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ARMIES [u.S.A. sergeants-major (senior grade), 27 sergeants-major (junior grade), He is detailed from the army, and has the temporary rank of 1 electrician sergeant to each coast artillery post having electrical colonel. The corps of cadets is organized as a battalion, and is appliances, 30 batteries of field artillery, 126 batteries of coast commanded by an officer detailed from the army, having the title artillery, and 10 bands. The strength of batteries and companies of commandant of cadets. He has the temporary rank of lieuis fixed by the secretary of war, but the aggregate number of enlisted tenant-colonel. An officer of engineers and of ordnance are demen for the artillery shall not exceed 18,920. Captains and tailed as instructors of practical military engineering and of lieutenants of cavalry, artillery, and infantry, not required for duty ordnance and gunnery respectively. The heads of the other with troops, batteries, or companies, are available for regimental departments of instruction have the title of professors. They are staff or other details. selected generally from officers of the army, and their positions are The above organization provides for an enlisted strength of about permanent. The officers above mentioned, and the professors, 58,000 men. In case of emergency the President is authorized to constitute the academic board. The military staff and assistant enlarge it, so that the maximum shall not exceed 100,000 men. instructors are officers of the army. The course of instruction This increase is to be effected by augmenting the number of men covers four years, and is very thorough. Theoretical instruction in a company, troop, or battery, without adding to the number of comprises mathematics, French, Spanish, English, drawing, organizations or of officers. physics, astronomy, chemistry, ordnance and gunnery, art of war, The cavalry is armed with the Krag-Jorgensen carbine, cal. 30, civil and military engineering, law (international, constitutional, the revolver, cal. 38, and the sabre. The thimble waist-belt of and military), history, and drill regulations of all arms. Practical woven web carries 100 carbine and 12 revolver cartridges. The instruction comprises the service drills in infantry, cavalry, and infantry and coast artillery have the Krag-Jorgensen rifle, cal. 30. artillery, surveying, reconnaissances, field engineering, construction The woven waist-belt carries 100 cartridges. Horse and mountain of temporary bridges, simple astronomical observations, fencing, batteries may be organized, but there are none at present in gymnastics, and swimming. Cadets are a part of the army, and service. With the exception of one siege battery of 5-inch guns rank between second lieutenants and the highest grade of nonand one of 7-inch howitzers, all the field batteries have the 3-2 commissioned officers. They receive from the Government a rate B.L. rifle. When mountain guns are needed, they are issued to of pay sufficient to cover all necessary expenses at the academy. regular field batteries, or batteries are temporarily formed by details About 50 per cent, of those entering are able to complete the from other organizations. Each man has a revolver, non-com- course. The graduating class each year numbers, on an average, missioned officers and trumpeters having also a sabre. about 60. A class, on graduating, is arranged in order according to Promotion in the line of the army is exclusively by seniority in merit, and its members are assigned as second lieutenants to corps the arm, a vacancy among the majors of cavalry, for instance, and arm, according to the recommendation of the academic being filled by the senior captain of cavalry. Examination for board. A few at the head of the class go into the corps of promotion obtains up to the grade of major. An officer found engineers ; the next in order generally go into the artillery, and physically disqualified from causes incidental to the service is the rest of the class into the cavalry and infantry. The choice of retired with the grade to which his promotion would have entitled graduates as to arm of service and regiments is consulted as far as him. Should he fail in the educational examination,1 he is suspended practicable. Any enlisted man who has served honestly and from promotion for a year, when he is again examined. Should he faithfully not less than two years, who is between 21 and 30 again fail, he is dropped from the rolls of the army. Retirement years of age, unmarried, a citizen of the United States and of good of all officers is compulsory at the age of 64 years. Officers moral character, may aspire to a commission. To obtain it he have the right to retire on their own application after forty years’ must pass an educational and physical examination before a board service, and may do so, on their own application, in the discretion of five officers. This board must also inquire as to the character, of the President, after thirty years’. An officer may be retired at capacity, and record of the candidate. Many well-educated young any period of his service for physical disability should a board of men, unable to obtain appointments to West Point, enlist in the officers so recommend. Officers going on the retired list in any of army for the express purpose of obtaining a commission. Vacancies the ways mentioned receive three-fourths of the full pay of their in