and provided that "the said corps, when so organized, shall be stationed at West Point, in the State of New York, and shall constitute a military academy."

Although this law was not enacted till nearly a quarter of a century after the Revolution, the founding of the United States Military Academy, at first intended for the education of but three or four engineer cadets, was the one great and lasting military benefit derived from our experience, during the long struggle for independence.

Washington, Hamilton, Knox, and Pickering, with vivid remembrance of the weakness and inefficiency of an army without trained officers, had repeatedly urged the establishment of such an institution. These recommendations gained strength during the complications with France, and Hamilton, as Inspector-General, laid before the Secretary of War a plan for a military academy.

In approbation of this plan, only three days before his death, Washington wrote as follows to Hamilton:

The establishment of an institution of this kind on a respectable and extensive basis has ever been considered by me an object of primary importance to this country, and while I was in the chair of government I omitted no proper opportunity of recommending it in my public speeches and otherwise to the attention of the Legislature.

Not long after, Mr. McHenry, Secretary of War, recommended the founding of a military academy, and urged that "no sentiment is more just than this, that in proportion as the circumstances and policy of a people are opposed to the maintenance of a large military force, it is important that as much perfection as possible be given to that which may at any time exist." Adding further, "Are we without regular troops, we may lose the military art; are we without engineers, not a little of the money employed on fortifications will always be hazarded, if not actually thrown away."

In submitting to the House of Representatives his views as to the expense and utility of the proposed academy, Mr. McHenry wrote:

It can not be forgotten that in our Revolutionary war it was not till after several years' practice in arms, and the extension of the periods for which our soldiers were at first enlisted, that we found them at all qualified to meet on the field of battle those to whom they were opposed. The occasional brilliant and justly celebrated acts of some of our militia during that eventful period detract nothing from this dear bought truth.

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The great man who conducted the war of our Revolution was continually compelled to conform his conduct to the circumstances growing out of the experimental lessons just mentioned. What was the secret of his conduct? Must it be told? It may, and without exciting a blush or an uneasy sensation in any of his surviving companions in arms. He had an army of men, but he had few officers or soldiers in that army.

Our national Military Academy, founded at the instance of the great men of the Revolutionary era, has grown with our growth, has kept up in our midst a thorough knowledge of the military profession, and has given us competent commanders for any force we have found it necessary to use, from the small detachment sent in pursuit of the hostile Indian, to the vast hosts marshaled under a single banner during our greatest war. Whether we have utilized as fully as we might have done, the soldierly training imparted at West Point, is a question which may be as readily answered by an appeal to the facts of history.

MILITIA AND VOLUNTEERS.

From 1802 until 1808 all measures, whether offensive or defensive, looked to the almost exclusive use of militia and volunteers. By the law of March 3, 1803, at a time when difficulties were impending with Spain, the President was authorized to require the governors of such States as he might deem expedient "to hold in readiness to march at a moment's warning a detachment of militia not exceeding 80,000, officers included."

The second section of this law authorized the State authorities to accept as a part of the detachment called for, any corps of volunteers who would engage for a period not exceeding twelve months. The third section empowered governors of States to name the officers of volunteers, general officers being apportioned among the States at the judgment of the President. This section, which unfortunately remanded the appointments of volunteer officers to the States, became the basis of the system employed throughout the wars of Mexico and the Rebellion.

The above law was substantially reenacted on the 18th of April, 1806, to continue in force for two years, the period of service of such troops as might be called out being limited to six months.

By the act of February 24, 1807, when our relations with England had again become threatening, preference was again given to volunteers, the President being authorized to accept 30,000, formed in companies and officered by the several States. These companies were to be organized by the President into battalions, squadrons, regiments, brigades, and divisions, and were liable to be called out at any time within two years after the date of their acceptance, with an obligation to serve twelve months after reaching a designated rendezvous.

The first provision of this law was "That when any company, battalion, regiment, brigade, or division of militia already organized shall tender their voluntary service to the United States, such company, battalion, regiment, brigade, or division shall continue to be commanded by the officers holding commissions in the same at the time of such tender." More than half a century later we reaped the bitter fruit of this system at the battle of Bull Run.

