II. MILITARY SCHOOL FOR OFFICERS. The officers of the Russian army obtain their first commission after passing through the Military Schools or Cadet Corps, or if qualified in scientific and other instruction, ascertained by open examination; by serving as privates six months, and as sergeants or ensign two years. Applicants for the Staff Corps, must have served as officers two years, must be recommended by their superior, and have been two years in the Staff School-and there pass an honorable examination in military history and strategy. The following statistics are taken from the Kalender of the St. Petersburg Academy, for 1859. I. Under a Commission or Board of Military Instruction, which reports directly to the Emperor, there are 3 Military Schools of Special Application, viz.: 1 The Nicholas Academy of the Staff, with 22 teachers and 250 scholars. 1 The Nicholas Upper Engineer School, 50 1 The Michael Artillery School,.. 1 Page Corps, or College,.. 1 Ensign's School of the Guards,. 22 Cadet Corps or Military Colleges, 27 66 46 126 32 117 แ The Cadet Corps, or Military Schools, receive their pupils young, and impart a general as well as a scientific education, preparatory to entering the Special Schools of Application either for Engineer, or Artillery, and later in years and experience, the Staff School. These Special Military Schools are not surpassed by any of the same class in Europe. II. Under the Ministry of War there are the following Scientific Establishments and Schools. The Military Schools are of an elementary and technological character, and are intended to supersede a class of schools known as the Cantonist Schools. The experience of the Crimean War demonstrated to the world, the wise forecast of the Russian government in providing for the thorough scientific and practical training of the officers of her great armies as was confessed by the "London Times," in the bitter dis appointments of the English people with their own officers. MILITARY SYSTEM AND EDUCATION OF THE UNITED STATES. I. MILITARY SYSTEM. THE Constitution of the United States grants to Congress the power" to raise and support armies," "to provide and maintain a navy," "to make rules for the government of the land and naval forces; and to provide for calling forth the militia," as well as "for organizing, arming and disciplining" the same, and for governing such parts of them as may be employed in the service of the United States-reserving to the States, respectively, the appointment of the officers, and the authority of training the militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress. By the same instrument the President is made commander-in-chief of the army and navy of the United States, and of the militia of the several States when called into actual service of the United States "to execute the laws of the Union, suppress insurrections, and repel invasions." By law of August, 1789, a department of war, and in 1798, a secretary of the navy is provided to aid the President in the administration of military and naval affairs; and the original rules and articles of war enacted by the Congress of 1776, were continued in force, and in 1806 made the basis of the military code which has since governed all troops mustered into the service of the United States. men. In 1790 the rank and file of the regular army was fixed at 1,216 In 1796 this force was organized into one corps of artillerists and engineers, whose head-quarters was at West Point, two companies of light dragoons, and four regiments of infantry of eight companies each. This force was increased by additional regiments in the war of 1812, the Indian war in Florida, and the war with Mexico, till in 1861, the army consisted of 14,000 men, stationed in the different forts and garrisons, and mainly on the Indian frontier. In the war of the Rebellion the regular army was increased to 50,000 men. By act of July 15, 1870, the number of enlisted men was reduced to 30,000 by or before July 1, 1871. On the 20th of October, 1871, the army was composed as follows: Two regiments of Cavalry,. One battalion of Engineers,.. West Point Detachment,. Hospital stewards,. Ordnance Surgeons,. Available Recruits, en route,. Permanent Recruiting Parties,. General Service Men,. Total,... 8,800 enlisted men. 3,105 23,742 314 66 66 444 202 66 Commissioned Officers,.. Retired Officers,. When the insurrectionary movements and combinations of the Southern States in 1861, proved too powerful to be suppressed by ordinary civil powers, the President, April 15, called for 75,000 volunteers for three months, to defend the capital, and May 3, 42,000 to serve for three years or during the war. On the 22d of July he was authorized to accept the services of 500,000, which, within six months afterwards was increased to 1,000,000. This force proving inadequate, a levy of 300,000 men was ordered in 1863, and in 1864, another call for 500,000 men-making an aggregate of 2,653,062 mustered into the service of the United States, or nearly one fourth of the entire male population of the Northern States. This entire force was disbanded within one year from the close of the war. The development of the naval resources of the country was quite as marvelous. In 1861 the entire navy consisted of 94 war vessels of all classes and in all conditions, capable when in service of carrying 2,415 guns. Only 43 of these ships were in commission, and the seamen and mariners numbered 7,000. In less than three years 200 war vessels were constructed and 418 merchant vessels were converted to military service, and