NOTES ON OUR ARMY. No. IV. "An Army is a collection of armed men, obliged to obey one man."-Locke. TO THE HON. THOMAS H. BENTON. call your attention to a few facts I shall draw from these sources, as well as to the contrasts I wish to present between them and the similar estimates for the British service, for 1843. The gross estimate to pay, clothe and sub- Cost per Soldier in our service, 1 year, Cost per soldier in our service, 1 year, de Estimates for the British service for the year commencing 1st April, 1843, for the $2,641,761,80 335,67 520,249,00 $269,44 $23,862,995,00 269,15 854,455,00 259,50 Haying been so fortunate as to secure a copy of the "Army Register" for 1844, I shall be enabled in my future calculations and estimates to use figures from official sources, which will be more accurate in details than I could otherwise make them. It is impossible for one who has no access to official records, to calculate, with accuracy, the ducting the Staff, pay and allowances of officers of our Army, particularly in the Staff, unless he be skilled in the science of abstruse mathematics, and the moral binding force of certificates of honor, which acCost per soldier in the British service counting officers have decided to be matters of Cost of Staff, British service, same year, form. I mean to implicate no one by this remark, Or about one twenty-eighth of the whole nor would I accuse any one of criminal deception; cost of the Army! but I have so frequently heard it remarked by those Cost per soldier, 1 year, in the British serwho are the recipients of these almost incompre-vice, deducting the Staff, hensible and inexplicable allowances, that" it would From these estimates and results no one can renever do for the Army to be paid in round sums, sist the conclusion, that our Staff is enormously or by salaries, as we now receive the greater part large and expensive, compared with the line of our of our pay in lieu of allowances which Congress Army. Including all the branches of our service, cannot understand, and a reduction would certainly it appears that we pay, per soldier, $335,67 a year. follow if the gross amount were presented to Deducting the cost of our Staff, it is reduced to view," that I am almost convinced they feel ashamed $269,44,-showing that an increase of $66,23, per of the truth, and this conviction is strengthened by soldier, per annum, or a little under twenty-five per the knowledge that I should be, if placed under cent is added to the cost of our soldier for the supsimilar circumstances. The remark applies, un- port of a Staff. In the British service, we find doubtedly, with much force to a large number of the cost of the soldier is $269,15. Deducting the the officers of our Army, or, rather, those who Staff, it is reduced to $259,50. Showing an inhave the titles of officers, but who have no more crease of only $9,65, or less than four per cent on connection with the Army in a military point of the cost of the soldier to support their Staff. view, and no more feeling in common with it, than It will be difficult, I conceive, to find any good have the clerks in the different executive depart-reason to show the necessity of maintaining a ments of the government. But when we come to Staff in our service at a cost of one-fifth of the apply it to the military branch of the service, a whole expense of the Army, when in the British difference in feeling and principle will be found. I service it only costs one twenty-eighth. am convinced a large majority of the officers of These results show one of two things, either that branch of the service would express very dif- that our Staff is unnecessarily large and expenferent views if called on, and I must confess I sive, or that it requires six times the expense to should feel mortified to hear of one who would pre- get the same Staff duties performed in our service fer the present mode of pay for the sole reason that it does in the British. In either case it is that he was now deceiving Congress, and if the time that a corrective was applied, and if the whole fact were known, his allowances would be reduced.number of our Staff officers are required to do the Yet I have never heard any other reason advanced same duties one-sixth of them would do in the in favor of the present absurd and inconvenient British service, the government cannot too soon method of paying the officers of our Army for their services. No other servants or agents of the government are paid in the same way,-the plan having been long since abolished in the Navy; and I know of no reason why it should not be in the Army. Another document, containing the estimates for our service for the year commencing the 1st of July, 1844, has fallen into my hands, and I must supply their places by those who would be more willing and more competent to discharge those duties and at a much less expense to the country. We now have a greater number of officers in our Staff, with an Army of a little over seven thousand, than we had when our Army exceeded twelve thousand-from 1838 to 1842. * 28th Congress, 1st Session, House Doc.