LEGION OF THE UNITED STATES.

Among the many experiments so rapidly succeeding each other, was a scheme for merging the infantry, cavalry, and artillery into a single body under the designation of the Legion of the United States.

The plan seems to have originated with Baron von Steuben, who, "upon a review of all the military of Europe," frankly stated that "the legion alone has not been adopted by any," yet he ventured to recommend it for reasons as follows:

1. Being a complete and little army of itself, it is ready to begin its operations on the shortest notice or slightest alarm.

2. Having all the component parts of the largest army of any possible description, it is prepared to meet every species of war that may present itself.

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Despite all the experience of Europe and even of America, despite all the changes in arms and tactics since the days of ancient Rome, the plan so completely captivated General Knox, the Secretary of War, that he unhesitatingly recommended its adoption both for the Army and the militia.

In regard to the latter he proposed:

All the militia of the United States shall assume the form of the Legion, which shall be the permanent establishment thereof.

The militia was to be divided into three bodies, to be designated the "advanced," "main," and "reserved" corps.

The first corps was to embrace all youths of 18, 19, and 20 years of age; the second, all men between the ages of 21 and 45; the third, all men between the ages of 46 and 60. All members of the "advanced corps" under 20 were to receive military instruction for thirty days at "annual camps of discipline," while the other young men of the corps were only required to be present during the last ten days of the encampment. After graduating in this school the members of the advanced corps were to pass into the "main corps," their instruction in the art of war being continued by "exercise and maneuvers,” four days in each year.

On the 27th of December, 1792, the legional organization was adopted, and the fact communicated to Congress as follows:

The President of the United States, by virtue of the powers vested in him by law, hereby establishes the following organization of the troops of the United States: The commissioned officers hereinafter designated, together with noncommissioned officers, musicians, and privates authorized by law, amounting to 5,120, are to be denominated the Legion of the United States, which is to be divided into four sublegions.

THE LEGIONARY STAFF.

One major-general or legionary general, 2 aids-de-camp, 1 adjutant and inspector, 1 major commandant of cavalry, 1 major commandant of artillery, 1 quartermaster, 1 deputy quartermaster, 1 surgeon, 1 chaplain.

THE SUBLEGIONS.

Each sublegion to consist of the officers hereinafter named, and 1,280 noncommissioned officers, musicians, and privates, to wit:

Staff.-1 brigadier or sublegionary general, 1 aid-de-camp, 1 brigade or sublegionary major and inspector, 1 quartermaster, 1 surgeon.

a The Duc de Lanzun's legion, which formed part of Rochambeau's army, consisted of infantry, cavalry, and artillery.

One troop of dragoons.-Consisting of 1 captain, 1 lieutenant, 1 cornet, 6 sergeants, 6 corporals, 1 farrier, 1 saddler, 1 trumpeter, 65 dragoons.

One company of artillery.-To consist of 1 captain, 2 lieutenants, 4 sergeants, 4 corporals, 2 musicians, 50 privates, including 10 artificers.

Two battalions of infantry and one battalion of riflemen.-Each consisting of: 1 major,

1 adjutant, 1 quartermaster, 1 surgeon's mate, 1 sergeant-major, 1 quartermastersergeant, 1 senior musician.

Four companies.-Each to consist of: 1 captain, 1 lieutenant, 1 ensign, 6 sergeants, 6 corporals, 2 musicians, 81 privates.

N. B.-The rifle companies: 1 bugler and 82 privates.

The Legion of the United States, noncommissioned officers and privates. 5, 120

SUMMARY VIEW OF THE GENERAL, FIELD, COMMISSIONED, AND STAFF OFFICERS OF THE LEGION OF THE UNITED STATES.

General staff.—One major-general or legionary-general, 4 brigadiers general or sublegionary-generals, 1 adjutant, 1 quartermaster, 1 deputy quartermaster, 1 surgeon, 1 chaplain.

Field.-14 majors, commissioned, 46 captains, 60 lieutenants, a 48 ensigns, 4 cornets. Medical staff.-4 surgeons, 12 surgeon's mates, 6 surgeon's mates for garrison duty and extra service.

The recruiting of the Legion was so slow that up to November, 1794, it only numbered 3,692 men, of whom 2,643 participated in General Wayne's expedition against the Indians. This officer moved from Fort Washington (Cincinnati) in September, 1793, and built a fort some 80 miles to the north, on the site of the present town of Greenville, Ohio, where he went into winter quarters.

