CHAPTER XII
Formation of the Federal Army.—1861
THE readiness of the loyal States to place at the
disposal of the Government all the men, money, and
material needed for the suppression of the Rebellion had
been clearly manifest ever since the fall of Fort Sumter.
But the great problem for President Lincoln and his chief
helpers was the proper use of the national resources so
freely offered to them. There were in all the North but
a few hundred men to be found regularly trained for the
soldier's trade, while thousands were wanted as officers
for immediate service. Even with nine-tenths of the loyal
officers of the regular army, practical experience did not
go beyond the command of companies. With such a scarcity
of qualified persons, it was unavoidable that the largest
number of officers should be taken from among civilians
without the knowledge of even the manual of arms.
Still, in acting under this necessity, the General Government
and the governments of the several States could
certainly have applied the strict test of physical, mental,
and moral fitness in the selection of officers. But,
unfortunately, the Executive saw a welcome and plentiful
opportunity to reward political adherents with commissions
in the army, and only too willingly used this extensive new
patronage without regard to the fitness of the recipients.
As a rule, in all the States, the professional politicians
secured the new honors and emoluments. It is safe to
say that four-fifths of all the field officers of the three
months' regiments appearing in Washington represented
this class of men, and the same practice prevailed in the
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