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Besides the above, there are about 900 men, according to latest available Reports, of the marine corps in the marine barracks of Brooklyn, New York Harbour; Boston; Mare Island, San Francisco; Portsmouth; League Island, Baltimore; Washington; Annapolis Academy, near Baltimore; Norfolk. This is the total force available on the coast.

We know

But the United States do not pretend, in case of war, to depend on their regular army. they have raised enormous forces of militia. During the Rebellion the loyal States furnished quotas liable for various periods of service, from sixty days to four years-amounting to nearly 3,000,000 of

men.

The latest Army Register shows available for military duty 6,400,000 men, of whom 123,000 are organized. But, as we have already argued, it is not likely that a European assailant will put himself in a position to be attacked on long line of communication by these vast numbers, but will occupy some of the numerous islands or promontories as a base to harass the coast towns, or make short and sharp inroads with well-equipped troops. It is a question rather of quality than of quantity in the troops that will have to meet him.

The

The Americans themselves confess that, at first, they would fare ill, even in opposition to the better-organized Canadian militia; but it is somewhat difficult to get at the actual value of their own. In their Civil War both armies began as militia, and gradually hardened into veteran troops. panic which followed Bull's Run would seem to indicate that, if expeditions of highly-trained regular troops attacked in succession various points, meeting each time an inexperienced local force, such a distrust of their own powers might be established as to induce many of the coast towns to pay indemuities rather than resist. It may be gathered from United States' documents and journals that very serious defects exist:-

Appendix No. 9.

UNITED STATES.

Large annual appropriations are required, and must be permanent, at least for a few years, to

Report, Chief of organize, arm, and discipline a militia force of 200,000 men.”

Ordnance, 1879, p. 11.

"The distribution of arms is a vital element. The Laws upon the Statute Book need a thorough revision, and the supervision and control to be exercised by the General Government must be fully and definitely set forth. The appropriation for arms and equipment is insufficient at present. The encampments should last for twenty days. The militia should be armed and equipped with the same munitions of war as the regular army. The system of inspection is unsatisfactory. There is no regular provision for local rifle ranges. Although some attempt is made to give young men a semi-military education, much is wanted in this direction."

"Service Journal,'

"

From the accounts of the service reviews and journals, we gather that a good deal of desultory shooting, drilling, practice like that of our own volunteers with guns, encamping, &c., goes on; but 1880, July to Decem making allowances for the natural tendency to praise their own citizen troops, and, indeed, from their ber, p. 151. own more candid confessions here and there, we conclude that the training is not very thorough.

"An immense gathering of people made it almost impossible to enforce discipline sufficient to make the guard respectable even in the eyes of any moderately-informed soldier."

The cavalry comes in for a special share of ridicule, but the infantry does not escape. "In several of the companies it was a sort of go-as-you-please; the discipline was very poor, while there was much talking in the ranks."

"We should, particularly in the sea-board States, endeavour to have an efficient corps of State Guard Artillery, which could, in the event of a foreign war, take charge of the seaside forts; our five regiments of regular artillery could then be organized into sixty light batteries at once."

Encampments only last a week. The men elect their own officers.

It is not surprising that a serious effort has lately been made to reorganize the whole militia system as regards internal discipline and the relations of the States to the Federal Government, but "the House of Representatives made short work of it."

"Service Journal,”

November 10, 1879,

November 23, 1880,

July 1881.

Service Journal,"

"The tone of the brief debate leaves very little hope that the measure can be successfully May 20, 1882. revived."

The "spread-eagleism" displayed in the debate affords a very amusing contrast to the serious arguments of those who point out the dangers to which the States are now exposed.

"The boys who wore the blue and the boys who wore the grey require no such system of instruc- tions as this Bill contemplates."

We may very safely conclude that the United States will not prepare a formidable well-trained army until it is actually wanted, that they will trust to their corps of highly-trained officers, and the versatility, numbers, and spirit of the population, with such results as are described in the 1864 Report:-

<<

Individuals, on account of having raised 1,000 men, received the commission of Colonel without Gallwey and Anderson, any previous military education or training.

"Several of the three years regiments whose services expired during the period from the crossing of the Rapidan have marched off the field when battles are being fought, officers and men together.

"From what we are able to see, we should say that the artillery are tolerably well drilled, the infantry badly drilled, and the cavalry not drilled at all.

The batteries took the field with guns of every sort of pattern and calibre, creating, of course, great confusion in the supply of ammunition.

"Inventors with sufficient political influence would succeed in getting large orders for guns and projectiles that, under any other system, would never see the light."

The United States' army "must as a whole be considered greatly inferior to European armies, and not at all approaching that value which is represented by numbers alone."

There is, however, a danger to be guarded against by England. Well- or ill-disciplined, there is little doubt that the States will, shortly after the outbreak of war, be able to dispose of, and, if need be, sacrifice large numbers of men, and the Americans intend to make use of their numbers. There is good reason for believing that during the difficulties with Spain about Cuba, General Grant seriously proposed sending 60,000 men against Spain.

p. 32.

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