397. He receives it whenever he looks upon his little command, and sees the harmony, comfort, and discipline that prevail; he feels it when he comes to part with his men in the due course of promotion, or as they individually take their discharge after a faithful service; he remembers it when in after years, no matter if rank and honors have in the mean time fallen upon him, he meets an old soldier, who, with respect and affection, still calls him his Captain.

398. He is a small sovereign, powerful and great within his little domain, but no imbecile monarch ever suffered more from intrigues, factions, and encroachments, than an incapable Company Commander; no tyrant King must contend more with rebellions, insurrections, and defections, than an arbitrary and unjust Captain, and no wise and beneficent ruler ever derived more heartfelt homage, more faithful services, or more patriotic devotion, than a just, competent, and faithful commander receives from his company. They will love him truly, they will obey him faithfully, and they will stand by him whilst there is life in the hour of battle.

399. To perform that duty well should be the constant study of the junior officer, from the day he enters service, so that when the responsibility falls upon him, he may be prepared for it. What has already been laid down for Lieutenants, of course is understood to be included in the qualifications for a Captain, and only those matters peculiar to the Captain or Lieutenant acting in that capacity, will be alluded to under this head.

400. They are the following: 

Company Commander.

Officer of the Day.

402. GOVERNMENT.—Under this head may be included instruction in tactics and discipline  the preservation of order and subordination, and the cultivation of a military spirit and pride in the profession among the men. It involves the appointing and reduction of non-commissioned officers, and the subject of rewards and punishments.

403. Manner and deportment have a great influence on the men, and to be attractive in this respect is not within the power of every man, and those who can be so without genuine merit, are rare indeed. But it is within the power of every man to lay down certain principles, and be guided by them in the control of the company, that will command respect and obedience, much more so than personal manner.

404. A strict attention to duty, an honest regard for the men, and a constant self-respect, guided by equal and exact justice to all, will command the most insubordinate set of men, provided it is accompanied by sufficient knowledge of the duties of the position. Ignorance in this respect cannot be compensated for by any talent for other things, however capable.

405. A knowledge of tactics is too often considered all that is necessary; if this were so, in a few weeks the most indifferent militia could be made a veteran command. Three or four weeks should suffice for teaching all the movements contained in the school of the company. There are a certain number of lessons which may be fully taught, so far as a knowledge thereof is concerned, at a single exercise. Four drills a day would soon master the subject, if nothing more were necessary.

406. In truth, however, tactics is not the end, it is only the means of acquiring discipline, and attaining the control of the troops. Even after the exercises are fully understood by officers and men, it is necessary to repeat them under every variety of circumstances, to feel certain that the end has been accomplished. The best drilled troops may run away the first time under fire. 

407. The instruction of a company in tactics is best attained by instructing the non-commissioned officers in the school of the soldier, and then require them to instruct their squads or sections. When this is completed, the squads are united, and the school of the company is gone through with. Theoretical instruction should always be combined with the practical, and the non-commissioned officers should always be required to recite on their exercises before practising them.

409. The company can only be kept in proper discipline by having good non-commissioned officers, who must be properly controlled and instructed in their duty first, before the men can be expected to do well. They must be fully established and sustained in their position, otherwise they are of no avail.

410. The right to recommend for appointment belongs to the Captain, or Company Commander (Reg. 73). He may make a temporary appointment, subject to the approval of the Regimental Commander. This division of the authority is a wise provision. It makes the men dependent upon the Captain for promotion, whilst the position is so far within the control of the Regimental Commander, that the Company Commander cannot exercise an arbitrary or unjust power, otherwise he might reappoint a non-commissioned officer who had been justly reduced, or he might exercise an undue favoritism.

411. The same principle holds good in the reduction of non-commissioned officers (Reg. 79). The Colonel and Captain must both be united in the opinion that the non-commissioned officer should be reduced, before it can be done arbitrarily, and the Court-Martial is a resort for either, in case they disagree on the propriety of the reduction, whilst the non-commissioned officer may find a friend and defender in one or the other, as either may prove unjust or vindictive.

