e　balks；　cheeses；　and　lashings。　　All　the　troops　became　very　familiar　with　their　mechanism　and　use；　and　we　were　rarely　delayed　by　reason　of　a　river；　however　broad。　　I　saw；　recently；　in　Aldershot；　England；　a　very　complete　pontoon…train；　the　boats　were　sheathed　with　wood　and　felt；　made　very　light；　but　I　think　these　were　more　liable　to　chafing　and　damage　in　rough　handling　than　were　our　less　expensive　and　rougher　boats。　　On　the　whole；　I　would　prefer　the　skeleton　frame　and　canvas　cover　to　any　style　of　pontoon　that　I　have　ever　seen。
  In　relation　to　guards；　pickets；　and　vedettes；　I　doubt　if　any　discoveries　or　improvements　were　made　during　our　war；　or　in　any　of　the　modern　wars　in　Europe。　　These　precautions　vary　with　the　nature　of　the　country　and　the　situation　of　each　army。　　When　advancing　or　retreating　in　line　of　battle；　the　usual　skirmish…line　constitutes　the　picket…line；　and　may　have　〃reserves；〃　but　usually　the　main　line　of　battle　constitutes　the　reserve；　and　in　this　connection　I　will　state　that　the　recent　innovation　introduced　into　the　new　infantry　tactics　by　General　Upton　is　admirable；　for　by　it　each　regiment；　brigade；　and　division　deployed；　sends　forward　as　〃skirmishers〃　the　one　man　of　each　set　of　fours；　to　cover　its　own　front；　and　these　can　be　recalled　or　reenforced　at　pleasure　by　the　bugle…signal。
  For　flank…guards　and　rear…guards；　one　or　more　companies　should　be　detached　under　their　own　officers；　instead　of　making　up　the　guard　by　detailing　men　from　the　several　companies。
  For　regimental　or　camp　guards；　the　details　should　be　made　according　to　existing　army　regulations；　and　all　the　guards　should　be　posted　early　in　the　evening；　so　as　to　afford　each　sentinel　or　vedette　a　chance　to　study　his　ground　before　it　becomes　too　dark。
  In　like　manner　as　to　the　staff。　　The　more　intimately　it　comes　into　contact　with　the　troops；　the　more　useful　and　valuable　it　becomes。　The　almost　entire　separation　of　the　staff　from　the　line；　as　now　practised　by　us；　and　hitherto　by　the　French；　has　proved　mischievous；　and　the　great　retinues　of　staff…officers　with　which　some　of　our　earlier　generals　began　the　war　were　simply　ridiculous。　I　don't　believe　in　a　chief　of　staff　at　all；　and　any　general　commanding　an　army；　corps；　or　division；　that　has　a　staff…officer　who　professes　to　know　more　than　his　chief；　is　to　be　pitied。　　Each　regiment　should　have　a　competent　adjutant；　quartermaster；　and　commissary；　with　two　or　three　medical　officers。　　Each　brigade　commander　should　have　the　same　staff；　with　the　addition　of　a　couple　of　young　aides…de…camp；　habitually　selected　from　the　subalterns　of　the　brigade；　who　should　be　good　riders；　and　intelligent　enough　to　give　and　explain　the　orders　of　their　general。
  The　same　staff　will　answer　for　a　division。　　The　general　in　command　of　a　separate　army；　and　of　a　corps　d'armee；　should　have　the　same　professional　assistance；　with　two　or　more　good　engineers；　and　his　adjutant…general　should　exercise　all　the　functions　usually　ascribed　to　a　chief　of　staff；　viz。；　he　should　possess　the　ability　to　comprehend　the　scope　of　operations；　and　to　make　verbally　and　in　writing　all　the　orders　and　details　necessary　to　carry　into　effect　the　views　of　his　general；　as　well　as　to　keep　the　returns　and　records　of　events　for　the　information　of　the　next　higher　authority；　and　for　history。　　A　bulky　staff　implies　a　division　of　responsibility；　slowness　of　action；　and　indecision；　whereas　a　small　staff　implies　activity　and　concentration　of　purpose。　　The　smallness　of　General　Grant's　staff　throughout　the　civil　war　forms　the　best　model　for　future　imitation。　　So　of　tents；　officers　furniture；　etc。；　etc。　　In　real　war　these　should　all　be　diacarded；　and　an　army　is　efficient　for　action　and　motion　exactly　in　the　inverse　ratio　of　its　impedimenta。　　Tents　should　be　omitted　altogether；　save　one　to　a　regiment　for　an　office；　and　a　few　for　the　division　hospital。　Officers　should　be　content　with　a　tent　fly；　improvising　poles　and　shelter　out　of　bushes。　　The　tents　d'abri；　or　shelter…tent；　carried　by　the　soldier　himself；　is　allsufficient。　　Officers　should　never　seek　for　houses；　but　share　the　condition　of　their　men。
