Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 19.djvu/803

1900—the American casualties numbered 32 killed and 77 wounded. For the first time since the Revolution the United States Army fought side by side with European troops, and the professional benefit derived from the association was well worth the cost. In certain respects the practical excellence of the American troops was conceded.

On February 2, 1901, Congress authorized a permanent increase of the Army (discretionary with the President except artillery) not to exceed 100,000 men, including 12,000 native troops for service in Porto Rico and the Philippines. This force consisted of 15 regiments of cavalry, 30 of infantry, one of engineers, a corps of artillery, and the staff departments. In June of that year all volunteers were mustered out. In July, 1902, the President, in the exercise of the discretion vested in him by law, the United States having recognized the independence of Cuba and having placed the greater part of the Philippine Islands under civil government, materially reduced the army to the aggregate strength shown in the following table:

Organization of the United States Army, July, 1902

	Lieut.-  gen'l	Major-  gen'ls	Brig.-  gen'ls	Com.  officers	Non-com.  staff  officers	Non-com.   officers	Bands	Privates	Total  com.	Total  enlisted	Aggregate
General officers	1	6	15	.........	.........	.........	.........	.........	22	.........	22
Adjutant-general's department	...	1	...	27	.........	.........	.........	.........	28	.........	28
Inspector-general's department	...	...	1	16	.........	.........	.........	.........	17	.........	17
Judge adv.-general's department	...	...	1	11	.........	.........	.........	.........	12	.........	12
Quartermaster's department	...	...	1	96	150	.........	.........	.........	97	150	247
Subsistence department	...	...	1	43	200	.........	.........	.........	44	200	244
Medical department	...	...	1	320	500	.........	.........	2,100	321	2,600	2,921
Pay department	...	...	1	52	.........	.........	.........	.........	53	.........	53
Corps of Engineers	...	...	1	159	8	288	28	992	160	1,316	1,476
Ordnance department	...	...	1	71	.........	.........	.........	.........	72	.........	72
Signal Corps	...	...	1	34	.........	350	.........	460	35	810	845
Record and Pension Office	...	...	1	1	.........	.........	.........	.........	2	.........	2
Chaplains	...	...	...	62	.........	.........	.........	.........	62	.........	62
15 regiments cavalry	...	...	...	750	120	2,880	420	10,620	750	14,040	14,790
Veterinarians	...	...	...	.........	.........	.........	.........	.........	.........	.........	30
126 companies coast artillery	...	...	...	531	48	2,772	280	10,962	531	14,062	14,593
30 batteries field artillery	...	...	...	120	.........	630	.........	3,050	120	3,680	3,800
30 regiments infantry	...	...	...	1,500	240	6,480	840	22,320	1,500	29,880	31,380
Military Academy	...	...	...	.........	.........	.........	.........	.........	.........	342	342
Enlisted men unattached to Reg's, etc.	...	...	...	.........	.........	.........	.........	.........	.........	800	800
Indian scouts	...	...	...	.........	.........	.........	.........	.........	.........	75	75
Philippine scouts	...	...	...	.........	.........	.........	.........	.........	.........	.........	.........
Porto Rico provisional reg. of infantry	...	...	...	31	6	184	.........	648	31	866	897
Grand aggregate	1	7	25	3,824	1,272	13,584	1,568	51,152	3,857	68,821	72,708

The most radical change in the organization was that of the artillery. For many years, nominally it was regimental, but practically the unit for administration and operation was the battery. The system of coast defense lacked cohesion, consisting simply of a number of independent posts commanded by officers, who, having reached the rank of field officer after thirty or forty years' service, as light battery commanders in the Civil War, or with infantry garrisons in peace, were content to rest on their laurels. Under the influence of Secretary of War Root, the seven regiments of artillery (after a long struggle, professional and political) were merged into a corps, supervised by a chief (selected from the fourteen colonels), with his station at the headquarters of the Army, and consisting of 126 companies of coast artillery and 30 batteries of field artillery. These were grouped within a number of artillery districts, and each district placed under command of a competent field officer.

Relative Strength of Army to Population^[1]

Year	Officers	Men	Total	Per cent.
1790	57	1216	1273	3/100 of 1
1800	318	4118	4436	8/100 of 1
1810	774	9147	9921	14/100 of 1
1820	712	8230	8942	9/100 of 1
1830	627	5324	5951	5/100 of 1
1840	733	9837	10570	6/100 of 1
1850	948	9815	10763	5/100 of 1
1860	1108	12259	13367	5/100 of 1
1870	2541	34534	37075	10/100 of 1
1880	2152	24357	26509	5/100 of 1
1890	2168	24921	27089	4/100 of 1
1900	2500	65000	67600	9/100 of 1

At the same time, a plan of instruction for young officers was devised—an elaboration of the post-graduate schools existing at the opening of the war with Spain—and the following institutions were created: A War College at Washington, a General Service and Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, a Cavalry and Light Artillery School at Fort Riley, an Engineer School at Washington Barracks, and a School of Submarine Defense at Fort Totten, N. Y. A large appropriation was made in 1902 for permanent camp grounds and the erection of additional barracks and quarters at certain military posts, at which large garrisons may be concentrated. See Armies; Army Organization; and other mili-

1. Records, Adjutant-General's Office.