By the act of March 3, 1807, the President was authorized to employ the land and naval forces of the United States in the suppression of insurrections, and to enforce the laws, in the same manner and under the same conditions as prescribed for the militia.

FURTHER PREPARATION FOR WAR WITH GREAT BRITAIN.

INCREASE OF THE REGULAR ARMY.

The probability of war still becoming greater, the Regular Army, on the 12th of April, 1808, was increased by 5 regiments of infantry, 1 regiment of riflemen, 1 regiment of light artillery, and 1 regiment of light dragoons; the men to serve for the term of five years, unless sooner discharged. The regiments of infantry, riflemen, and artillery consisted of 10 companies each; the regiment of dragoons consisted of 8 troops. The field and staff of all of the above regiments were as follows: 1 colonel, 1 lieutenant-colonel, 1 major, 1 adjutant, 1 quartermaster, 1 paymaster, 1 surgeon, and 1 surgeon's mate.

In addition to the officers, two cadets were assigned to each company and troop.

The general and staff officers allowed for this increase of the Army were: 2 brigadier-generals, each with an aid-de-camp selected from the line, 2 brigade inspectors, 2 brigade quartermasters, and not to exceed 5 hospital surgeons, and 15 sergeon's mates.

The brigade inspectors, quartermasters, and paymasters, as well as the regimental adjutants and quartermasters, were selected from the

line.

To hasten the recruiting of these new regiments Congress, on the 24th of December, 1811, enacted a law granting a bounty of $16 to all recruits and soldiers who would enlist or reenlist for five years, with a provision that all soldiers, upon being honorably discharged, should receive, in addition to the bounty, three months' pay and 160 acres of land.

January 2, 1812, the President was empowered to accept, for the protection of the frontiers, 6 companies of volunteers or rangers, to be enlisted for twelve months.

January 11 the Regular troops were again increased by 10 regiments of infantry, 2 regiments of artillery, and 1 regiment of light dragoons, enlisted for the term of five years. The infantry regiments consisted of 18 companies formed in 2 battalions, with an aggregate of 1,980 enlisted men; the artillery regiments were composed of 20 companies formed in 2 battalions, with an aggregate of 1,800 enlisted men; the regiment of light dragoons consisted of 12 companies formed in 2 battalions, with an aggregate of 1,092 enlisted men. The field staff and noncommissioned staff of all of the above regiments comprised 1 colonel, 2 lieutenant-colonels, 2 majors, 2 adjutants, 1 quartermaster, 1 paymaster, 1 surgeon, 2 assistant surgeons, 2 sergeant-majors, 2 quartermaster-sergeants, and 2 service musicians.

The Army, as organized by the above law, in connection with the laws of 1802 and 1808, consisted of 17 regiments of infantry, 4 regiments of artillery, 2 regiments of dragoons, 1 regiment of rifles, and the Corps of Engineers (16 officers and 4 cadets), numbering in the aggregate, when completed, 35,603.

So long as Congress, in time of peace, shall neglect to provide for national defense, great confusion must ensue at the beginning of our wars, and no better evidence of this is needed than a recapitulation of the military legislation of this period.

The companies in the different regiments of infantry organized by the three laws numbered 64, 68, and 100 privates, respectively, while the number of companies varied from 10 to 18; the artillery regiment raised by the act of 1802 consisted of 20 companies formed in 5 battalions; the regiments raised by the act of 1811 numbered 20 companies divided into 2 battalions; the regiment of light dragoons raised by the act of 1808 was composed of 8 troops; that raised by the law of 1811 consisted of 12 companies divided into 2 battalions of 6 companies each.

Notwithstanding the bounty inducements, recruiting proceeded so slowly that the Army, which numbered, exclusive of the staff, but 2,765 in 1810, only reached in July, 1812, the aggregate of 6,686, its full complement being 35,603.

February 6, 1812, the President was empowered to accept companies of volunteers not exceeding 30,000, and to organize them into battalions, regiments, and brigades.

February 24, he was authorized to mount the regiment of light artillery raised in 1808.