-No. 6. This increase has been made by the appointment | Colonels; one of them is stationed in Philadelphia of Brevet Second Lieutenants to most of these as chief of the clothing branch of the QuarterStaff corps, in open violation of law, and without master's department, a sort of Tailor General to the slightest necessity for their services, when the Army. He supervises the purchase and issue they really might have been advantageously dispo- of all articles of clothing and camp and garrison sed of in supplying the places of some of the nu- equipage, but it must not be inferred that he dirties merous officers legally detached on Staff duties. his hands by receiving and issuing these articles An act of Congress of the 29th of April, 1812, himself; that would be beneath a Colonel in the allowed the appointment of Brevet Second Lieu-Army. He is a link in the chain by which it is tenants from the graduates of the Military Aca- effected; but all small matters are either left undemy, when there were no vacancies in the Army, done by him, or done by another; he even declines and provided for their promotion when vacancies condescending so far as to sign an invoice of prooccurred; but it also "provided, that there shall perty forwarded, and contents himself with the renot be more than one supernumerary officer to any flection that a letter accompanying it, from so great one company at the same time." Yet, year after a man, is all sufficient. The Quartermaster Genyear, we see an open violation of this proviso, eral approves requisitions for supplies, forwards which has never been repealed, by the appointment them to this supervisor, or Tailor General, and he of supernumerary Brevets to these different Staff orders a Military Storekeeper to comply with them. corps of the Army, which are already overstocked This storekeeper prepares the supplies, makes inwith officers, and which have no companies to which voices, and turns them over to a third person, a such officers can be attached as the law requires. Captain and assistant Quartermaster, who forwards I must again pay my respects to the Quarter- them to their destination. This is all a very permaster's department of our Army, which I hope fect arrangement, and the results prove it; for our will not consider itself as slighted in being so long supplies, notwithstanding all this circumlocution, overlooked, after the assiduous attention which was are generally very good and punctually furnished; paid it in my last. In 1814, when we had an Ar- but it may puzzle some to account for the necessity my of 60,000 rank and file, and a large portion of of this long method of doing a short thing. This them in the field, our organization allowed fifty having one officer to inspect, one to procure and officers in the Quartermaster's department. In issue, and another to transport, when one of them 1844, when our Army is scarcely to exceed 7,000 could do it all as well. Several good reasons may rank and file, we have an organized Quartermaster's department, with thirty-seven officers; that is, with one-ninth of the force, we have threefourths of the Staff. According to this ratio, if our whole Army is disbanded, it will appear that at least thirty officers will be necessary in the Quartermaster's department. Then, what a fine time they would have; all would do what two-thirds now do-nothing, or at least so near nothing, that their occupation at public business is scarcely sufficient to prevent ennui, and their only trouble is to find ways and means for spending their pay. Again, in 1815, when our Army was reduced to a force of fourteen regiments, or equal to that, we were allowed eight officers in the Quartermaster's department. Now, with the same number of regiments, we have thirty-seven. be given, and I will venture two or three: I cannot flatter myself they are correct, for I confess my ignorance of the reasons which operate in favor of performing the duties of this "scientific corps" in the peculiar way in which they are done, but I have the charity to suppose there are reasons, and I only hope I have discovered the true ones. The Secretary of War, previous to the present incumbent, has told us the Staff must be in propor tion to the extent of country over which the Army is spread, "and, reasoning from analogy, which, however, does not always lead to certainty." I infer, that supplies to be sent thousands of miles, require more officers and more rank to secure their safety than those which are sent hundreds, and in the direct ratio of the distance. me a natural inference, but for fear it may not be correct and may not apply to all cases, I will offer another which has been suggested to me. In viewing many of the beautiful and admirable experiments in electricity, a mere utilitarian would be led at once to inquire the use of a long and circuiFirst, we have the chief of the bureau, a Briga- tous conductor by which an observer, near the madier General, who distinguished himself in the chine, receives the same shock he would by touchfield before assuming the arduous and responsible ing the discharger with his hand. This, however, duties which he has long continued to perform with would not show him one of the most singular and so much ability, and for which his devotion to bu- remarkable properties of the fluid, its instantane siness so peculiarly fit him. All acknowledge the ous passage, through space, by the intervention of importance of his office and the success which at- a conductor. And thus it is with this department. tends his administration of it. We next have two We are struck with the beautiful arrangement by If more be necessary to prove the position which I have assumed, the unnecessary size and expense of this department, it can be readily found by reference to the positions and duties of those holding appointments in it. This appears to which duties can be divided and subdivided with- official business, and so much spare time in that out loss and with little delay. It is true, we might enterprising land might be so disposed of as to remove nine-tenths of its officers and secure the secure a subaltern's independence and possibly his same efficiency and, possibly, a slight saving of happiness, both of