ANNUA.l-~ REPORT OF THE ADJUTANT- GENERAL OF THE STATE OF NEW/~YORK. fRANSMITTED '1'0 THE LEGISLATURE J ANU ARY 6, 1875. ALBANY: "WEED, PARSONS AND COMPANY, PRINTERS. 18:'5. s~rATE OF NEW YORK. No. ?". IN ASSEMBLY, January 6, 1875. ANNUAL REPORT OIl' THE ADJUTANT-GENERAL OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK. STATE OF NE\V YORK: EXECUTIVE OHAMBER, } ALBANY, January 6, 1875. ~T()the Legislat1tre / I have the honor to transmit herewith the Annual Heport 01 the Adjutant-General. SAMUEI.I J. TILDEN. REPORT. STATE OF NEW YORK: ADJUTAN'r-G.ENERAL'SOFFICE, } .ALBANY,December 31, 1814. To HIS EXCELLENCYJOHN A. DIx, Governor and Oommander-in- Ohief: .GOVERNOR- I have the honor to present the following report of this department for the year ending December 31, 1814. oRGANIZATION. The National Guard, as at present constituted, consists of eight (8) q.ivisions, nineteen (19) brigades, one (1) regiment, and nine (9) separate· troops of cavalry; one (1) battalion and ten (10) batteries of artillery; thirty (30) regiments and thirteen bat- talions of infantry; including nineteen hundred and forty-eight (1948) commissioned officers, and nineteen thousand three hundred and ninety (19,390) non-commissioned officers, musicians and p'ri- vates, making a total force of twenty-one thousand three hundred fendthirty-eight (21,338). The number of non-commissioned officers, musicians and privates being now reduced below that prescribed by law, I deem it import- ant for the public safety that there should be organizations of the National Guard in large towns and cities, especially upon the ·frontier, where at present they do not exist. I, therefore, recom- mend the authorization in such places either of companies of 100 TIlenor of battalions of four companies of infantry, to the extent of .any decrease of the entire force below 20,000. During the past year the boundaries of the 3d, 5th and 6th Divisions have been slightly changed. The boundaries of' brigade -districts have been re-arranged so as to embrace the territory of the 12th, 17th, 18th, 22d and 32d districts, which have been disbanded :and the general and staff officers rendered supernumerary. 6 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE ADJUTANT-GENERAL. During the same time two regiments of infantry, one battalion and onc troop of cavalry, and two batteries of artillery have been disbanded and mustered out of serT{ice. Two battalions of infantry have been raised and organized (2d and 16th) ; the companies com- posing the 20th and 110th battalions, have been reduced in number, and in each case a new battalion organization effected. A battalion of infantry to be attached to the 13th brigade, recruited entirely in the city of Schenectady, is nearly ready for inspection and muster-in. A battery of Gatling guns has been placed in charge of the company of artillery in the 2d Division, known as the "Howitzer Battery." It is now being fully equipped and will be one of the most effective organizations in the .N ationaJ. Guard. I am fully convinced that the brigades and regiments composing the 1st Division might be reduced in numbers with benefit to the service; not that the aggregate force should be any less, but, that the companies should in all cases be as fully up to the maximum as possible. Experience has conclusively shown that the smaller regiments and battalions are less efficient and more expensive than those ,vhose ranks are always well filled. If the 1st Division' was composed of only two brigades, say, of five full regiments each, with two batteries of artillery and three troops of cavalry report- ing direct to division headquarters, not only would a lal'g'e amount b~ saved to the state, but the sum paid annually by the county of New York would be greatly reduced. GENERAL REGULATIONS. The" General Regulations for the Military Forces of the State of New York" have not been revised since the year 1866, and conse- quently since the passage of the present Military Code in 1870 many of its provisions have become obsolete, and others conflict with the law, while the new ones have not been inserted. During this time the United States army regulations have not been revised, although boards for their revision have been appointed :tnd have, through the Secretary of War, reported the results of their labors to congress, which has failed to adopt them. Your Excellency has delayed causing the State Regulations to be revised until the adoption of the contemplated regulations for the goyernment of the army of the United States, ill order that they may conform to these as nearly as practicable. It is hoped and ANNUAL REPORT OF THE ADJUTANT-GENERAL. 