ARMY, UNITED STATES. 



of Congress, in agreeing upon a plan of reorganize 



Mut.iMe to our present rerjuire- 



an.l tin- iiriri'iit necessity for curly action, I 



t the matter to you officially, 



a A the attention of Congress to it, believing 



: 'n-v have the matter fairly before thorn, 



t should be done speedily. 



lime settlements arc springing up 

 with unusual rapidity in the district of country be- 

 i Uiver and the Pacific Ocean, whero 

 Iliu Indians were left in undisputed pOS- 

 nigrants are pushing to those settlements 

 and to the gold-fields of the Rocky Mountains by 

 available highway. The people flocking to 

 those regions are citizens of the United States 

 and entitled to the protection of the Government. 

 They are developing the resources of the country 

 -reat advantage, thus making it our interest as 

 well as our duty to give them military protection. 

 This makes a much greater force west of the Missis- 

 sippi necessary than was ever heretofore required. 



A small military force is required in all the States 

 lately in rebellion, and it cannot be foreseen that, this 

 force will not be required for some time to come. It 

 is to be hoped that this force will not be necessary 

 t<, enforce the laws, either State or national. But 

 the difference of sentiment engendered by the great 

 war which has raged for four years, will make the 

 presence of a military force necessary to give a feel- 

 ing of security to the people ; all classes disposed to 

 obey the laws of the country will feel this alike. 



To maintain order, the Government has been 

 compelled to retain volunteers. All white volunteers 

 have become dissatisfied, and claim that the contract 

 with them has been violated, by retaining them after 

 the war was over. By reason of dissatisfaction they 

 are no longer of use, and might as well be discharged 

 at once. 



The colored volunteer has equal right to claim his 

 discharge, but as yet he has not done so. How long 

 will existing laws authorize the retention of this 

 force, even if they are content to remain? 



The United States Senate passed promptly a bill 

 for the reorganization of the Army vvhich, in my opin- 

 ion, is as _free from objection as any great measure 

 could possibly be, and it would supply the minimum 

 requisite force. It gives but a few thousand addi- 

 tional men over the present organization, but gives a 

 large number of additional batteries and companies. 

 The public service, guarding routes of travel over 

 the plains, and giving protection to the Southern 

 State.<, demands the occupation of a great number of 

 posts. 



_ For many of them a small company is just as effi- 

 cient as one with more men in it would be. The bill 

 before Congress, or the one that has passed the Sen- 

 ate, gives increased number of rank and file of each 

 company. It is an exceedingly appropriate measure 

 in this particular, for it provides for the increase 

 when occasion requires more. men. The company is 

 he smallest unit of an organization that can be 

 used without materially injuring discipline and effi- 

 ciency. 



The belief that Congress would act promptly on 

 this matter, if their attention were called to it, has in- 

 duced me to respectfully ask your attention to it. If 

 you agree with me in this matter, I would also ask, 

 if you deem it proper, that this, with such indorse- 

 ment as you may be pleased to make, be laid before 

 Congress through the Speaker of the House. 

 Very respectfully, your obedient servant, 



U. S. GRANT, Lieutenant-General. 



Finally, at a late hour of the session, a com- 

 mittee of conference was appointed to recon- 

 cile the differences between the two bills. The 

 chief struggle was with regard to the number 

 of Veteran Reserve regiments to be incorpo- 

 rated in the army. Mr. Schenck having yielded 



this point, the committee agreed upon tho Sen- 

 ate bill, with some amendments, which imme- 

 diately passed both Houses almost unanimously, 

 and on July 28, 1866, became a law. Its main 

 features may be thus recapitulated : The peaco 

 establishment of tho country will consist of five 

 regiments of artillery, ten of cavalry, and forty- 

 five of infantry. Tho artillery regiments are to 

 have the same organization as was prescribed 

 by law for the fifth regiment of that arm in 

 1861. The cavalry regiments arc to consist of 

 the six previously in the service, of twelve com- 

 panies each, with four new regiments, similarly 

 organized, of which two are to be composed of 

 colored men; the original vacancies in the 

 grades of first and second lieutenant to be 

 filled by selection from among the officers and 

 soldiers of volunteer cavalry, and two-thirds of 

 the original vacancies in the higher grades from 

 officers of volunteer cavalry, and one-third 

 from officers of the regular Army, all of whom 

 have served two years in the field during the 

 war, and been distinguished for capacity and 

 good conduct. The President is authorized, at 

 his discretion, to arm and drill any portion of 

 the cavalry force as infantry or . dismounted 

 cavalry. The forty-five regiments of infantry 

 are to consist of the first ten regiments, of ten 

 companies each, now in the service ; of twenty- 

 seven regiments, of ten companies each, to be 

 formed by adding two companies to each bat- 

 talion of the remaining nine three-battalion 

 regiments ; and of eight new regiments, of ten 

 companies each, four of which are to be com- 

 posed of colored men, and four to be called the 

 Veteran Reserve Corps. Original vacancies in 

 the grade of first and second lieutenants are to 

 be filled by selection from among the officers and 

 soldiers of volunteers ; and of those occurring 

 in the higher grades, half are to be filled from 

 officers of volunteers, and half from officers of 

 the regular Army, all of whom must have served 

 two years during the war, and been distin- 

 guished for capacity and good conduct. The 

 Veteran Reserve Corps are to be officered by 

 appointment from officers and soldiers of volun- 

 teers or the regular Army, who have been 

 wounded in the service, but arc nevertheless 

 competent for garrison or similiar duty. All 

 persons receiving appointment in any branch of 

 the service must have previously passed a satis- 

 factory examination before a board of officers, 

 convened under the direction of the Secretary 

 of War, and such appointments are to bo with- 

 out regard to previous rank. Persons who 

 have served in any capacity under the Con- 

 federate Government are precluded from hold- 

 ing any office or position in the Army of tho 

 United States. The infantry companies are to 

 have a maximum strength of one hundred men, 

 and a minimum strength of fifty men, and the 

 organization, with respect to officers, will be sim- 

 ilar to that of the first ten regiments of infantry 

 in the service. The number of bands in the 

 army is reduced to fifteen, to be assigned to 

 brigades in time of war, and in tune of peace to 