the grade of second lieutenant remaining, after the graduates of grade. In time of war retired officers may be employed on active the Military Academy and qualified enlisted men have been apduty, other than in command of troops, and they then receive full pointed, are filled from civil life. To be eligible for appointment a pay and allowances. candidate must be a citizen of the United States, unmarried, beThe army is recruited entirely by voluntary enlistment. tween the ages of 21 and 27 years, and must be approved by Recruiting officers are maintained in the principal cities and an examining board of five officers as to habits, moral character, towns. In ordinary circumstances each regiment furnishes one physical ability, education and general fitness for the service. In officer for a two years’ tour of recruiting duty, but during time of peace very few appointments from civil life are made, but active service in the field this duty is largely performed in time of war there is a large number. by convalescent officers. These officers report direct to the adThere are, in addition to the Engineer School already mentioned, jutant-general. The principal requirements for enlistment are four service schools for officers. These are : the Artillery School that the applicant for first enlistment must be between the ages at Fort Monroe, Virginia ; the Infantry and Cavalry School at of 18 and 35 ; must be of good character ; must be able to read Fort Leavenworth, Kansas; the Cavalry and Light Artillery and write the English language ; must be a citizen of the United School at Fort Riley, Kansas ; the Army Medical School at WashStates or have legally declared his intention to become such ; and ington. The commandants, staffs, and instructors at these schools must pass a rigid physical examination. The records for a number are officers specially selected. The garrison at Fort Monroe is of years show that over 80 per cent, of applicants for enlistment composed of several companies of coast artillery. The lieuare rejected. The term of enlistment is three years. The pay of tenants constitute the class. They are relieved and replaced a soldier ranges from that of a private (13 dollars a month) up by others on 1st September of each year. The course through the various grades to that of a chief musician (60 dollars of instruction comprises the following subjects: artillery, a month). The third year a dollar a month is added, the fourth ballistics, engineering, steam and mechanics, electricity and mines, year (should the soldier re-enlist) two dollars a month, the fifth chemistry and explosives, military science, practical military year three dollars a month, and the sixth year five dollars a month. exercises, photography, telegraphy, and cordage (the use of ropes, Thereafter a dollar a month is added for each five years’ service. the making of various kinds of knots and lashings, rigging After thirty years’ service the soldier is entitled to go on the shears, &c., for the handling of heavy guns). July and August retired list with three-fourths of pay and allowances. The soldier of each year are ordinarily devoted to artillery target practice. has a liberal allowance of clothing, and his food is furnished, so The course at the Infantry and Cavalry School is for two that his pay is almost all spending money. Retired officers and years. The class of student officers is made up of one lieutenant men form a part of the army and are paid by army paymasters. from each regiment of infantry and cavalry, and such others as Pensions, in regard to which the country is very liberal (they call may be detailed. They are assigned to the organizations comprisfor about 140,000,000 dollars annually) are paid to persons no ing the garrison, normally a regiment of infantry, a squadron (fourlonger in the service, and the money is not disbursed by the War troops) of cavalry, and a battery of field artillery. The departDepartment. ments of instruction are : military art, engineering, law, infantry, The principal source from which officers are supplied to the cavalry, military hygiene. Much attention is paid to practical army is the Military Academy at West Point. The President has work in the minor operations of war, the troops of the garrison Officers. thirty appointments cadets at hisanddisposal, which being utilized in connection therewith. At the close of the final are generally given toofsons of army navy officers. examinations of each class at Fort Monroe and Fort Leavenworth, Each senator and each representative and delegate in Congress has those officers most distinguished for proficiency are reported to the one. These appointments are not made annually, but as vacancies adjutant-general of the army. Two from each class of the Artillery occur through graduation of cadets, or their discharge before School, and not more than five (the number to be determined by the graduation. The maximum number of cadets is 481. The com- lieutenant-general commanding the army) from each class at the manding officer of the academy has the title of superintendent. Infantry and Cavalry School, are thereafter, so long as they remain in the service, noted in the annual army register as “honour 1 That is, an examination in English grammar, mathematics, graduates.” The work of the Cavalry and Light Artillery School geography, history, constitutional and international law. at Fort Riley is mainly practical, and is carried on by the regular