412. In an illustrative sense the Captain is the proprietor of the company, and the First Sergeant is the foreman. All orders and instructions should, therefore, pass through the First Sergeant, from the Captain to the other non-commissioned officers and men, otherwise errors and conflicts of authority will occur. The First Sergeant must know, and should be held responsible for a knowledge of the whereabouts and duty of every man in the company; it is necessary that he should know, in order that he may give credits, and be able to make out the different details, in order that the duty may fail on all alike, as nearly as possible.

413. The Captain must always sustain his First Sergeant, and the other non-commissioned officers, as far as is consistent with justice; above all things he should not appear to take sides with the men against them. If the non-commissioned officers do wrong, they may be punished for it as any other man in the company, but where the matter is simply an error of judgment, the non-commissioned officer should be privately corrected, instructed, or reproved, as may be deemed necessary, but never in the presence of the men. The men must be taught to respect their non-commissioned officers, and to recognize their authority to the fullest extent. 

415. The First Sergeant may be authorized to arrest non-commissioned officers or confine private soldiers without first reporting the offense, assuming the arrest and confinement to be by the Captain’s order. But this must be fully understood between them, as the Sergeant has no right, under the Laws and Regulations, to make such arrest and confinement. He should be required, however, to report an arrest or confinement so made with the least possible delay, to the commander of the company, in order that the Captain may have the earliest opportunity of investigating and determining whether he will sustain his Sergeant or not.

416. None of the other Sergeants should be empowered with such authority, but they should report the case to the First Sergeant, whose duty it should be to investigate and act in the case, according to its nature, until the matter can be reported to the Captain.

417. The certainty of reward and appreciation is the great stimulant to the faithful and meritorious among the men, whilst the equally certain punishment consequent upon the commission of an offense or a neglect of duty, is the best means of intimidation and compulsion of the unruly and unreliable. Those who do their duty well, and are guilty of no offenses, should be encouraged and rewarded, and an invidious distinction should be made against those men who require always to be watched, and who never do their duty except under the eye of their superiors.

418. There may be many meritorious men, whom it is not possible to promote to non-commissioned officers, who may, however, be greatly encouraged by the consideration with which they are treated, in the extension of indulgences, such as furloughs, passes, details for special or distinct and desirable duty; complimentary remarks in the presence of the company, and mention in reports and orders. It is not natural to man to labor against hope, and the best of men give up after long-continued effort, without encouragement.

419. Punishments should not only answer the purpose of intimidating and preventing the commission of offenses or crimes, but they should be administered with a view to effect the reformation of the offender. The punishments should, therefore, be of a character and degree depending upon the offense. The punishment should not be debasing in its nature, unless the offense has a similar character, and the penalty should be proportionate to the violation, for where it is too great for the offense committed, its tendency is to foster friends and harborers of the offender, and thus encourage the repetition of the act. The punishment should also be legitimate, for where an officer violates regulations and law in such a case, he is setting the example for that which he assumes to correct.

420. There are many irregularities and errors that require to be noticed in a company, that are not sufficiently serious to require an arraignment before a field officer, or Court-Martial. To treat these as they deserve, and yet not be arbitrary, requires much discretion and judgment in the Company Commander. Whatever course is pursued, it must be free from passion, and in accordance with justice. If the Captain permits his feelings to manifest themselves, the moral effect of his treatment will be lost upon the men, whether it be for or against the offender.

421. No circumstances can justify the humiliation of the men unnecessarily; to address the offender abusively, and with passion, is worse than useless; a quiet, calm, and resolute review of the error, and its consequences clearly and intelligibly stated to the offender, will impress him far more than to tell him with curses and oaths, what a villain he is. No means should be resorted to that are not Legitimate and justified by the circumstances of the case.

422. Favoritism should be avoided, and all preferences should be confined to rewards for meritorious services, to the encouragement of good soldiers; and, by the deprivation of indulgences, and the certainty of punishment, bad soldiers should be deterred from neglect, carelessness, and more serious offenses.

428. The non-commissioned officers should be required to groom their own horses. The First Sergeant, immediately after grooming his horse, goes to his quarters to prepare the morning report and sick-roll. The extra horses are groomed by the men of the sections or squads to which the horses belong. The stable police and Quartermaster-Sergeant groom their horses after the company is marched back. The stable, horses, and forage, are under the immediate charge of the Quartermaster-Sergeant; he directs the stable police in the cleaning of the stables; superintends the issuing of the forage, and keeps watch of the condition, health, and comfort of the horses.

