memoirs of general william t. sherman-2-第102章

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ur　companies　each。　　This　is　an　excellent　form；　easily　admitting　of　subdivision　as　well　as　union　into　larger　masses。

A　single　battalion　of　four　companies；　with　a　field…officer；　will　compose　a　good　body　for　a　garrison；　for　a　separate　expedition；　or　for　a　detachment；　and；　in　war；　three　regiments　would　compose　a　good　brigade；　three　brigades　a　division；　and　three　divisions　a　strong　cavalry　corps；　such　as　was　formed　and　fought　by　Generals　Sheridan　and　Wilson　during　the　war。

In　the　artillery　arm；　the　officers　differ　widely　in　their　opinion　of　the　true　organization。　　A　single　company　forms　a　battery；　and　habitually　each　battery　acts　separately；　though　sometimes　several　are　united　or　〃massed；〃　but　these　always　act　in　concert　with　cavalry　or　infantry。

Nevertheless；　the　regimental　organization　for　artillery　has　always　been　maintained　in　this　country　for　classification　and　promotion。　Twelve　companies　compose　a　regiment；　and；　though　probably　no　colonel　ever　commanded　his　full　regiment　in　the　form　of　twelve　batteries；　yet　in　peace　they　occupy　our　heavy　sea…coast　forts　or　act　as　infantry；　then　the　regimental　organization　is　both　necessary　and　convenient。

But　the　infantry　composes　the　great　mass　of　all　armies；　and　the　true　form　of　the　regiment　or　unit　has　been　the　subject　of　infinite　discussion；　and；　as　I　have　stated；　during　the　civil　war　the　regiment　was　a　single　battalion　of　ten　companies。　　In　olden　times　the　regiment　was　composed　of　eight　battalion　companies　and　two　flank　companies。　　The　first　and　tenth　companies　were　armed　with　rifles；　and　were　styled　and　used　as　〃skirmishers；〃　but　during　'the　war　they　were　never　used　exclusively　for　that　special　purpose；　and　in　fact　no　distinction　existed　between　them　and　the　other　eight　companies。

The　ten…company　organization　is　awkward　in　practice；　and　I　am　satisfied　that　the　infantry　regiment　should　have　the　same　identical　organization　as　exists　for　the　cavalry　and　artillery；　viz。；　twelve　companies；　so　as　to　be　susceptible　of　division　into　three　battalions　of　four　companies　each。

These　companies　should　habitually　be　about　a　hundred　one　men　strong；　giving　twelve　hundred　to　a　regiment；　which　in　practice　would　settle　down　to　about　one　thousand　men。

Three　such　regiments　would　compose　a　brigade；　three　brigades　a　division；　and　three　divisions　a　corps。　　Then；　by　allowing　to　an　infantry　corps　a　brigade　of　cavalry　and　six　batteries　of　field…artillery；　we　would　have　an　efficient　　corps　d'armee　of　thirty　thousand　men；　whose　organization　would　be　simple　and　most　efficient；　and　whose　strength　should　never　be　allowed　to　fall　below　twenty…five　thousand　men。

The　corps　is　the　true　unit　for　grand　campaigns　and　battle；　should　have　a　full　and　perfect　staff；　and　every　thing　requisite　for　separate　action；　ready　at　all　times　to　be　detached　and　sent　off　for　any　nature　of　service。　　The　general　in　command　should　have　the　rank　of　lieutenant…general；　and　should　be；　by　experience　and　education；　equal　to　any　thing　in　war。　　Habitually　with　us　he　was　a　major…　general；　specially　selected　and　assigned　to　the　command　by　an　order　of　the　President；　constituting；　in　fact；　a　separate　grade。


The　division　is　the　unit　of　administration；　and　is　the　legitimate　command　of　a　major　general。

The　brigade　is　the　next　subdivision；　and　is　commanded　by　a　brigadier…general。

The　regiment　is　the　family。　　The　colonel；　as　the　father；　should　have　a　personal　acquaintance　with　every　officer　and　man；　and　should　instill　a　feeling　of　pride　and　affection　for　himself；　so　that　his　officers　and　men　would　naturally　look　to　him　for　personal　advice　and　instruction。　　In　war　the　regiment　should　never　be　subdivided；　but　should　always　be　maintained　entire。　　In　peace　this　is　impossible。

The　company　is　the　true　unit　of　discipline；　and　the　captain　is　the　company。　　A　good　captain　makes　a　good　company；　and　he　should　have　the　power　to　reward　as　well　as　punish。　　The　fact　that　soldiers　world　naturally　like　to　have　a　good　fellow　for　their　captain　is　the　best　reason　why　he　should　be　appointed　by　the　colonel；　or　by　some　superior　authority；　instead　of　being　elected　by　the　men。

