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Show qnclesSm's forges HISTORY OF THE ARMY OF THE UNITED STATES. Enlarged and Reduced at Necessity's Demand, It Has Gone Through Many Fluctuations The Various Commanders. Com-manders. Tho army of tho United States, do-pending do-pending upon and governed by the national legislature moro directly than tho army of any other country, has from tho very beginning of our national nation-al existence reflected tho ncco of tho country by thowav-h,ch jt has expanded U&nTracted to moot 5Jstlfig conditions. It may bo doubt-"calf doubt-"calf any other army went through so many fluctuations of size as ours has done. After Washington gavo up his command com-mand at Fraunco's Tavorn In December, Decem-ber, 1783, Gen. Henry Knox ns sonlor officer became commandcr-In-chlof, holding ofllco until June, 1784, when ho wns mustered out along with most of tho army. Tho rest, consisting of a regiment of Infantry and n battalion j MAJ.-OEN. HBNHT DEAIUJOM. i of foot artillery, was placed under the 1 sonlor officer, Major Joslah Harmer, commander-in-chief by brevet as llou- tenant-colonel. Thero were 700 mon in tho army then. In 1789, after tho constitutional government gov-ernment had got Into working order, tho army was enlarged to forty-six officers and 840 men. In March, 1791, the army was still further Increased until It consisted of 104 officers and 2,128 mon. Arthur St. Clair waB commissioned com-missioned Major General, and Ipso facto becamo comraander-ln-chlef, whereupon Col. Harmer resigned. tln March, ' 1702, tho legion was yrought Into our nrmy. It consisted of I les of riflemen, with a total of 258 officers and 5.13C mon. Major General Anthony Wayno becamo goncral-In-chlof of tho Army of tho Frontier, a post which ho held until Dot. 15, 1790, when he died. Ho was followod by Major-Gen. James Wilkinson, who remained re-mained sonlor officer until July 2, 1798. Thero was fQW ot ft war with France, and Washington, who had loft tho presidency fifteen months oarllor, was mado lleutenant-genernl and com-mander-In-chlof; nnd on March 3, 1799, tho nrmy was enlarged, and tho rank of genoral wns created for him. Ho never wns commissioned in that rank, however, and died lieutenant-general. Tho army had been enlnrged meantime. mean-time. Its authorized strength being placed at two regiments of artillerists I nnd engineers, four regiments of dra- goons, forty reglmentH of Infantry and one regiment and ono battalion of riflemen. Its total was 2,447 officers j and 49,244 men. Major-Gon. Alexander Hamilton was senior officer. Whon tho danger of war was ovbr tho nrmy was cut down with great rapidity, ra-pidity, tho act of May 14, 1800, lopping I men off right nnd loft, until only two IttAJ.-OIlN OEOW3E D M'CLELt.AJIi regiments of artillerists and engineers, engin-eers, two companies of light dragoons and four reglmonts of Infantry remained; remain-ed; and of those James Wilkinson ngaln took commnnd as sonlor officer. Tho armv conslstod then of 318 offi cers and 4,118 mon; but only n year later this number was further reducod to ono regiment of nrtlllorlsts and two reglmonts of Infantry, with n strength oi 241 officers and 3.04G mon. .Tho array romnlnod at this size for six years, with Wilkinson still In command, until on April 12, 1808, tho strength was placed at 774 officers and 9,147 men, divided among a regiment of light artillory, a regiment of nrtlllorlsts, nrtll-lorlsts, a regiment of dragoons, seven rtiglmcnts of Infnntry and ono reV kHI mont of riflemen. ELHi Gen. Wilkinson was relief ed as cola Ll maudcr-ln-chlet In January, 1812. Gon flH Doarborn succeeding him for tho war! H with Great Britain. Mauy additions toT iLlH tho army woiV: nuthorlzod during thnt;? HH war, tho grcatost strength reached bo- IIH Inc 3,195 officers and 59,179 mon, In H one regiment of light artillery, a corps , -lDlK3BH of artillery, a rcglmont of rangora and ,. tjmR& IHI sea fonclblcs. 