Constitutional Whig

TO THE MILITIA OFFICERS OF VIRGINIA.

I have been highly gratified of late, in looking over our public prints, to see the laudable spirit which is awake in relation to the defective system of our Militia. This spirit has been evinced by the various meetings of our Militia Officers in almost every county in eastern, and many of the western counties of our State, calling the attention of our next Legislature to this important subject. Important it must be acknowledged to be: because a well trained militia is justly considered the great bulwark and safeguard of the rights and liberties of a free people.

That the present state of discipline of our militia is defective, is a fact so glaring, that its defects have become the butt and ridicule of the most superficial observer in the least acquainted with military tactics.

But it has been a matter of surprise to me, that though all agree in deprecating our present state of discipline, no one should have touched upon what I humbly consider its great and radical defects, and whence this imperfect state of our discipline is mainly to be attributed.

The humble object of this communication, is to obtain the attention of our Legislature and the militia officers of our state generally, and point out to them what I consider the principal defects of our system, at least, so far as discipline is concerned. I hope in so doing, I shall be exculpated from the charge of presumption, when I state my observations, are the result of between four and five years active service in the regular army, and having for the last fifteen years been acting as a commissioned officer in our Militia, and consequently a close observer of its defects.

I would set out with stating, that in my opinion it is immaterial, which, or how many of the numerous plans are adopted which are so gravely recommended—Classify our Militia—increase the number of musters to 365 in the year if you will—train our officers in camp or out of camp—without an entire change in our system of drills. I pronounce our militia to be still inefficient, and that it will prove a fruitful source of chagrin and disappointment to the State at large.

Our present mode of discipline is defective in not requiring the practice of one uniform system—in the application of that system—and lastly, in the manner of instructing our officers, which I shall assume, (without fear of contradiction) to be the source from whence these defects spring.

As respects uniformity—the necessity of uniformity of drill must be obvious to the greatest novice in military tactics, and so conscious are the leading officers of our regular army of its importance, that they have prevailed upon Congress to publish, and to a small extent distribute amongst the militia officers of the different States of the Union, the very excellent manual of infantry tactics adopted by them, to insure in case of emergency their more effectual co-operation. 'Tis not sufficient for our Legislature simply to give their sanction to this system;—I would recommend to them to publish such a number as will enable all commandants of Regiments to see a copy in a still more concise and abridged form placed in the hands of every commissioned and non-commissioned officer in our Militia; and in this publication let it be understood, that all violations in the application of the principles therein contained will be held reprehensible, and in order the more effectually to enforce this system, to make all violations on the part of the Brigade Inspector, offences to which should be attached a pecuniary penalty. The consequence would be, in place of one taking Duane, and another Steuben, and a third, some equally old and exploded system as his guide, we shall see a system adopted which has been in operation in our regular army for the last fourteen years to the utter exclusion of every other.

But it will be in vain for us to take the most perfect system as our guide, unless we enforce it with regularity and method; the observance of which has been most seriously neglected. 'Too frequently do we see it the case, that when a system is placed in the hands of a militia officer, he passes over by far the most important part of it as scarcely worthy his notice, at least making it quite a secondary consideration; viz., the school of the soldier, without a knowledge of which, it will be in vain for him ever so think of acquiring any degree of celebrity as a disciplined officer. The Battalion movements alone generally attract his attention, & he considers himself disciplined in proportion to the number of evolutions he thinks himself perfect in. It is an established fact, that if we are to become proficient in any art or science, we must set out at the proper point—viz: the first rudiments. Therefore, if we wish to succeed in acquiring a knowledge of military tactics, we must set out with the school of the soldier, which is justly considered the basis of military discipline. I consider this to be to the soldier what the four first rules in arithmetic are to the mathematician, or a knowledge of the first axioms, or established principles are to the geometrician, and as well might it be attempted to solve the most difficult problem in either science, without a knowledge of the above rudiments, as to attempt evolutions with a body of men, without some knowledge of the school of the soldier. It is there we acquire a knowledge of the first important principles, viz: Positions, Facings, Dressing, Wheeling, the just and accurate cadence of step, and that cool attentive steadiness, which combined, constitute the leading features, and in fact, the grand characteristic of a disciplined soldier. It was well answered on the part of a celebrated Prussian General, when asked when he considered a soldier disciplined? he replied when he could march, face, and dress. In fact, the performance of the most difficult evolution is only an application of those principles. The soldier in the ranks, is justly considered a complete machine, for he is taught to look to his officer for his command, for every change of position. This admitted, it must be evident, what course of drill should be pursued by our militia Captains. When a Captain's company is formed in front of him, in place of (what I have too frequently seen) strewing them about like sheep, in the attempt to perform some evolutions, indifferently understood on his part, and worse executed on the part of the men, leading them to believe that a few evolutions wretchedly performed, constituted the perfection of military tactics.

