Winter, and that the number of these
> furloughs depended largely upon sue
, cess in getting his comrades back &c
duty.
Officers were not allowed to visit
Washington except by permission OF
the War Department, and a violation OF
, this meant summary dismissal.
The personnel of each regiment was
closely scrutinized by a most efficient
, inspecting officer. and incompetent and
, disloyai officers We're Weeded out ruth
, lessly. Seditious and insubordinate talk
. by officers was sternly reprehended and
made good ground for dismissal. The
success of these orders was so imme-
> date and marked that President Lin
coin took occasion to compliment
Hooker upon his good work.
5 Hooker Gives Personal Supervision.
:, Gen Hooker saw that these orders
were satisfactorily carried out by I'M
Z firing personal supervision. He was
e constantly moving about the camps
} looking into everything, questioning
everybody and going to the bottom OF
everything that looked at all suspicious
He paid particular attention to the
Commissary Department, and for the
first time in its history the Army of the
Potomac was properly fed. The Com
q missaries were required by general or
j ders to issue vegetables and fresh breac
twice week, and everything furnished
: to be of the best quality. The first result
of this was that the ratio of sickness
: dropped from 10 per cent to less thar
: five. The hospital service was system
{ affixed and improved so as to great!
l increase the ratio of convalescence.
ReorSnnizing the Army.
e. The next step was a thoro reorganiz
i ing of the army, beginning with TIT