over 50,000 men enlisted in the naval service. The Southern States in rebellion put into the field over 500,000 men, and exhausted their pecuniary resources, with the loss of 300,000 soldiers on the field or in hospital. The debt of the United States contracted in the prosecution of the war, stood in 1866 at the enormous sum of $2,783,425,879. These extraordinary efforts were made under circumstances which are not likely to exist again, and such expenditures could not be repeated without national bankruptcy. The Militia of the United States, by act of Congress of 1792, consists of all white male citizens between the ages of 18 and 45, who must be enrolled and arranged into brigades, regiments, and companies, as the legislature of each State may direct. Of the militia, as organized by state legislation, the governor is commander-in-chief, except when called into the service of the United States. To provide arms and equipments for the whole body of militia, arsenals and armories are provided by Congress, in different parts of the country, at an annual charge of $200,000 (since 1808). In the absence of any official information respecting the number and condition of the Militia of the several States,* we gather the following statistics from a pamphlet by General J. W. Hoffinan, of Philadelphia, on the subject of the National Guard. State. Population. Alabama-996,992. Military Organization. Arkansas-484,167-78 companies of State Guard, with a total of 5,484 men. Colorado-39,864. Illinois-2,539,891. No state organization; a few volunteer companies who provide their own uniforms and are furnished with arms and accoutrements by the State. Indiana-1,680,637. No organization. Iowa-1,191,792. No State organization. Kansas-364,399. No state organization beyond the 2 companies to operate against the Indians. Louisiana-726,915,-37 companies of uniformed infantry, 3 of cavalry, 1 of artillery; organized with 6 regiments, 2 divisions-one of which has 2 brigade organizations; aggregate strength, 3,469 out of 107,821 enrolled militia. Term of service 2 years. Maine-626,915,-10 companies, with an aggregate of 937; State furnishes arms, equipments, and uniforms. The Militia System was broken up by the Volunteer System introduced by the United States and encouraged by State Legislation, and now (1872) even formal returns as to enrollment are not complied with by a majority of the States. Maryland-780,894,-the State provides arms, uniforms, and rent of armories, and exempts members from jury duty. Massachusetts-1,457,351,-92 companies of uniformed infantry, 5 batteries of artillery, 5 companies of cavalry; organized into 10 regiments, 3 brigades, and 1 division; aggregate, 6,277; State pays nearly $200,000 per annum;. at the annual inspection in 1870, 5,221 present. Michigan-1,184,059. Minnesota-439,706,-30 companies of infantry and 4 sections of field artillery. Mississippi-27,922. Missouri-1,721,295. New Hampshire-318,300. New Jersey-906,096,-51 companies of infantry, and 2 batteries of artillery; organized into 4 battalions, 6 regiments, 2 brigades; aggregate, 3,146 out of 127,000 enrolled; every company parade at least 12 times in the year, one of which is by brigade; State appropriated in 1870 $26,126. Term of service 6 years, with exemptions from poll tax and jury duty. New York-4,382,759,-398 companies of infantry, 12 of artillery, 28 of cavalry; organized into 41 regiments, 21 brigades, 8 divisions; aggregate, 24,585; the State furnishes arms and allows rent for armory and $5 per day for any enlisted man who has paraded 7 days in the year, which sum goes into a uniform fund. The State allows for head-quarter expenses, and appropriates annually over $200,000 for its National Guard. Term of service is 7 years, with exemptions from jury duty, and a deduction of $1,000 on the assessed valuation of taxable property. North Carolina-1,071,361. Ohio-2,665,260,-2 companies of uniform infantry and 2 sections of cavalry. Oregon-90,923. Pennsylvania-3,521,791,-311 companies, with an aggregate of 14,800; no general organization into regiments out of the county of Philadelphia. Rhode Island-217,353.-State provides armories, or rent for same and pay of armorer, and $2,50 per day for two days' parade, and $3 per horse. South Carolina-725,606. Tennessee-1,258,520. Texas-818,579. Vermont-330,551,-4 regiments of infantry, 1 battery of artillery; the State provides arms, uniforms, armories, and $2 per day for each days' drill, not exceeding 4 days, and tents for a three days' muster in the autumn. Virginia-1,225,163. West Virginia-442,014. Wisconsin-1,054,670,-8 companies, organized as First Regiment. The above statement of the legal condition of the militia of the several States, which together constitute the army of Reserve of the United States, is not very creditable to all concerned-to the cities and local communities, whose exemption from riots and illegal combinations of bad men may depend on the fact of an organized force, which the voice of authority could in an hour summon to the protection of the threatened houses and workshops of the citizens ;— to the States, whose quota to any national call can not now be depended upon except at the cost of extravagant bounties, and whose raw recruits thus furnished would be worthless till after months of drill and field manœuvres ;—to the nation, whose strength should be its weakness for purposes of foreign aggression, and its ability to summon millions of willing men, familiar with military organization and duties, to the defense of their hearths and free institutions. |