429. An established system is necessary in the care of the stables, and the property pertaining thereto, over which the Quartermaster-Sergeant exercises general supervision. Each soldier should be required to have always on hand his horse-brush, curry-comb, and cloth for cleaning the horses, and in the field his nose-bag and lariat-rope for feeding purposes. The equipments of each horse are placed on pegs in the posts or wails, immediately opposite the horse’s stall, or else in the part of the stall on the near side of the horse. The saddle is placed on the peg; the girth, crupper, breast-strap, and surcingle, placed on the saddle, and the stirrups crossed over, and the blanket placed on the top of all, folded up. The bridle is hung underneath the saddle on a separate peg.

430. In the field, or on campaign, the stables are in the open air, being a simple picket-line stretched on posts. The horses should be fed in the nose-bags; the forage is issued by the Quartermaster-Sergeant to each man in his nose-bag, and he must feed his horse, and should be required to remain by him until he has eaten his feed, to prevent him from wasting it. The lariat-rope is used to enable the horse to graze, when grazing is to be had, by driving the iron pin in the ground to hold the horse. The rope is also used to tie up the hay or grass, when the men are obliged to bring it some distance. Stable call sounds again in the afternoon before retreat, when the same duties are gone through with as m the morning.

431. When the men’s quarters are separated some distance, the police call may be sounded after stable call, to clean up quarters, otherwise the two calls are sounded at the same hour, and stable and quarters are put in order, all at the same time. After the quarters are put in order, they should be inspected by an officer, to see that the bunks are in order, the floor swept, and accoutrements in their proper place, when the men are in quarters, and when in camp that the company grounds are clean, and the tents or huts are in proper order.

432. Each company of Artillery and Cavalry has its own stable guard, and the non-commissioned officers and men are detailed and credited on this duty on a separate roster. (Reg. 562.) The guard usually consists of one non-commissioned officer and three privates. The Sergeants and Corporals alternate on this duty. The guard gets its orders through the Quartermaster-Sergeant, who has general control of the stable. The same detail usually goes on stable police the day following its relief from guard. It is the duty of the guard to see that none of the horses get away, and that none of them are injured in the stable, and to watch against fire, or any other accident.

438. In matters not of every day occurrence, and particularly if important, the order should be given direct to the Company Commander, and it is the Company Commander’s right to have it so. Post and Regimental Commanders should avoid giving orders direct to the subordinates of a Company Commander, without notifying the latter at the same time.

442. In quarters, the daily inspection of arms usually takes place at Retreat; but in campaign, and on the march, the men should be required to fall in with their arms, both at Reveille and Tattoo. When there is a parade, at Retreat, or at any other time, after the roll is called, the Captain causes the ranks to be opened, and then makes a rapid inspection, to see that the arms and accoutrements are in order, that the men’s clothes are clean, and shoes blacked.

446. When Artillery and Cavalry are dismounted, the inspection is conducted in precisely the same way as in the Infantry. The Battery is always inspected "in Line," or "in Battery." Cavalry, when mounted, cannot be minutely inspected. A superficial inspection may be made on horseback, and for a more rigid inspection, the company may be dismounted. In the field the inspection should be principally to ascertain that the soldier is ever ready for immediate service. 

447. The hours of duty affecting the daily routine are designated by the Commanding Officer of the Post or Regiment, in orders; he is himself required to inspect his command monthly, and to have it mustered every two months. An indifferent and meddling Commanding Officer of the Post or Regiment, may prove a great annoyance to a Company Commander, but in such a case the latter should apply himself anew to a comprehension of his duties to protect himself against error and injustice.

448. One great secret of becoming a good Company Commander is to stay with the company, and be always present to attend to any matter that may need attention. An officer who is not at his post, but always visiting or pursuing his own pleasure, will not only incur the ill-will and disrespect of his men, but his affairs will fall behind, his property will be lost, or unaccounted for, and the men become negligent and insubordinate.