which are out of his reach so time in the execution of their duties; but then we long as an aspiration for military renown confines should destroy all the beauties of the system; there him to his profession. A Captain in Baltimore is would be nothing to admire and wonder at,-no- similarly situated, except that he is nominally the thing to create astonishment in the minds of unso- Quartermaster at Fort McHenry, three miles off. phisticated beholders. If we destroy any one of Another Captain is reported at Sackett's Harbor, these links in the chain, it becomes necessary to N. Y., when it is known he is in Brownville, unite the two nearest each other, or the current is N. Y., at his private residence, and visits the post destroyed, but when the union is perfected, we per- occasionally, much to the annoyance of the comceive no difference in the result; and so would it manding officers. One again is at Baton Rouge, be with the Quartermaster's department: strike La., where there are duties which probably occupy out any link, particularly one of those which has him half an hour a day. Another at Buffalo, N. become oxidized from long rest, unite the two next Y., under similar circumstances. One more at and a connection will be formed as perfect as the Fort Monroe, where all his duties would be wilfirst. lingly performed by a subaltern for one-tenth the I will suggest but one more reason, although compensation. In Savannah, Geo., there is a Capseveral additional ones might be given equally as tain without any earthly necessity for his presence, strong as the foregoing. A large number of the or occupation for his time. And so I might go officers of this department are men of families through the whole list of these Captains, by name, and extensive connections in our eastern cities, without finding any absolute necessity for more and it would be uncomfortable for them to join than three or four at farthest out of the twentytheir companies and do duty at military posts re- eight in the department. The worst feature of the mote from society, and if required to go there to whole business is the fact that twenty of these reside, they would have to live in a style far be- gentlemen have their names at the heads of comneath what they are accustomed to, besides losing panies, supplying a place which ought to be filled about twenty-five per cent on their pay which they by some efficient and useful man. One of them is now receive under the head of "commutation." kept in Washington City as a clerk in the bureau, Omitting the tailoring department in the city of where the law establishes the number allowed and Philadelphia, which employs one Colonel, one Cap- contemplated no such evasion as this,—an evasion tain, and one Military Storekeeper, we find one it must be regarded. A second is temporarily reColonel in New-York, nominally; he owns a fine ported on the same duty. Of the whole thirty-eight farm on Long Island, or thereabouts, and has a clerk officers in the department, including two storeto do his duties. For several months past he has keepers, not more than six are necessary for the attended Congress to legislate for the country economical and efficient discharge of the duties perand himself. One Lieutenant Colonel and one Cap-taining to it, and they would not require, and should tain enjoy themselves in the city of Detroit, for not receive such pay and emoluments as are now what purpose I have been unable to ascertain. A allowed to the eight field officers, whose positions Lieutenant Colonel and Captain again in St. Au- are perfect sinecures, and are so considered in the gustine where there are neither purchases nor Army. issues to make. One Major in St. Louis, and a And what is the consequence of clothing these Captain at Jefferson Barracks, within an hour's officers with high military rank, when they are ride. One Major and one Captain are "settling considered in foreign services below the lowest accounts at the Treasury." One Major in New grade of commissioned officers of the line? A conOrleans. One Captain commands his company at tinual wrangle about rank and command. Put an Plattsburg, N. Y., and receives $34 per month for army in the field with one of these colonels of doing duties which Lieutenants do at many posts teamsters, wagons, carts and mules, and just so for nothing; this is paying rather high for the soon as the officers senior to him in the line are out honor the government derives from being served of the way, he is for assuming the military comby such dignitaries. Another Captain is to be mand, although he is ignorant of the first princifound in the city of Boston, and the nearest troops ples of the recruits' drill. These, and many other to him are at Portsmouth, N. H., where a Lieu- absurdities, which have crept into our military tenant does the duty of Quartermaster without legislation, would, in case of active service in the compensation. Many subalterns would be happy to field, paralyze the efforts of any General in the secure the position of this Boston Captain at one world, and destroy the esprit du corps and discithird the compensation which he receives. I would pline of the best troops ever known. not even decline such a position myself, as I am I must apologize for being compelled to leave confident thirty minutes a day would suffice for all this "most essential part of the Army proper," as it was styled, ironically, of course, by our late the encroachments of the Staff. They are not Secretary, but I hope, as my acquaintance has been unmindful of the ancient proverb of 'the bad an intimate and very agreeable one, I may be able bird,' and have felt how inexpedient and perhaps