April 8, returning to the principle of short enlistments so disastrous in the Revolution, he was authorized to reduce the term of enlistment, fixed at five years by the act of 1811, to eighteen months, provided that the number of men so enlisted should not exceed 15,000.

April 10, the President was empowered to require the governors of States to hold in readiness to march at a moment's notice, a detachment of militia not exceeding 80,000 officers and men.

QUARTERMASTER'S DEPARTMENT.

The chaos which reigned in the line of the Army subsequent to the Revolution was fully equaled in the staff.

In the departments of supply no systematic organization was attempted till the 28th of March, 1812, when the Quartermaster's Department was regularly established by act of Congress and made to consist of 1 Quartermaster-General, with the rank of brigadier-general, deputy quartermasters, taken in part from the line at the option of the President, and to receive additional pay, and as many assistant deputy quartermasters as the public service might require, to be selected in part from the line at the option of the President, and with additional compensation.

The eighteenth section of the act abolished the military agents and assistant military agents, who since the law of 1802 had performed the duties of the Quartermaster's Department.

The functions of the Quartermaster's Department, as laid down in the third section of the law, were—

to purchase military stores, camp equipage, and other articles required for the troops, and, generally, to procure and provide means of transport for the Army, its stores, artillery, and camp equipage.

COMMISSARY DEPARTMENT.

The fourth section created the office of Commissary-General of Purchases, and empowered the President to appoint as many deputy commissioners as the public service might require.

The law made it the duty of the Commissary-General, under the Secretary of War, "to conduct the procuring and providing of all arms, military stores, clothing, and generally all articles of supply requisite for the military service of the United States."

ORDNANCE DEPARTMENT.

This Department was not established until the 14th of May, 1812, the number of its commissioned officers being fixed as follows: One Commissary General of Ordnance, with rank of colonel of infantry, 1 Assistant Commissary General of Ordnance, with the rank of a major of infantry, 4 deputy commissaries, with the rank of captain of infantry, and at the discretion of the President, not to exceed 8 assistant deputy commissaries, with the rank of second lieutenant.

The strict subordination of the Chief of the Department to military commanders in the field, was enjoined in the sixth section of the law, which reads:

That the Commissary-General of Ordnance shall execute all orders issued by the Secretary for the Department of War in conveying all ordnance, ammunition, and

apparatus to the respective armies, garrisons, magazines, and arsenals; and in time of war he shall execute all orders of any general officer commanding in any army or garrison for the supply of ordnance, ammunition, carriages, pontoons, forges, furnaces, or apparatus for garrison, field, or siege service, and forward the same without delay and in good condition.

INCREASE OF THE UNITED STATES MILITARY ACADEMY.

So long as our relations with England and France were such that we could safely maintain an army of less than two or three thousand men, the lack of army officers was hardly perceptible, but when war was momentarily looked for, the nation was pained to discover that after twenty-five years of independence, it was about to enter upon another great struggle with officers hardly more efficient than those who led the Continental Army at the opening of the Revolution.

As an indication that but few of our statesmen had appreciated the usefulness of a Military Academy, we may remark that up to the year 1812 only 71 cadets had graduated.

By the law of the 29th of April, increasing the Corps of Engineers, it was enacted that all of the cadets appointed in the cavalry, artillery, infantry, and riflemen might be attached as students to the Military Academy, and that the number of cadets should at no time exceed 250. The law also directed that the cadets should be arranged into com panies of noncommissioned officers and privates, officered, for the purpose of military instruction, from the Corps of Engineers, and as a key to the character for efficiency and discipline which the graduates have since maintained, further prescribed that the said corps of cadets should be trained and taught all the duties of a private, noncommissioned officer, and officer."

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With such a foundation, it should not excite surprise that officers familiar with both the theory and practice of war, should have made their mark among the thousands of inexperienced and often illiterate men who owed their commissions to the favor of their subordinates.

The increase of the cadets to 250 gave vitality to the Military Academy and made it able to supply most of the officers our Army needed in time of peace. Next to the law which created the Military Academy, the act of April, 1812, was the most important in its history.