Iwa letter dated June 13, 17.6, addressed to the President of Congress, General Washington wrote: Lance mentioned to Congress that I thought a war office extremely necessary, and they-comed melted to pitute one for our Army; but the affair seems to have tove me leave again to insist on the utility and importance of The more I reflect upon the subject, the more am I convinced WETE MONS@VITY and that aftans can never be properly conducted without it. Congress baying, Jure 18, 1776, created a Board of War, General Wa Sington, seven days later, wrote to the President of Congress as the one hand, and everything to be feared from treachery or neglect in his office on the other, by which the enemy might be as well informed of our strength as of their own. It was not, however, until 1812-1821 that the general staff was organized on correct lines and its several departments created, substantially, as they have remained since. Mr. Secretary William H. Crawford, in a report dated December 27, 1815, expressed himself as follows: A complete organization of the staff will contribute as much to the economy of the establishment as to its efficiency. The stationery staff of a military establishment should be substantially the same in peace as in war, without reference to the number or distribution of the troops of which it is composed. Hon. John C. Calhoun, Secretary of War, replying, December 11, 1818, to a resolution of Congress asking what reduction, if any, might be made in the military establishment, wrote: * * * The staff, as organized by the act of last session, combines simplicity with efficiency. Were our military establishment reduced one-half, it is obvious that, if the same posts continued to be occupied which now are, the same number of officers in the Quartermaster's, Paymaster's, Medical, and Adjutant and Inspector General's Departments would be required. To compare, then, as is sometimes done, our staff with those of European armies assembled in large bodies is manifestly unfair. The act of last session, it is believed, has made all the reduction which ought to be attempted. It has rendered the staff efficient without making it expensive. Such a staff is not only indispensable to the efficiency of the Army, but it is also necessary to a proper economy in its disbursements; and should an attempt be made at retrenchment by reducing the present number, it would, in its consequences, probably prove wasteful and extravagant. In fact, no part of our military organization requires more attention in peace than the general staff. It is in every service invariably the last in attaining perfection; and if neglected in peace, when there is leisure, it will be impossible, in the midst of the hurry and bustle of war, to bring it to perfection. It is in peace that it should receive a perfect organization, and that the officers should be trained to method and punctuality, so that at the commencement of a war, instead of creating anew, nothing more should be necessary than to give it the necessary enlargement. With a defective staff we must carry on our military operations under great disadvantages, and be exposed, particularly at the commencement of a war, to great losses, embarrassments, and disasters. The history of the general staff is marked by good judgment, great executive ability, and readiness of execution in emergencies. The value of the staff has been fully demonstrated by the administration of its affairs in the wars of the past, but in none more so than during the late civil war, when the system was submitted to most severe tests, from which it emerged triumphantly. The crowning evidence of its thorough effectiveness was the preparation of the plan by the AdjutantGeneral's Department for the muster out and disbandment at the close of that war of the volunteer armies, numbering over 1,500,000 officers and men, distributed to 1,274 regiments, 316 independent companies, and 192 batteries. Six The plan was submitted to the Secretary of War and the General of the Army and was adopted within one hour of its presentation. The movement homeward commenced May 29, 1865, and, had it been practicable to spare all the forces, the entire number could easily have been mustered out and returned to their homes within three months. hundred and forty-one thousand were mustered out within about two months, 741,000 within two and a half months, and 800,963 were discharged by November 15, 1865. In his annual report for that year General Grant states that These musters out were admirably conducted; 800,000 men (subsequently increased to 1,034,064) were passing from the Army to civil life so quickly that it was scarcely known, save by the welcomes to their homes. R. P. T. CONTENTS III. The Inspector-General's Department. IV. The Judge-Advocate-General's Department V. The Quartermaster's Department.. Page. |