7 expected that they will be prescribed during the present session of congress. TACTICS. Copies of the new system of infantry, cavalry and artillery tactics, adopted for the instruction of the army and militia of the United States, have been furnished for the use of the National Guard~ INSPECTIONS. Your Excellency, accompanied by your Staff, has reviewed the entire force of the National Guard during the year just closed, and in the discharge of this duty the 5th and 6th Divisions, for the first time since their organization, have been reviewed as divisions. The Inspector-General has personally inspected every organiza- tion. This inspection has been carefully and thoroughly made, including not only the evolutions of the troops, but their uniforms, arms, equipments, armories and books. The effect of this rigid inspection by the Inspector-General I believe to be highly beneficial, tending to the better discipline of the commands, the preservation of the state propertY$ the proper keeping of the records of the organiza- tions, and enabling General Head-Quarters to be thoroughly informed in regard to the condition of each command. Among the results of these inspections have been the disbanding of several weak and inefficient organizations, and the establishment of a system of returns to be made quarterly to the Adjutant-General, showing the strength of the respective commands, and all changes that have taken place during each ql1arter. A reduction, however, has been made in the number of returns and reports heretofore required, with a view to lessening clerical labor, retaining only such as are considered indis- pensable, and requiring a prompt rendition of these. The reports of commandants and brigade inspectors, and the abstract of the annual muster and inspection rolls, will be found in the appendix. EQUIPM}j~NTS. The Military Oode provides that the equipments of the members of the National Guard shall be furnished at the expense of the State. Their uniform are provided for by means of a uniform fund, toward which the stat~ annually pays a sum equal to five dollars ($5) for each member who shall have paraded during the year the number of times required by law. I respectfully recommend that the equipments be furnished in the same manner and on the same conditions, viz., by provision for an equipment fund, toward which the state shall 8 .ANNUAL REPORT OF THE ADJUTANT-GENERAL. annually pay a sum equal to $1 for each member that attends the required number of parades;· or that the uniform fund be abolished, and a uniform and equipment fund established, by which the state shall annually contribute a sum equal to six dollars ($6) on similar conditions, toward assisting the members to procure their uniforms and equipments. I am induced to make this recommendation from the good results that have attended the manner of furnishing uniforms. In my opinion it would prove economical and would tend to the better care and preservation of the equipments. OVERCOATS. I respectfully renew the recommendation made in my last annual report that some provision be made for supplying overcoats for the use of the National Guard. The appropriations for military purposes heretofore made have been insufficient to supply them. With the exception of a few organizations that have procured them at their own expense, the troops could not be called into serv- ice during the winter months or in inclement weather, without great danger to health and life. They should be so equipped as to be ready for any emergency at all s~asons. CAVALRY. I am satisfied that cavalry is of little practical value in the Nation.al Guard. It isvery expensive in equipment, the horses are generally draught horses in constant employment and unused to the saddle, and the majority of the members poor horsemen, with no opportunity of becoming familiarized with the evolutions of the cavalry arm of the service. I therefore respectfully recommend the disbandment of the cav- alry organizations of the National Guard, except the separate troops attached to division and brigade headquarters. ARSENALS AND ARMORIES. The state arsenals have been kept in good repair. As the arse- nals at Brooklyn and Schenectady are no longer needed for state pur- poses, they should, in my judgment be sold, thus saving the cost of keeping them in repair and the salaries of the keepers. Unserviceable military property has been sold during the year from which has been realized the sum of thirteen thousand two hundred and eighty-seven dollars and fifty-nine cents ($13,287.59). ANNUAL REPORT OF THE ADJUTANT-GENERAL. 9 ENCAMPMENTS. The trne standard of proficiency for the National Guard should be not only its power to suppress internal disorders, but its ability to take the field as a thoroughly equipped and disciplined organiza- tion. Toward the accomplishment of this end I deem encamp- . ments of vital importance. In armories and drill-rooms, the troops have instruction in tactical exercises, the system of rifle practice already established, if properly carried out, will enable them to become skilled in the use of their arms, but owing to the difficuity of procuring proper parade grounds, they rarely have the oppor- tunityof practicing the manreuvres of the field.