at some future day to renew it under more favora- suicidal it may be for one portion of our small ble auspices. military establishment, to set itself in array against With due modesty and consideration, and with the faults of another and expose its imperfections a full knowledge of my presumption, in approach- to the public eye. Ordinary evils could be paing so princely an establishment, I must beg leave tiently borne ;-a moderate degree of inequality to introduce myself to the "Ordnance Depart- might be overlooked;—a temporary neglect could ment," and-" hope I don't intrude." It has man- be endured in silence; but, when these evils beaged by some efficient means to give itself an come accumulative, engendering others until their existence and a gradual increase up to its present name is legion,' forbearance ceases to be a virsize, thirty-five officers, since our peace organiza- tue and whatever may be the consequences, an tion in 1821, when an Ordnance department was not effort at self-vindication seems to be called for, thought necessary. Our law-givers then ignorantly and the truth must be told. supposed that Ordnance duties could in ours, as in foreign services, be performed by the artillery; but that idea is now exploded, and in this country it is discovered that scientific (?) men are necessary to perform the mechanical duties of constructing and convenient proximity to the war office, and enjoypreparing ordnance and ordnance stores, and that any ignoramus may use them. Next we shall hear of the scientific mechanic who makes astronomical instruments with which the ignorant philosopher informed and inexperienced in the details and re takes his observations. "We have seen that by the arrangement now existing in our military establishment, each administrative department is governed by its head situated in an office called a Burean, at Washington, in ing all reasonable facilities for a free intercourse with the Secretary of the War Department. This functionary, frequently changed and therefore un quirements of the service, must necessarily call for his information upon the chiefs of the Bureaux; and there being no one to question or gainsay them, it is not surprising that the statements of the said chiefs are received as conclusive facts, undenied and undeniable. Orders are issued accordingly, and thus is the Army governed. It requires but a modicum of diplomatic tact, a small share of that soft unction which is so plentifully distilled at court, for these Bureau chiefs to acquit themselves successfully on such an arena before the unfledged potentate of the war office, and when a measure is to be carried, that Bureau chief must be a sorry apprentice in the courtier's art who could not, with all these means and appliances to boot, color his case as he chose and carry his point. In such a contest, it is easy to see that 'Oily Gammon' will always be an overmatch for the modest Mowbray,' And so it has been for years with the Army departments at Washington. I will delay entering upon the details of the abuses and unnecessary expenses of this department, and its growing arrogance and unimportance until a future letter. I must beg leave, however, to quote here, as a sort of preface, a few remarks by an officer of great intelligence and long service. Some of his happiest hours have been passed at their delightful arsenals, and in the performance of their very light and agreeable duties at a time when officers of the line occasionally shared the loaves and fishes, after years of hard service at remote and cheerless military garrisons. Such temporary relief is now unknown to us, all such details having been converted into permanent appointments for the favored few. He has taken but a slight glance at ordnance life, but I hope to present it in such lights as to render it entirely unnecessary for any one to "visit an arsenal" to convince him of the abuses which cry loud for correction, and which are saddled upon the shoulders of the poor unof- "As an illustration of these truths let us look at fending Army. It has no sooner finished a contest the Ordnance Department. Here is a corps of of seven years, without a parallel in history for officers, set apart and invested with rank and its privations and hardships, and in which these emoluments, perquisites and privileges,-claiming silk-stocking and boudoir gentlemen took no part, military command when prerogative tempts them, at least after entering the Ordnance department, but disdaining military privations and avoiding marthan it is held up to the execration of the country tial hardships when war is the word. Such a by these very men, who lived in their carpeted parlors within princely government edifices, whilst their neglected and abused comrades were wading in the swamps and morasses, and parching with the fevers of a tropical clime. corps is now paid and fed and pampered, for what great purpose think you? To take care of the arms boxed up and stored away in the arsenals, and, peradventure, to overlook the artizans who may be employed to repair them. The duties now perMy worthy friend and valued correspondent says: formed by this corps of officials, aggrandized by "It is not with an invidious feeling, nor even in a Army rank and endowed with the highest of Army spirit of idle querulousness, that the Line of the emoluments, can all be as well performed by offArmy are prompted to step forth in opposition to cers of the artillery, and by so much might the treasury be lightened of its load. The Ordnance! | comely and neat, with large drops in her ears, her A corps, formerly supposed to consist only of the arms bare, according to the custom of Flanders, maimed and the decrepit,--the places in which and her waist a little too embonpoint, diminished by were rarely sought by men conscious of full woollen petticoat of blue, striped with white. On a very tight corset whose bright red glared upon a powers, now basking in the sunshine of court such days, she indulged in the coquetry of wearing favor-dandled in the lap of luxury,—has become a shoe on a foot, which wanted neither diminutivethe envy of the hardiest, and its happy votaries, ness nor beauty. So every one who passed her fancying themselves the primary branch of the asked, "who is that pretty creature with the little child by her side?" system, and claiming for their corps the appellation of scientific!