Instead of this, he should divide them in squads under the command of himself and his subalterns, to instruct them so far as the full time allotted will admit in what is necessary, and all that is necessary for a soldier to know, which, as I have already endeavored to show, may be summed up in the school of the soldier. The good effect of such a method, would soon manifest itself at a Battalion Muster, or even in the face of an enemy. In consequence of having some knowledge of the principles of correct marching, we should see troops condensed, and moving steadily while executing the few movements required in front of an opposing army, instead of what is certain to result from our present mode of drill, viz: want of connection or system in marching; giving rise to those large openings, and irregular gaps, which every military man knows to be the forerunners of confusion, terror and flight, especially when exposed to the fire of an enemy. But I have heard some officers contend that it is impossible to train the great body of the militia. For, say they, the confusion, inattention and levity are so great, that it is time thrown away to attempt to instruct them.

But I am ready to assert and prove that the entire fault rests with the officer, and is to be ascribed to his utter ignorance of military knowledge and consequent inability to instruct them. What can be expected of a set of men strewed about in the manner already described, without any degree of system? The drill becomes a complete burlesque on every thing like military discipline, and exhibits a scene worthy the comic pencil of an Hogarth.

The consequence is, that the men not being able to see the application of what the officer is attempting, (which in fact the best disciplined soldier could scarcely make out) the men lose confidence, and interest; and impatience, inattention and levity are the results. But I consider it a libel on the good sense and public spirit of the citizen, who on all occasions is respectful, attentive and silent, before the Judge and Magistrate presiding in their official capacity, of administering the law—it is a slander on his patriotism to say he will not be equally so while endeavoring to acquire a knowledge of military tactics—under a competent person,) a knowledge so useful in repelling danger from the liberties and institutions of his country. I say he will not only be equally attentive, but under a proper instructor (who must be capable before he can command his confidence and attention)—he will in consequence of being trained in a regular manner, though he should be taught only the principles of executing a wheel at a drill—he will soon see how a body of men can be brought to act in concert. The result will be, that his feelings, his patriotism and pride, will be roused, and he will be better reconciled to six musters in the year, than he is at present to one. The system which will pervade his drills, and by which he will obtain some military knowledge, will induce him more cheerfully to comply with the law, which should require six musters of him in the year, than he submits to one under an officer who may be as ignorant as himself. For how frequently do we hear it said, that the citizen would not mind attending muster, if he could learn any thing.

It may be asked, how are our officers to acquire a knowledge of the various evolutions? I would answer, not by experimenting in this loose manner with their companies, but by passing through a regular course of instruction step by step, themselves, in conformity with the principles to which I have alluded. I consider the present method of instructing our officers as deficient. There may be some exceptions, but I am apprehensive they will be found very few indeed, and it is to this source I ascribe the imperfect state of discipline. I am glad to see that the defects of this part of the system are becoming generally understood. That it is necessary to have our officers well trained before we can expect to see any thing like discipline in the great body of the militia, must be as evident as any truth deducible from cause and effect. Consequently it cannot be a matter of surprise, that the great body of our militia should be in a state of entire ignorance, when the officers to whom they are taught to look up, and depend upon for the necessary instruction, are in most instances as ignorant as themselves.

I do not wish, by this remark, to be understood as casting the least reflection on the body of the officers, but only to censure the manner in which they are trained.

I would ask what can be expected of men trained little more than two days in the year, and generally in the most loose manner? For in most of the training which I have witnessed, (or from enquiry heard of) there is not the least attempt on the part of the Brigade Inspector to instruct them with any degree of system.

It is but justice to state, many of the brigade inspectors with whom I have conversed on the subject, have assured me they were fully sensible of the defective mode of instruction at present pursued, and perfectly agree with me as to the course of instruction which should be adopted to render our militia at all efficient; and in the opinion, that the defects of our system were to be attributed principally to the want of a good method of training officers. Indeed there seems to be but one opinion as to this defect. I would beg leave to suggest what I should regard as a proper course of instruction to be pursued, though I am aware it may not meet the views of every San Grado in military tactics, for I must premise that the principal part of what they have been for years learning, is not of the least use.