449. An important responsibility resting with the Captain is always to know where his men are. This involves keeping them together, and requiring them to procure the proper permission to absent themselves. This becomes of the utmost importance in times of danger, and in the presence of the enemy. If the men know that they will be held rigidly responsible in proportion to the importance of their absence, they will be very careful how they are found with the stragglers and laggards of the Army.

450. This matter, which is the great bane of the Army, is principally within the control of the Captains. They, better than all others, know their men, and have the power to make them do their duty. The commander should instruct the men that when danger is nigh, they must remain with and follow their officers, and their absence will be rigidly investigated, and if in the least doubtful in its nature, severely punished. The rolls should be frequently called, and absentees noted, at such times. The men should be taught that it is more dangerous to be absent from, than present with, the company.

451. Of course a prerequisite in the officer is courage; he must show that he will shrink from no duty that is rightfully imposed upon him. He has a hard task before him, if he has not gained the confidence of his men in this respect. The officer must seek to impress his men that he will ask nothing of them that he would not be willing to do himself, under similar circumstances. 

452. When on the march the practice of the commander should be to march in rear of his company, in order that he may see every man that falls out, this will prevent straggling to a very great extent. In camp the frequent roll calls, and the care with which they are made, are the means of preventing absence; provided, unauthorized absence is always attended with a merited penalty. Offenses are always found to depend, in their frequency, on the degree of certainty with which their commission is attended with punishment. If an offender was never permitted to escape, there would be a great reduction in crime.

454. On the contrary, if the Captain is indifferent to the personal welfare of his men, repulses them rudely when they come to him with a private trouble, and takes no interest in their joys or sorrows he will be rewarded by a want of sympathy, and he will be obeyed as prisoners in a prison obey their keepers.

455. Like everything else, attention to duty, and industry in performing it, will always be rewarded with a proportionate success. The Army has in all countries, and among all nations, always been a refuge for the idle, incompetent, and dissolute sons of the rich and influential, to the great detriment of the service, and seldom to any good to themselves. For the simple shoulder-strap is not sufficient to make officers of them, and they will surely fail when the hour of trial comes, although so long as they are untried, they may float along without serious inconvenience.

456. ADMINISTRATION—Providing the clothing and subsistence, and keeping the accounts of soldiers in order, that they may be paid, and attending to the transportation of the men and their supplies belong under this head. They involve the keeping of the records of the company, and the pay and clothing accounts of the men; the drawing and distributing of supplies, and the care and accountability of public and company property. This portion of the Captain’s duty is given in detail in "The Company Clerk," and a general outline will only be given here.

457. The following books should be kept in each company:

Morning-Report Book.

Sick-Book.

Rosters.

Descriptive Book.

Clothing Book.

Order Book.

Account Book of Company Fund.

Register of Articles issued to Soldiers.

Record Book of Target Practice.

458. The Captain is responsible for the following reports, returns, rolls, and other papers required, VIZ.:

459. In addition to the foregoing papers, the following are also required when circumstances render them necessary:

• Certificates of Disability.

• Final Statements.

• Discharges.

• Descriptive Rolls.

• Furloughs, Passes, Sick-Furloughs, etc.

• Affidavits, Certificates, etc.

• Inventories of Deceased Soldiers.

• Proceedings of Company Council of Administration.

• Provision Returns.

• Requisitions for Forage, Fuel, Stationery, Straw, and for every kind of Property, as Arms,

• Accoutrements, Ammunition, Clothing, Camp and Garrison Equipage, Quartermaster’s

• Property, and, in fact, everything required by a company.

• Inventories for Inspection Reports of Property to be inspected and condemned.

• Inventories of Damaged Property for Boards of Survey.

• Letters of Transmittal, Complaints of Soldiers, Applications for Transfer, etc.

• Returns of Killed, Wounded, and Missing in Action.

• Reports of Target Practice.

• Charges and Specifications.

460. The foregoing books and papers are under the immediate charge of the First Sergeant, who has generally an assistant selected from the men, and called the Company Clerk, to aid him in preparing these papers and books for the Captain or Company Commander’s inspection and signature. The Commander of the Company is responsible for the work, and should himself be entirely conversant with all the details.