In　the　United　States　the　people　are　the　〃sovereign；〃　all　power　originally　proceeds　from　them；　and　therefore　the　election　of　officers　by　the　men　is　the　common　rule。　　This　is　wrong；　because　an　army　is　not　a　popular　organization；　but　an　animated　machine；　an

instrument　in　the　hands　of　the　Executive　for　enforcing　the　law；　and　maintaining　the　honor　and　dignity　of　the　nation；　and　the　President；　as　the　constitutional　commander…in…chief　of　the　army　and　navy；　should　exercise　the　power　of　appointment　（subject　to　the　confirmation　of　the　Senate）　of　the　officers　of　〃volunteers；〃　as　well　as　of　〃regulars。〃

No　army　can　be　efficient　unless　it　be　a　unit　for　action；　and　the　power　must　come　from　above；　not　from　below：　the　President　usually　delegates　his　power　to　the　commander…in…chief；　and　he　to　the　next；　and　so　on　down　to　the　lowest　actual　commander　of　troops；　however　small　the　detachment。　　No　matter　how　troops　come　together；　when　once　united；　the　highest　officer　in　rank　is　held　responsible；　and　should　be　consequently　armed　with　the　fullest　power　of　the　Executive；　subject　only　to　law　and　existing　orders。　　The　more　simple　the　principle；　the　greater　the　likelihood　of　determined　action；　and　the　less　a　commanding　officer　is　circumscribed　by　bounds　or　by　precedent；　the　greater　is　the　probability　that　he　will　make　the　best　use　of　his　command　and　achieve　the　best　results。

The　Regular　Army　and　the　Military　Academy　at　West　Point　have　in　the　past　provided；　and　doubtless　will　in　the　future　provide　an　ample　supply　of　good　officers　for　future　wars；　but；　should　their　numbers　be　insufficient；　we　can　always　safely　rely　on　the　great　number　of　young　men　of　education　and　force　of　character　throughout　the　country；　to　supplement　them。　　At　the　close　of　our　civil　war；　lasting　four　years；　some　of　our　best　corps　and　division　generals；　as　well　as　staff…officers；　were　from　civil　life；　but　I　cannot　recall　any　of　the　most　successful　who　did　not　express　a　regret　that　he　had　not　received　in　early　life　instruction　in　the　elementary　principles　of　the　art　of　war；　instead　of　being　forced　to　acquire　this　knowledge　in　the　dangerous　and　expensive　school　of　actual　war。

But　the　vital　difficulty　was；　and　will　be　again；　to　obtain　an　adequate　number　of　good　soldiers。　　We　tried　almost　every　system　known　to　modern　nations；　all　with　more　or　less　successvoluntary　enlistments；　the　draft；　and　bought　substitutes…and　I　think　that　all　officers　of　experience　will　confirm　my　assertion　that　the　men　who　voluntarily　enlisted　at　the　outbreak　of　the　war　were　the　best；　better　than　the　conscript；　and　far　better　than　the　bought　substitute。　　When　a　regiment　is　once　organized　in　a　State；　and　mustered　into　the　service　of　the　United　States；　the　officers　and　men　become　subject　to　the　same　laws　of　discipline　and　government　as　the　regular　troops。　　They　are　in　no　sense　〃militia；〃　but　compose　apart　of　the　Army　of　the　United　States；　only　retain　their　State　title　for　convenience；　and　yet　may　be　principally　recruited　from　the　neighborhood　of　their　original　organization：　Once。　　organized；　the　regiment　should　be　kept　full　by　recruits；　and　when　it　becomes　difficult　to　obtain　more　recruits　the　pay　should　be　raised　by　Congress；　instead　of　tempting　new　men　by　exaggerated　bounties。　　I　believe　it　would　have　been　more　economical　to　have　raised　the　pay　of　the　soldier　to　thirty　or　even　fifty　dollars　a　month　than　to　have　held　out　the　promise　of　three　hundred　and　even　six　hundred　dollars　in　the　form　of　bounty。　　Toward　the　close　of　the　war；　I　have　often　heard　the　soldiers　complain　that　the　〃stay　at…home〃　men　got　better　pay；　bounties；　and　food；　than　they　who　were　exposed　to　all　the　dangers　and　vicissitudes　of　the　battles　and　marches　at　the　front。　The　feeling　of　the　soldier　should　be　that；　in　every　event；　the　sympathy　and　preference　of　his　government　is　for　him　who　fights；　rather　than　for　him　who　is　on　provost　or　guard　duty　to　the　rear；　and；　like　most　men；　he　measures　this　by　the　amount　of　pay。　　Of　course；　the　soldier　must　be　trained　to　obedience；　and　should　be　〃content　with　his　wages；〃　but　whoever　has　commanded　an　army　in　the　field　knows　the　difference　between　a　willing；　conte