(a) Section 13 of the act of July 28, 1866, provides that, as vacancies occur in the grades of major and captain in the quartermaster's department, no appointment to fill the same shall be made until the number of majors shall be reduced to twelve, and the number of eaptains to thirty, and thereafter the number of officers in each of the said grades shall continue to conform to said reduced numbers, Two of the assistant quartermasters and one of the majors in the Bureau of Military Justice, being also commissioned officers in regiments in the strength of which they are included, are, to avoid counting them twice, excluded as staff officers from the columns "total commissioned" and "aggregate" of their departments. The regimental and staff commissions held by these officers are of unequal grades; and hence they are not affected by the provisions of the 7th section of the act of June 18, 1846. (b) By section 9 of the act of March 3, 1853, a lieutenant of engineers and ordnance, having served fourteen years continuously as lieutenant, is entitled to promotion to the rank of captain; but such promotion is not to increase the whole number in either of the said corps. (c) The military secretary to the Lieutenant General and the forty-three aides-de-camp, being taken from corps or regiments in the strength of which they are included, are, to avoid counting them twice, excluded as aides from the columns "total commissioned" and "aggregate." (d) The adjutant and quartermaster allowed to the battalion of engineers, not being supernumerary officers. but being included in the strength of the corps to which they belong, are, to avoid counting them twice. excluded as battalion staff officers from the columns "total commissioned" and "aggregate" of their depart ment. (e) Assistant surgeons have the rank, pay, and emoluments of lieutenants of cavalry for the first three years of service, and are entitled to promotion to, and to receive the pay and emoluments of, the grade of captain after three years service. Surgeons and assistant surgeons of volunteers, who have served three years prior to appointment in the regular army, are included in the benefits of this provision, being eligible for promotion to the grade of captain immediately upon their appointmen: in the regular army. (f) Under the 4th section of the act of April 29, 1812, "making further provision for the corps of engineers," and the 17th section of the act of March 3, 1847, for promoting distinguished non-commissioned officers, one brevet second lieutenant is allowed to every "company." The number authorized is, consequently, six hun dred and thirty-five. (g) The chaplains to the colored regiments, authorized by the act of July 28, 1866, being appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, are included in the columns "total commissioned" and "aggregate." The chaplains allowed to other regiments in the service, not being commissioned officers, are excluded from those columns. (h) Military storekeepers in the quartermasters' department are entitled to the rank, pay, and emoluments of captains of cavalry. The ordnance storekeeper and paymaster at the national armory at Springfield shall have the rank, pay, and emoluments of major of cavalry, and all other ordnance storekeepers shall have the rank, pay, and emoluments of captains of cavalry. (i) One additional veterinary surgeon is allowed to each of the four new regiments of cavalry authorized by the act of July 28, 1866, whose compensation shall be one hundred dollars per month. Being civilians, these additional veterinary surgeons are excluded from the columns "total enlisted" and " aggregate." (k) The Secretary of War is authorized to appoint as many hospital stewards as the service may require. One hospital steward is also allowed to each military post. The total number of hospital stewards now in service is four hundred and sixty-four. (2) The number of ordnance sergeants is limited to the number of military posts. There are now in service one hundred and nineteen. (m) The number of master wagoners and wagoners allowed in the quartermaster's department is limited only by the exigencies of the service. (n) In the table the maximum organization of the artillery and infantry regiments is given. The minimum organization of a regiment of artillery is 1,130 enlisted men, viz: ten companies, (not mounted,) with four sergeants, eight corporals, and sixty-four privates, and two companies, (mounted,) with six sergeants, twelve corporals, and one hundred and twenty-two privates to a company. The minimum organization of a regiment of infantry is 696 enlisted men, viz: fifty privates to a company. E. D. TOWNSEND, Assistant Adjutant General Total commissioned. Total enlisted. Aggregate. |