462. To be able to account for the property (and it must be borne in mind that all public property, no matter from what source received, must be accounted for), it is necessary first to have the original invoices, if possible, of the property received, and receipts for all the property issued or transferred. If the property has been lost, destroyed or expended in public service, it is necessary to have, first, the certificate of a disinterested officer; second, the affidavit of a soldier or citizen; and, finally, if none other is to be had, the officer may certify to the facts himself.

463. The public property that ordinarily falls into the hands of a Company Commander, is of four kinds; first, Clothing, Camp and Garrison Equipage; second, Quartermaster’s Property; third, Ordnance Property; fourth, Company Property. These must all be kept separate on the papers, as they pertain to different Bureaus, and must be accounted for to different officers. The accountability for Company Property only extends to the immediate commanders, but the others being the property of the United States, must be accounted for to the proper officers of the Bureau to which the property belongs, and by them transmitted to the proper officers of the Treasury Department. (Reg. 1040.)

464. Care should be taken with regard to property worn out and unserviceable, to have it inspected and condemned, at the first possible opportunity, for it cannot be dropped from the returns, until it has been inspected and condemned, and ordered to be dropped. (Reg. 1033.) The same promptness should extend to the perfection of all papers and records at the proper time, for, if postponed, it invariably complicates their preparation, and increases the labor.

465. Company Property is acquired by purchase with the Company Fund, or by manufacture. It consists usually of the company desks, mess-chests, tools, utensils, etc., of which the company is the sole owner. The term Company Property is, however, often applied to the Public Property, and all other property in use and for which the company is responsible. By a wise administration of the Company Fund, and a judicious application of the labor of the men, the greatest comfort may be attained in the company.

466. In garrison a piece of ground should always be secured for a company garden, where vegetables may be raised, to supply the wants of the company, and even some to be sold to increase the fund. A cow or two may be kept, and a pig or two can be fattened from the offal from the company kitchen. Chickens can be raised in many places without any extra expense, and the fund greatly increased thereby. By these means the company mess may be as perfect as any hotel.

467. Other articles, such as carpenters’, blacksmiths’, and shoemakers’, and other mechanical tools will be found always serviceable in a company; in localities where fish are to be had, a fish net will be found quite an acquisition. Any kind of implements that will furnish occupation for the mechanics in the company during their leisure hours, and can be used for the benefit of the men in any way, should be provided, according to the means of the company. 

468. A Library in a company is a source of great gratification to the men, and schools may be held for the instruction of the uneducated. A small portable printing press, for printing passes, labels, tickets, etc., might be found exceedingly useful, and is not expensive. A gymnasium is of sufficient importance in military training to claim the special patronage of the government in several of the European armies.

469. There is no specific amount that a company can save of the rations, for the amount must necessarily vary according to the post or station of the company, and the duty it may be performing. In garrison, with the aid of a garden, a company of eighty men can easily save from sixty to one hundred dollars per month, and if expended for provisions, it will, of course, increase the saving of rations.

470. The savings or back rations are sometimes denied the men, but it can only be done arbitrarily, for the law authorizes the full issue, and it is always within the power of the Commanding Officer, and the Commissary, either to furnish the full ration or to commute in money such part of the ration as cannot, from some cause, be issued. The matter of forage and rations requires the personal attention of the officer, otherwise injustice will always be done to some one.

471. The Muster and Pay Roll is much the most important paper, and, to make it correctly, the Descriptive Book and Clothing Book must both be correct. The men cannot be paid until their pay and clothing accounts are correct, and the Commanding Officer of the company is responsible for the correctness of this roll. He should adopt the rule to make out the original roll himself, in his own handwriting.

472. The most fruitful cause of discrepancies in the accounts of soldiers arises from their absence from the company, either in Hospital, detached or captured, or from other cause without a record, or if they have one, want of attention in keeping it up during their absence. If possible, a soldier’s Descriptive Roll and Clothing Account should always accompany him, whenever he is separated from his proper company, and then he can be paid and clothing may be issued to him on it, and his record thus constantly kept with him.