  A　recent　message　（July　18；　1874）　made　to　the　French　Assembly　by　Marshal　MacMahon；　President　of　the　French　Republic；　submits　a　projet　de　loi；　with　a　report　prepared　by　a　board　of　French　generals　on　〃army　administration；〃　which　is　full　of　information；　and　is　as　applicable　to　us　as　to　the　French。　　I　quote　from　its　very　beginning：　〃The　misfortunes　of　the　campaign　of　1870　have　demonstrated　the　inferiority　of　our　system。。。。　　Two　separate　organizations　existed　with　parallel　functionsthe　'general'　more　occupied　in　giving　direction　to　his　troops　than　in　providing　for　their　material　wants；　which　he　regarded　as　the　special　province　of　the　staff；　and　the　'intendant'　（staff）　often　working　at　random；　taking　on　his　shoulders　a　crushing　burden　of　functions　and　duties；　exhausting　himself　with　useless　efforts；　and　aiming　to　accomplish　an　insufficient　service；　to　the　disappointment　of　everybody。　　This　separation　of　the　administration　and　command；　this　coexistence　of　two　wills；　each　independent　of　the　other；　which　paralyzed　both　and　annulled　the　dualism；　was　condemned。　　It　was　decided　by　the　board　that　this　error　should　be　〃proscribed　〃　in　the　new　military　system。　The　report　then　goes　on　at　great　length　discussing　the　provisions。　of　the　〃new　law；〃　which　is　described　to　be　a　radical　change　from　the　old　one　on　the　same　subject。　　While　conceding　to　the　Minister　of　War　in　Paris　the　general　control　and　supervision　of　the　entire　military　establishment　primarily；　especially　of　the　annual　estimates　or　budget；　and　the　great　depots　of　supply；　it　distributes　to　the　commanders　of　the　corps　d'armee　in　time　of　peace；　and　to　all　army　commanders　generally　in　time　of　war；　the　absolute　command　of　the　money；　provisions；　and　stores；　with　the　necessary　staff…　officers　to　receive；　issue；　and　account　for　them。　　I　quote　further：　〃The　object　of　this　law　is　to　confer　on　the　commander　of　troops　whatever　liberty　of　action　the　case　demands。　　He　has　the　power　even　to　go　beyond　the　regulations；　in　circumstances　of　urgency　and　pressing　necessity。　　The　extraordinary　measures　he　may　take　on　these　occasions　may　require　their　execution　without　delay。　　The　staff…officer　has　but　one　duty　before　obeying；　and　that　is　to　submit　his　observations　to　the　general；　and　to　ask　his　orders　in　writing。
  With　this　formality　his　responsibility　ceases；　and　the　responsibility　for　the　extraordinary　act　falls　solely　on　the　general　who　gives　the　order。　　The　officers　and　agents　charged　with　supplies　are　placed　under　the　orders　of　the　general　in　command　of　the　troops；　that　is；　they　are　obliged　both　in　war　and　peace　to　obey；　with　the　single　qualification　above　named；　of　first　making　their　observations　and　securing　the　written　order　of　the　general。〃
  With　us；　to…day；　the　law　and　regulations　are　that；　no　matter　what　may　be　the　emergency；　the　commanding　general　in　Texas；　New　Mexico；　and　the　remote　frontiers；　cannot　draw　from　the　arsenals　a　pistol…　cartridge；　or　any　sort　of　ordnance…stores；　without　first　procuring　an　order　of　the　Secretary　of　War　in　Washington。　　The　commanding　generalthough　intrusted　with　the　lives　of　his　soldiers　and　with　the　safety　of　a　frontier　in　a　condition　of　chronic　warcannot　touch　or　be　trusted　with　ordnance…stores　or　property；　and　that　is　declared　to　be　the　law！　　Every　officer　of　the　old　army　remembers　how；　in　1861；　we　were　hampered　with　the　old　blue　army　regulations；　which　　tied　our　hands；　and　that　to　do　any　thing　positive　and　necessary　we　had　to　tear　it　all　to　piecescut　the　red…tape；　as　it　was　called；　a　dangerous　thing　for　an　army　to　do；　for　it　was　calculated　to　bring　the　law　and　authority　into　contempt；　but　war　was　upon　us；　and　overwhelming　necessity　overrides　all　law。
  This　French　report　is　well　worth　the　study　of　our　army…officers；　of　all　grades　and　classes；　and　I　will　only　refer　again；　casually；　to　another　part；　wherein　it　discusses　the　subject　of　military　correspondence：　whether　the　staff…officer　should　correspond　directly　with　his　chief　in　Paris；　submitting　to　his　general　copies；　or　whether　he　should　be　required　to　carry　on　his　correspondence　through　his　general；　so　that　the　latter　could　promptly　forward　the　communication；　indorsed　with　his　own　remarks　and　opinions。　　The　latter　is　declared　by　the　board　to　be　the　only　safe　role；　because　〃the　general　should　never　be　ignorant　of　any　thing　that　is　transpiring　that　concerns　his　command。〃
  In　this　country；　as　in　France；　Congress　controls　the　great　questions　of　war　and　peace；　makes　all　laws　for　the　creation　and　government　of　armies；　and　votes　the　necessary　supplies；　leaving　to　the　President　to　execute　and　apply　these　laws；　especially　the　harder　task　of　limiting　the　expenditure　of　public　money　to　the　amount　of　the　annual　appropriations。　　The　executive　power　is　further　subdivided　into　the　seven　great　departments；　and　to　the　Secretary　of　War　is　confided　the　general　care　of　the　military　establishment；　and　his　powers　are　further　subdivided　into　ten　distinct　and　separate　bureaus。
  The　chiefs　of　these　bureaus　are　under　the　immediate　orders　of　the　Secretary　of　War；　who；　through　them；　in　fact　commands　the　army　from　〃his　office；〃　but　cannot　do　so　〃in　the　field〃an　absurdity　in　military　if　not　civ