Kentucky Gazette

For the Gazette.

BRIGADE DRILLS.

MR. EDITOR,

Having heard it suggested the other day, that a Brigadier General could not order a training of the officers of any more than the Regiments which may be in the same county, I have examined the militia law to ascertain the truth of the opinion. I will furnish for the satisfaction of all concerned, the acts on the subject.

In the act of 1815, section 6. The Brigadier General is authorised to order the officers, non-commissioned officers and musicians of two or more Regiments in his Brigade to be trained together at some place within the bounds of his command. He shall encamp the troops on the ground, and shall give notice of his intention in his annual notice.

The 3d sect. of an act passed 13th January 1817. (See digest, article militia,) fixes the penalties for not attending those trainings, and the mode of assessing and collecting them.

The 1st sect. of an act passed 3d February 1818, repeals the sixth section above alluded to, so far as regards the non-com. officers and musicians, except the Drum and Fife Majors.

The 2d and 3d sections of an act passed the 17th December 1821, are as follows: "Commanding officers of brigades shall not have power to order a drill muster of a greater portion of the officers of his brigade than reside in any one county, except in cases where there are parts of two brigades in the same county, and then the officers may be drilled with an adjoining regiment of the same brigade in a different county from that in which they may reside."

Sect.3. In all cases where a brigadier general orders a drill muster, the same officers who are bound to attend a Regimental drill, shall attend, armed & equipped as the law directs, and the senior officer present shall command; and where a brigadier general shall order a drill of the officers of any one county, they shall be governed by the same rules and regulations as is at present directed at a brigade drill, and in such cases there shall be no regimental drill in that year."

From the above sections, it will be manifest that the brigadier general of the 3d Brigade, which is composed of regiments in Fayette and Woodford Counties, in the first of which part of another brigade exists, may direct a drill of the regiments in Fayette with those in the adjoining county of Woodford. And that all those who are bound to attend the Regimental drills, are bound to attend the brigade drills. Who they are, will appear from the following section of the act of 1818.

"Sect. 2. There shall be one regimental drill muster in the month of April or May in each year, before the battalion musters, and not to continue longer than three days at each training; and none but commissioned officers, sergeants and musicians are bound to attend."

If the above will be useful as a hint to any persons who are not aware of their duty to attend such meetings it will gratify

GARRARD.