-are ready to kick away the ladder by which they rose, and set up for themselves an exclusive caste. Such consequences are natural enough, and officers are scarcely to be blamed for seeking places in a corps favored by inIt must be confessed however, that to the attracdulgences, enjoying sumptuous quarters, performing tion which the gratification of a childish vanity light and easy duties, and suffering no hardships. afforded, was added a second not less lively. Every If any one suspect this account to be too highly Sunday, the termination of our walk was the smoky colored, let him once visit an arsenal;-let him chamber of a blind old dame, the mother of a there contrast the ample accommodations and ex- comely lad whose modest deportment greatly bepensive finish of all their quarters with the stinted As soon as we arrived, there were two kisses apartments allotted to the Line of the Army. Let for Trea, and some little dainty for me. And I, with the vanity of a boy of six years, was delighted and proud of the flattering attention bestowed on my conductress; yes, the days on which we walked out together were to me real festivals, anticipated and longed for with the greatest impatience. came him. Methinks him compare the ease and opulence of ordnance I still see the two lovers retreating into the emlife with the constraint, the privation, the remote brasure of a window lighted with small green panes and cheerless stations to which the infantry and of glass, and drawing their straw chairs as near to artillery are doomed,--and he will no longer woneach other as possible. They chatted together der that men, even of high and chivalric spirit, plans radiant with joy, such as we dream of long in a low tone, forming plans without endshould yield their martial hardihood to the blan- when we are young-and which a happy carelessdishments of luxury, and, satisfied with the tinsel ness, a sweet confidence in the future, present to show of military rank, prefer the parlor to the the fancy, embellished with pure and delightful field. But these seductive influences lead to a images. train of evils which the Conscript Fathers of our Republic are called upon to correct. The remedy must be applied by the power which is paramount to the Executive Departments of the Government. The official functionaries of those Departments are indeed placed as guardians and censors of the agents under their charge, but 'Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? There is no recourse but to the Representatives of the people. Let the pure and searching eye of simple honesty come to the scrutiny, and there will be some hope that partiality, favoritism and extravagance will at length be made to yield to the spirit of economy and justice." Nous Verrons. A SUBALTERN. THE LEGEND OF THE SHEPHERD'S CLOCK. "In the southern cross-aisle of the church, near the chapel of the crucifix, may be seen a clock which is the admira tropolitaine de Cambrai, Ch. vii. to me some story. I must live to be very old, beIn the mean time the good old dame would relate fore I can forget her, with her grey locks, confined by her white cap, her eyes dim and immovable, her looks full of kindness, and her arms thin and sunburnt emerging from beneath a large red kertastic legends, of diabolical adventures and touchchief. She told of wonderful apparitions, of faning traditions; when she approached the catastrophe, she would straighten her bended form, her voice would assume a firmer tone, and her long hands, upraised in the air, would fall again on her knees. Seated before her on a little stool, I would listen motionless, with fixed eyes and flushed cheeks, scarcely daring to draw my breath. When she ceased, my sorrow was inexpressible, and I would have given the world to hear her continue. Among other curious legends, that of " the shepherd's clock" produced upon me a powerful impres sion. 66 My child," said the good woman, "there was once at Cambray a beautiful church, such a one as you do not look upon now-a-days. Nothing tion of the curious.”—[Le Glay, Recherches sur l'église mé-handsomer was ever seen; one might have passed a whole year, yes a whole year in examining all the wonderful things that were there. But the I remember, that in my childhood, my nurse was most precious of all, (it is only a voice down stairs a young Fleming, named Trea, a joyous girl with that you hear my child,) was the clock. The clock large blue eyes, white teeth and fresh and rosy that I have often spent whole hours in admiring cheeks. When Trea was decked out in her "Sun- when I was no larger than you, and was going to day's best," it was a real pleasure to see her, so school with my little basket on my arm and had, *Translated for the S. L. Messenger from "Chroniques alas! two good eyes. et Traditions Surnaturelles de la Flandre-par Mr. S. Henry Berthoud." That beautiful clock was higher, oh! a great deal higher than this room. It was made like a little |