Adjutant and Inspector General Reports
1865 Report
ORGANIZATION OF THE MILITIA
On the twenty-second of November, 1864, the Act of the General Assembly "for organizing the Militia" was approved, and immediate measures were taken to carrying it into effect.
On the twenty-ninth of November General Order No. 1 (Appendix A)was issued, dividing the State into twelve Military Districts, and sub-dividing each District into ten company districts, providing for raising the force of infantry prescribed by the Statute, allowing thirty days for filling the several companies by voluntary enlistment, prescribing the term of enlistment, the form of the enlistment contract, and regulations for the organization of the companies, when raised, providing that the companies deficient at the end of the thirty days should be filled by draft, and prescribing regulations for the organization of the several regiments.
The mode adopted for obtaining enlistments for the several companies was substantially the same that had been adopted, and which had worked so efficiently, for obtaining recruits for regiments in the field. A superintendent of recruiting was appointed within each Regimental District, who was charged with the duty of appointing a recruiting officer within each company district, and promoting enlistments by all means within his power; and special instructions were issued for their guidance,--which are published in Appendix A
On the first day of December, 1864, General Order No. 2 (Appendix A,)was issued, prescribing regulations, in pursuance of the Statute, for an immediate correction of the State enrolment of persons in the several towns liable to perform duty in the Militia, and requiring that the corrections be made and the returns forwarded to this office by or before the twentieth of December. This duty was performed with commendable promptness by the selectmen of the several towns, and the returns were received and recorded.
On the twentieth of December, 1864, General Order No. 5, (Appendix A,)was issued, providing that all companies, not filled by voluntary enlistments and organized by or before the twenty-ninth of December, should be organized on the thirty-first of December by the election of officers by such members as had then previously enlisted, and prescribing regulations for such organization, ordering that all companies, which should be deficient on the tenth day of January, 1865, should be filled by draft from the enrolled militia of the deficient towns on that day, prescribing regulations for draft and for the distribution of arms, equipments and uniforms, and ordering that the several Provisional Companies of Militia be disbanded on the twentieth of January, 1865, and that the arms, equipments and ordnance stores issued to these be collected in arsenal by the Quarter Master General.
(To Be Continued)
 St. Albans raid |
Armament of the State |