0F" H At tho ond of tho wnrj00tw H was flXOd at "' liT"1'" atrnngth IH mon. In a grf ,ra nnd . M mont 'fB'P8 of onglnoors, a rogl- H (ii-ight artillery, a corps of nr- H iMmery, eight regiments of Infantry, H and ono regiment of riflemen; and B Major-Gen. Jacob Brown becamo H senior officer. H Aftor another six years tho army was reorganized, with a staff corpi, H four reglmonts of nrtlllory and sovon H of Infantry, tho totnl strength being 540 officers and 5,58u men. Whon Gen. H Brown died In 1828 Gen. Macomb wns directed to take command of tho nrmy H tho first officer ordered to thnt duty, H tho earlier commanders-in-chief, ox- H cepi Washington, bolng moroly seniors H for tho tlmo being. Macomb held ofllco for thirteen years. In 1832 a battalion of mounted rangers wns authorized, tho strongth H of tho army bolng 589 ofllcora nnd H G.B40 men; In 1833 tho riflemen wcro H discontinued nnd a regiment of dra- H goons onllstod, tho authorized strongth H bolng placed at 599 officers and G.595 H mon; thrco years later, when n second H regiment of dragoons wns provided, tho strength becamo G47 ofllcora and 7,310 men, nnd two yenrs later still, In A H 1838 nnothoru (eighth) rcglmont ut H Infnntry hnving been formed, It wns3 H placed nt 735 ofllcora and 11,801 men'. s H Tho Moxlcnn war was fought very H largely by volunteers, but tho regit- H lar nrmy was Incrcasod until It con- H slstod of 1,353 ofilcors nnd 29,512 men, H In thrco reglmonts of drngooiiB, n rogl- - H mont of mounted riflemen, four rcgl- H ments of artillery, sixteen of Infnntry, H and a regiment of volunteers. This H last body was not tho samo as tho H stato voluntoer organizations. Gon. H Scott had succeeded Macomb In 1841, H and hold ofllco until Nov. G, 18G1, when H ho H Aftor tho Moxlcan war tho piping H times of ponco roturnod and tho army was cut down by two-thirds, so that It consisted of 882 officers and 9,435 H mon. In 1855 It wns Increased to s 1,040 ofilcors and 17,278 men. This ,& "B was tho strength of tho old army. H It was just about doubled for tho H civil war, reaching a total of 2,009 H fo ' null! " ".H xmia.-ac josiah itARMATt. -H officers nnd 37.2C1 men, divided H among a stnff corils, six cavalry, flvo ' H artillery and nineteen infantry rogl- H ments. Tho end of tho war did not 1 cause u reduction, however. Instead, tho nrmy was Increased until, In tho H staff corps, ten roglments of cavalry, H Avo of artillory, nnd forty-five of In- H fantry, it hnd 3,030 officers and 54,041 M Thrco years later. In 1SG9, twenty , H reglmonts of Infnntry woro disbanded, H and tho authorized strongth was fixed ,, M at 2,277 ofilcors and 35,030 men; and H In 1874, with the same number of H roglments, only 25,000 men woro 1 permitted. H Twonty-four ears passed without, a , H chango In tho nrmy strongth. In M March, 1898, two roglments' of art,!'- i H lory was added, tho officers then niiin- i M boring 2,137 nnd tho mon 20,010; nnd ' .H six wooks Inter tho strongth was In- J creased for tho Spanish war to 2.24G i M officers nnd 02,473 men ' H This wns Incrensod in 1899 to 2,285 1 officers and 05,000 men, nnd thon, in H 1901, camo a reorganization which jH has glvon us, besldos tho staff corps, M fifteen regiments of cavalry, a corps M of artillery and thirty rogimonts of M Infnntry, with 3,820 officers nnd a , H maximum enlisted strength ot 100,000 M mon. Tho actual stiougtn at present - tU Is fixed nt 59,800 mon. i H SInco Gen. Scott retired, tho army ... aH has beon commanded by Major-Gon, H McClellan, Major-Gon. Halleck, Gen. H Grant, lloutennnt-general and gonoral; M Gen. Sherman, Gon. Sheridan, as lieu- H tenant-general and genoral; Gon. jH Schoflold as major genoral and lieu- H tenant gonoral, and Gon. Miles as jH major-goueral and llouto'nant-gonoral. - Now York Sun. H |