In the following June, a strong detachment marched to the scene of St. Clair's defeat, and erected Fort Recovery, which a few weeks after was unsuccessfully attacked by the Indians. Moving forward, Wayne finally engaged and routed the main body of the Indians on the 20th of August, 1794, near the rapids of the Maumee River, about 7 miles from a military post established by their British sympathizers. Though reenforced in July by some 1,100 mounted volunteers from Kentucky, he had still a large preponderance of well-disciplined regulars, and it was their charge with the bayonet that broke the Indian center and drove the savages under the guns of the English fort. This brilliant victory avenged the defeats of Harmar and St. Clair, and struck a blow which resounded along our frontier from the Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico.

ORGANIZATION OF THE MILITIA.

From the small size and temporary duration of the military establishment created by our early legislators, it is plain that their intention was to entirely dispense with a standing army. But, as time rolled on, Shay's rebellion, the constant Indian troubles, and the possibility of a conflict with foreign powers, brought about a widespread conviction that the national defense could not be neglected. After much discussion, our statesmen then turned to the militia and tried to satisfy

a The aids-de-camp are included in the number of commissioned officers.

public opinion by the organic law of May 8, 1792, entitled "An act more effectually to provide for the national defense, by establishing an uniform militia throughout the United States."

The first section of this law prescribed:

That each and every free, able-bodied, white male citizen of the respective States, resident therein, who is or shall be of the age of eighteen years, and under the age of forty-five years (except as hereinafter excepted) shall, severally and respectively, be enrolled in the militia by the captain or commanding officer of the company, within whose bounds such citizen shall reside, and that within twelve months after the passing of this act. And it shall at all times hereafter, be the duty of every such captain or commanding officer of a company, to enroll every such citizen, as aforesaid, and also those who shall, from time to time, arrive at the age of eighteen years, or, being the age of eighteen years, and under the age of forty-five years (except as before excepted), shall come to reside within his bounds; and shall, without delay, notify such citizen of the said enrollment, by a proper noncommissioned officer of the company, by whom such notice may be proved. That every citizen so enrolled and notified, shall, within six months thereafter, provide himself with a good musket or firelock, a sufficient bayonet and belt, two spare flints, and a knapsack, a pouch, with a box therein to contain not less than twentyfour cartridges, suited to the bore of his musket or firelock, each cartridge to contain a proper quantity of powder and ball; or, with a good rifle, knapsack, shot pouch, and powderhorn, twenty balls suited to the bore of his rifle, and a quarter of a pound of powder; and shall appear, so armed, accoutered, and provided, when called out to exercise or into service; except, that when called out on company days' exercise only, he may appear without a knapsack. That the commissioned officers shall, severally, be armed with a sword or hanger and spontoon; and that from and after five years from the passing of this act all muskets for arming the militia, as herein required, shall be of bores sufficient for balls of the eighteenth part of a pound, and every citizen so enrolled and providing himself with the arms, ammunition, and accouterments required as aforesaid, shall hold the same exempted from all suits, distress, executions, or sales for debt or for the payment of taxes.

The second section exempted from military duty certain officers of the General Government, ferrymen, pilots, etc., in addition to those who might be exempted by the States.

The third section relates to organization, and prescribed:

That within one year after the passing of this act the militia of the respective States shall be arranged into divisions, brigades, regiments, battalions, and companies, as the legislature of such States shall direct; and each division, brigade, and regiment shall be numbered at the formation thereof and a record made of such numbers in the adjutant-general's office in the State; and when in the field, or in service in the State, each division, brigade, and regiment shall, respectively, take rank according to their numbers, reckoning the first or lowest number highest in rank. That, if the same be convenient, each brigade shall consist of four regiments, each regiment of two battalions, each battalion of five companies, each company of 64 privates. That the said militia shall be officered by the respective States as follows:

To each division, one major-general and two aids-de-camp, with the rank of major; to each brigade, one brigadier-general, with one brigade inspector, to serve also as brigade major, with the rank of a major; to each regiment, one lieutenantcolonel commandant; a and to each battalion, one major; to each company, one captain, one lieutenant, one ensign, four sergeants, four corporals, one drummer, and one fifer or bugler. That there shall be a regimental staff, to consist of one adjutant and one quartermaster, to rank as lieutenants; one paymaster, one surgeon, and one surgeon's mate, one sergeant-major, one drum major, and one fife major.

The fourth section required that for each division there should be at least one company of artillery, and one troop of horse, and also provided that the officers, privates, and troopers should furnish their own arms and equipments, including horses for the cavalry, the same as in the infantry.

a The 20th of April, 1816, a colonel was added to the field officers of each regiment of two battalions.

A mere glance at the military edifice proposed by this law shows that its foundations were built on the sands.