473. It would be well to adopt the French system, and require each soldier to carry a copy of his Descriptive Roll and account, in a small book. This should also have blank leaves, on which officers can give certificates of meritorious conduct, of battles participated in, and such other memoranda as would be prized by the soldier, and be an inducement for him to preserve and take care of it. The soldier could then always have his history with him, which would be his protection and safeguard, and greatly facilitate his knowledge of his own affairs. 

475. The Monthly Return is the means of furnishing the Adjutant of the Regiment, and through him the War Department, with the history of the company, and it, together with the Muster Roll, constitutes the file to which reference is made for information concerning the company.

476. In campaign the care and transportation of the Company Property and records is a matter of considerable difficulty. Such articles as it may be desirable to retain should be properly boxed, marked, and placed in store, taking the Quartermaster’s storage receipt for the same; the baggage to accompany the company should be reduced to what is absolutely necessary.

477. All baggage that cannot be conveniently stored, or taken along, should be sold, or disposed of to the best advantage. When the campaign is over, and there is a prospect of garrison life again for the company, all its comforts may be resumed.

478. The Captain has a responsible duty to perform in the care of his sick, until they can be taken care of by the Medical Department. He should see that they are provided for and attended to; and even when in Hospital he can add much to their comfort by showing an interest in their condition, and performing such services as cannot readily be done by those who take care of them in the Hospital.

479. In the original organization of a company is where the Captain finds his greatest difficulties, particularly if he is inexperienced in military administration. All the responsibilities of his position are concentrated in the outset, and all the information he will ever learn of his duties, will never be so much needed as in the commencement. The first thing is to understand the law, or order under which the company is required to organize. This will usually give the composition of the company, in general terms if not specifically.

480. Troops called into the service of the United States are usually paid and subsisted from the date of enrollment. The officer who enrolls the men is governed in his duties by the same rules and regulations generally that apply to recruiting officers. The men are individually examined, and if pronounced to be fit for soldiers, are sworn into service, and their pay then commences, and they are entitled to clothing, rations, and quarters, from the Government, from that date. 

481. The difficult and embarrassing duty for the officer is to provide the clothing and subsistence, especially at points remote from Quartermaster and Commissary Departments, until the men are mustered into the service, and to provide transportation for them to the rendezvous, and he is often required to do this without a previous knowledge of the forms of procedure.

483. In the contract for subsistence, lodging may be included, until the men have drawn their clothing, and have tents or barracks provided them, but the price for boarding, and the price for lodging, must be separately stated. (Reg. 1236.) If the officer has been provided with Recruiting Funds, or sees fit to advance the money, he can pay the transportation, subsistence and lodging of his men. He should, however, feel sure of having any advances he may make refunded, before he makes them.

484. The raising of troops for any purpose is so much influenced by the circumstances under which they are called out, that no rules can be laid down to govern strictly in the recruiting of the men. Sometimes the troops are called out suddenly to meet an emergency; in such a case the military commander makes an application to the governor of the state or territory, for the number of troops, and he raises the men by proclamation, in such way as he may consider best; he usually either calls for volunteers, or calls out the militia. It is supposed that the men are wanted for the service of the General Government, and in such case dependence is placed upon the subsequent approval of Congress, and an appropriation of money to pay the expenses.

485. Sometimes the call is made by the President of the United States, upon some particular state, or states, in the same way as a governor would do, and like him trusting to Congress for the payment of the expenses. Strictly speaking, however, troops cannot be called out, except under the consent and provision of Congress. The laws passed for the purpose generally define how the troops shall be raised, in what numbers, how organized, for what period of time, and for what particular purpose or object.

486. In providing for such troops, the rules, regulations, and laws, governing the Regular Army, are generally followed, and if the law fails to provide specially in the case, the custom in the Regular Army should always be followed. The organization of new troops is always attended with extraordinary and unusual expense, and the greater caution is therefore necessary on the part of the officers, that all unnecessary expense may be avoided.

487. The officers are apt to overlook the Administrative duties almost entirely, and to think that when the tactics has been acquired, that nothing more important is needed. Experience, however, soon teaches them that there is a great deal more to learn than the "School of the Company," and that "drill" alone will not keep the company together; the men must be fed, clothed, and provided for, and that too according to law and regulations, and not in a haphazard sort of way.

489. The following tabular list will be found useful, showing to whom, by whom, and when the Company Papers are made: