u.s.a.] A. R M garrison, which usually, in time of peace, consists of two squadrons of cavalry and three field batteries. The Government reservation at Fort Riley comprises about forty square miles of varied terrain, so that opportunities are afforded, and taken advantage of, for all kinds of field operations. The Army Medical School is established at Washington. The faculty consists of four or more professors selected from the senior officers of the medical department. The course of instruction covers a period of five months, beginning annrally in November. The student officers are recently-appointed medical officers, and such other medical officers, available for detail, as may desire to take the course. Instruction is by lecture and practical work, special attention being given to the following subjects : duties of medical officers in peace and war ; hospital administration ; military medicine, surgery and hygiene ; microscopy and bacteriology ; hospital corps drill and first aid to the wounded. The territory controlled by the United States, at home and abroad, is divided into territorial departments. These are established and their commanders assigned by direction of the President. In time of peace, army corps, divisions, or brigades are not formed except for purposes of instruction. The commander of a military department controls all the military forces of the Government within its limits, whether of the line or staff, which are not specially excepted. The exceptions include the Military Academy, the Artillery School, the schools at Forts Leavenworth and Riley in matters pertaining to the courses of instruction, the engineer establishment at Willets Point, arsenals, general depots of supply, general service recruiting stations, permanent fortifications in process of construction, and officers employed on special duty under the Secretary of War. But when an emergency demands it, all military men and material within the limits of their jurisdiction come under their control. A department commander is charged with the administration of all the military affairs of his department, and the execution of all orders from higher authority. He reports to the Commanding General of the Army all matters relating to the general welfare of his command, including such change of station of troops as he may deem desirable, but must obtain approval of the Commanding General of the Army before ordering the movement. If it be necessary to move troops to meet emergencies, such movements, and all the circumstances connected with them, must be reported at the earliest possible moment. The personal staff of a department commander consists of the authorized aids. The department staff is limited to the officers detailed by the Secretary of War from appropriate staff departments or corps, or of officers of the line detailed by the same authority to act in their stead, and their official, designations are as follows: adjutant-general, chief quartermaster, chief commissary, chief surgeon, chief paymaster, judge advocate, and artillery inspector; also, when necessary, an engineer officer, an ordnance officer, and a signal officer, each detailed from his corps. There are in the United States proper, including Alaska, about one hundred military posts. The garrisons of a majority of them, even when large forces are not needed out of the country, are necessarily small. The various staff positions at a post, such as adjutant, quartermaster, commissary, signal officer, and ordnance officer, are usually filled by lieutenants of the garrison temporarily detailed. At a post having the headquarters of a regiment, the first three positions above mentioned are filled by the regimental adjutant, quartermaster, and commissary respectively. The regimental adjutant, quartermaster, and commissary are selected from the captains, and the tour is limited to four years. As the great majority of officers of the line have, before obtaining their captaincies, filled one or more of the various staff positions, in addition to having taken the course at a service school, there is always available a large number of officers thoroughly qualified to fill any staff position.
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The Act of 2nd March 1899 authorized the President to raise a volunteer force of 35,000 men for service in the Philippines, to continue in service not later than 30th June 1901, on which date the strength of the regular army, with the exception of the artillery, was to be reduced to the numbers in service prior to the outbreak of the war with Spain. On 5th July 1899 the President ordered the organization of ten regiments of volunteer infantry; on 18th July 1899, of two regiments of volunteer infantry and a regiment of volunteer cavalry (the three last-named regiments to be organized and recruited in the Philippine Islands); on 17th August 1899, of ten additional regiments of volunteer infantry ; and on 9th September 1899, of two additional regiments of volunteer infantry (the enlisted men and company officers of the two last regiments to be coloured). Each regiment was organized at an army post. The men were recruited by regular army recruiting officers throughout the country, and were sent at once to the nearest regimental rendezvous. The time required, under each order, was about six weeks. All the colonels, nearly all the lieutenant-colonels and majors, and a few of the captains, were selected officers of the regular army. Most of the other officers and a large percentage of the men, had served, in the regulars or volunteers, in the war with Spain. The training of the men began at once on arrival at rendezvous, special attention being given to instruction in duties of guards and outposts, to fighting in extended order, and to target practice. The physical examinations were rigid, and the character of the accepted personnel was excellent. The result was the best volunteer force ever raised in the United States. The first regiment sailed for Manila, 8th September 1899, and the last, 21st December. They were at once ready to take the field on arrival, and did most excellent service. One instance is the remarkable and energetic pursuit of the insurgents by volunteer troops, through the mountainous, heavily-wooded, entirely unknown country of northern Luzon, where transportation of supplies was at all times difficult and in many cases impracticable. The Act of 2nd February 1901 repealed so much of the Act of 2nd March 1899 as provided for a reduction of force, 30th June 1901, and put the regular army on a permanent basis. It authorized the raising of 12,000 (provided the maximum of 100,000 for the entire army was not exceeded) Philippine native troops, organized into companies and battalions; the majors and captains being selected from the next lower grades in the line of the army. It also provided for a three-battalion native Porto Rican regiment, the field officers and captains to be selected as for the Philippine native troops. The United States has never had a satisfactory system of increasing its armed strength for war. The subject has received a great deal of attention, and much legislation has been proposed, but the form of government makes the question very difficult of solution. The militia, numbering about 115,000 officers and men, is distributed through the various States, constitutes State troops, and is independent of the general government. Disorders within the limits of a State are to be dealt with by the State authorities, and the Constitution expressly prohibits the use of United States troops in such cases, except upon the formal application of the State authorities. The several States are very jealous of their prerogatives and never call for federal troops except as a last resort. The method adopted for raising the twenty-five regiments of volunteers for Philippine service proved very satisfactory, but might not be feasible for the sudden creation of a large army. It would require much time, and there would not be a large enough number of regular officers available. The practice both in the Civil War and in the war with Spam was for