During the Revolution the Government shifted upon the States the responsibility of providing men, arms, and even the daily supplies for the troops; but under the provisions of this law both Government and States went one step further, and shifted upon individual citizens the responsibility of providing their own arms, horses, and equipments. No penalty was enacted for a failure to procure such supplies, Congress having no power to enforce it, and the States were therefore left to apply such penalties by way of fines as their legislatures might see fit to impose. Even had the citizen been willing to furnish at his own cost that which it was the unmistakable duty of the Government to provide, the further execution of the law depended wholly on the voluntary and concurrent action of the States, without which a “uniform militia throughout the United States" would be impossible.

It is not necessary to discuss the military qualifications of the swarm of generals appointed by the different States, nor to dwell upon the utter lack of instruction and discipline of the rank and file of the mili tia, although it was upon these that the General Government would have had to depend in case of actual war.

The first section of the act, however, laid down the truly democratic doctrine that every able-bodied male citizen owed military service to his country, and likewise provided for a system of enrollment and territorial recruiting. These two features of the law were so praiseworthy and of such vital importance that all its other defects may be overlooked. Again and again the Continental Army was on the verge of dissolution because both of these principles were ignored; and to their subsequent neglect we shall be able to trace most of the weakness and waste which still characterize our wars.

Aside, however, from the military defects of the system, it is only when we examine it from the standpoint of the taxpayer that its fundamental errors become fully apparent. For one National Army were substituted thirteen or more State armies. In place of having a small but efficient force of regulars, supported by indirect taxation, the citizens of each State were called upon to pay over their hard-earned dollars to maintain undisciplined bodies of militia, totaily ignorant of the first principles of the military art. Even had all the States with patriotic regard for the welfare of the whole country maintained their quotas of militia during the long intervals of peace, they would have been at the expense of a large military force for the benefit of the General Government, and that, too, without compensation except in time of If, on the contrary, as has since happened, certain States should fail to keep up a militia, the burden of their shortcomings would be unjustly borne by the remainder.

war.

View it in whatever light we may, the conversion of the militia into an army of the first line, as designed by the law, was a wild and impracticable scheme. This class of our citizen soldiers will never take the place wisely reserved for them by the framers of the Constitution, until it becomes our settled policy to call them out as a last resort only, in case of actual invasion.

CORPS OF ARTILLERISTS AND ENGINEERS.

On the 9th of May, 1794, Congress authorized the enlistment of 764 noncommissioned officers and men to serve three years, who were to

be incorporated with the four companies of artillery then forming part of the Legion of the United States, and be denominated the Corps of Artillerists and Engineers.

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The Corps was organized into 4 battalions of 4 companies each, with a lieutenant-colonel commandant, 4 majors, 1 corps and 4 battalion adjutants, 1 paymaster, 1 surgeon, and 4 surgeon's mates (assistant surgeons). Each company consisted of 1 captain, 2 lieutenants, 2 cadets, 4 sergeants, 4 corporals, 42 privates, sappers, and miners, 10 artificers to serve as privates, and 2 musicians. The strength of the Corps, exclusive of officers, was fixed at 992.

The appointment of two cadets to each company, which was a recognition of the value of professional training as a qualification for a commission, soon led to important results.

THE WHISKEY REBELLION.

In August, 1794, troubles arose in western Pennsylvania in regard to the enforcement of the revenue laws of the United States, and it was again made manifest that civil officers, unsupported by military force, are not always able to keep the peace. With the motto "Liberty and no excise," malcontents assembled in arms to the number of 7,000, and refusing to disperse, pursuant to a proclamation of the President, he was obliged to call upon the governors of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia for 15,000 militia, no regular troops being available. The quotas asked for were promptly furnished, except by Pennsylvania, where the militia were unreliable through sympathy with their rebellious fellow-citizens; but when the governors of the States, who marched at the head of their troops, reached the scene of the troubles, the insurgents were induced to disperse without bloodshed.

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In anticipation of such disturbances, and as indication of its distrust of the militia, Congress, by the act of May 2, 1792, authorizing the President "to call forth the militia to execute the laws of the Union, to suppress insurrection, and repel invasions," wisely provided that "if the militia of the State where such combination may happen shall refuse or be insufficient to suppress the same, it shall be lawful for the President, if the Legislature of the United States be not in session, to call forth and employ such number of the militia of any other State, or States, most convenient thereto, as may be necessary.

Going a step further, if there were no Regular Army, it is clear that the power of the President to execute the laws would be completely exhausted should the militia of all the States refuse to obey his call, whether from sympathy with disaffection or other cause; and should it ever be our policy to raise a revenue solely by excise duties or direct taxation, the General Government could be reduced to a state of utter helplessness and inefficiency if it depended upon the militia alone.

REORGANIZATION OF 1795-1797.

By the act of March 3, 1795, the Corps of Artillerists and Engineers and the Legion of the United States to the number of 4,800 enlisted men were continued, subject to the condition that the whole or any

a Pennsylvania's quota was partially replaced by a force of volunteers.