Today in History:

1051 Series I Volume LII-I Serial 109 - Supplements Part I

Page 1051 Chapter LXIII. CORRESPONDENCE, ETC.-CONFEDERATE.

IV. The artillery of an army, when comprising two or more brigades containing in all as many as 160 guns, shall be commanded by a general of superior rank to a brigadier, with a staff such as is allowed by law to cavalry generals of like grade.

V. All promotions in the artillery above the rank of captain shall be by selection.

[Indorsement.]


HEADQUARTERS ARTILLERY CORPS,
November 8, 1864.

Respectfully submitted to the honorable Secretary of War.

It will be seen on comparing this form with that submitted to General Lee, and on which his letter was based, that his views are here complied with. In section I the action of the Secretary of War is secured and appointments by the President in section II. The provison to section II really attains also General Lee's view as to rank of commanders and allows a little latitude for contingencies. The former section III is omitted. And the number of guns for generals of artillery suggested by him is introduced in the next two sections.

W. N. PENDLETON,

Brigadier-General and Chief of Artillery.

[Indorsement on Pendleton to Seddon, November 8, 1864, VOL. XLII, Part III, PAGE 1205.

NOVEMBER 11, 1864.

Respectfully submitted to the President, whose judgment on the bill proposed is solicited.

J. A. SEDDON.

[42.]

[Inclosure and indorsements omitted, Pendleton to Seddon, November 15, 1864, VOL. XLII, Part III, PAGE 1215.]

[First indorsement.]

NOVEMBER 16, 1864.

Respectfully submitted for the consideration of the Presdient, whose views are requested as to the expediency of submitting the proposed bill to the consideration of the Military Committee of the two Houses.

J. A. SEDDON,

Secretary.

[Second indorsement.]

NOVEMBER 21, 1864.

SECRETARY OF WAR:

The diversity of opinion springs from a radical difference as to the unit for artillery. The argument is based on the supposition that it is the same for all arms. I think it is different, and regret that the Legislature has made it the same for infantry and cavalry, rather than that it did not make it the same for artillery also. Field officers for artillery under the present system may certainly be used more freely according to their special merits than if they were appointed for battalions or regiments. Authority to confer temporary rank to supply temporary vacancies would insure two field officers for a battalion of twenty-four guns, say four batteries; or, if there be but four guns to a battery, of six batteries. In infantry or cavalry, four companies have but one field officer,


Page 1051 Chapter LXIII. CORRESPONDENCE, ETC.-CONFEDERATE.