64 Ꭰ company... 448 32 Sergeants, 4 to each company. Corporals, included in rank and file, 8 to each Privates 56 to each company. 16 Drums and Fifes 2 to each company. 601 Total. 1 1 Up to this point, a copy of the report, in the writing of Charles Thomson, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 38, folios 335-340. REMARKS. A. The pay of these three ranks is high in proportion for these reasons: It makes those ranks an object which will prove an inducement to proper characters to enter into the army and it is for the safety and honor of the community to have their army respectably officered. The number of the higher ranks being small, the increase of pay does not add much to the aggregate expence and in its consequences conduces to œconomy; for the hope of attaining to those ranks induces those in inferior grades to be content with small pay, and those being numerous there is a saving upon the whole. It ought also to be observed that in the pay is included subsistence, that is the value of the extra rations heretofore allowed to officers, which makes the difference not so great between the present and former pay as it at first appears. B. The pay of the subalterns is considerably lower than formerly. Instead of Ensigns, Second Lieutenants are proposed, because the Ensign is properly speaking the standard bearer, and one standard bearer or Ensign to each battalion is sufficient, who may be taken out of the second Lt. The Regimental staff are also to be taken out of this class, because its pay is the lowest, and because the having served in these offices will better qualify officers for the superior stations. It is necessary to have an extra number of officers for these purposes, because three officers to a company so large as is here proposed are not more than sufficient and none can be taken away without injury to the service; and there is besides an obvious propriety, that whatever number of officers may be deemed necessary to command a company should serve in it, and none be detached for any other purpose. It may be remarked here that the companies are large, which will have two good effects; it will promote œconomy by having a smaller proportion of officers to a given number of men, and it will render their commands more respectable. C. It is to be desired that each battalion should be as complete in itself as possible, in case of one being detached from the other; and as the battalions are large, one of each of these inferior staff to a battalion will find full employment. D. The proportion of Corporals will be as one to seven; this will be found beneficial in several ways-the number of corporals (who from the mere circumstance of being distinguished from the others having a better opinion of themselves, will of course be better soldiers, and being mixed with the others will render the whole better. Every seven men also being put constantly under the direction of a particular Corporal to be answerable for the good behavior of his squad will have a happy influence on discipline and good order. The regiment of Dragoons to consist when complete of two cohorts, each cohort of two squadrons, each squadron of two troops and each troop of thirty two dragoons rank and file, with the following commissioned and non com missioned officers, pay and other emoluments. + | Chaplain. 1 Surgeon. Mate (finding his own horse) Sergeant Majors 1 to each Colonel 2 Quarter Master Sergeants..de. 2 Trumpet majors. .de. 8 Farriers A The general idea of this establishment is to allow no greater emoluments than to the infantry; for there is no good reason for preferring one service to the other. Where the pay is increased it is in consideration that the persons are obliged to find themselves with horses by which they incur an additional expence. This corps serving much on detachment the number of officers in proportion to the men is much greater than in the infantry. |