I would observe, that let the Brigade Inspector be ever so competent, it is utterly impossible for him to drill the officers of two regiments in a proper manner, and much more so, the officers of a whole brigade, should they be brought together in camp. I consider the number too great, to have that attention paid to each, which the various stages of discipline through which each should progress, demands. I would ask, what would any instructor of our regular army think of the man who should attempt to drill some fifty or sixty men in a body, many of them for the first time fallen in the ranks, and consequently without the least knowledge of step, facings, the principles of a wheel, dressing and position, which the novice with an utter ignorance of these principles, is dragged in some way or other through all the routine of change of fronts and flanks, by echelon direct and indirect, and through all the catalogue of manœuvres that have been heard of from the time of Marlborough to the present day, expatiating at times largely upon the great advantages of the echelon position; and endeavoring to prove to them that it is an eligible mode of changing the front in face of an enemy!

I think a little reflection will render it obvious that the proper course of instruction will be to class the officers in such a manner that all who have not a correct knowledge of the first principles will be thrown in a class to themselves, and there regularly instructed step by step in the all-important principles before they are allowed to obtain a knowledge of the few evolutions strictly necessary, and which I consider quite secondary in importance. I consider this first step so important, that I regard it as indispensable in qualifying a military officer to move himself with the ranks, and to impart that necessary and indispensable knowledge to the men who may be placed under his instruction. How absurd, to suppose he can impart a knowledge to others, which he does not possess himself? After having acquired these principles, he will be raised from the squad drill, and allowed to fall in the ranks to acquire a knowledge of the few movements which would be necessary to perform in actual service.

I have said, that few evolutions are necessary during an action. I will now state, from my own experience in actual service, in what those few consist, and call upon any officer of our regular army to say if he has seen any other performed by an army in front of an enemy. I will comprise them in some six or eight movements, viz: forming from line to column, at either close or quarter distance—deploying again into line—taking ground to right or left, in column order—marching in column order, half, whole, or at quarter distance—changing direction of a solid column, oblique or direct, to its former front—the formation of square from column—advancing or retiring in line.

I have no objections to a regular army in time of peace, being so disciplined, that you can turn or twist them about in any and every direction; but owing to the comparatively short time which can be devoted to the training of militia officers, I would recommend that that time be devoted principally to what is strictly necessary—viz: giving them a thorough and well grounded knowledge of the school of the soldier; for the purpose of enabling them to instruct their companies in all that is strictly necessary they should know, and instructed as officers in the few movements, before enumerated.

But few and comparatively simple as these evolutions are, they will require considerable care, labor and practice to become perfect in them. It is here (if the Instructor does his duty.) he will be taught to be uniform, prompt and correct in words of command—to know his station in every position—the vital importance of judging accurately of distance, so aptly expressed by the French, (coup d'œil) made perfect in all the minutiae of one evolution, before he is allowed to commence another; and what is of equal importance, the application of every evolution, by which every intelligent officer will soon be convinced of what I have asserted, that by the above few and simple evolutions, he will be able to effect every possible change of front; and what is of still greater importance, should his country need his services in the capacity of a commandant of a regiment of Militia, to attempt any other in face of an enemy, would be attended with the most disastrous consequences.

It may be said, that, I have not yet pointed out how the Brigade Inspector is to get the necessary assistance, to enable him to class the officers? To which I answer, that this, with many other difficulties, attendant on the present general arrangement, I leave to the united wisdom of a Military Convention, and our Legislative body, where I have no doubt, the subject will receive that attention which its importance demands.

It will be obvious, from what I have said, that my object has not been to point out the defects, and offer remedies for the whole system, taken in a general point of view, but to confine myself to our present defective mode of drill, and conclude with again asserting, that without an entire and radical change in our mode of drill, all other modifications of our system will prove fruitless.

I cannot, however, close the above communication without suggesting to the two honorable bodies, which are to meet on this subject, to augment the pay of the Brigade Inspector, who, if he be not qualified is dear at any price—but if he is qualified, the small pittance he at present receives for so important an undertaking is far too small, I would farther require him to receive at the termination of each training, a certificate that he has not only trained the men days, but that he has trained them in conformity to the prescribed mode of instruction—which last regulation would be the means of causing an officer to know what is necessary, to qualify him to command in the ranks; and what is necessary, and all that is necessary, to qualify the soldier for his station. The result will be, that we shall see our citizens trained with system, and the militia become a great bulwark to protect the lives and liberties of a free people

A MILITIA OFFICER.