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A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation: U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates, 1774-1875
Journal of the Confederate Congress --FORTY-SEVENTH DAY--WEDNESDAY, January 4, 1865.
OPEN SESSION.
The Chair laid before the House a communication from the Secretary of the Treasury in response to a resolution relative to the amount of Treasury notes transmitted to the Trans-Mississippi Department.
On motion of Mr. Dupré, the communication was laid upon the table and ordered to be printed.
The House resumed the consideration of the unfinished business of yesterday, viz:
The bill "to authorize the consolidation of companies, battalions, and regiments."
Mr. Moore, by consent, modified his amendment so as to make it read as follows, viz:
Provided, That in making the consolidation provided for by this act. each private soldier shall have the privilege of joining any company he may choose, until the same shall be filled to its maximum number, but he shall not be permitted to join any company except one in the same regiment in the brigade to which he belongs, or which is to be consolidated with the same. nor to change the arm of the service to which he belongs, except according to the rules and regulations now prescribed by law.
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Mr. Hanly submitted the following amendment to the amendment of Mr. Moore:
Strike out the whole thereof and insert the following, viz: "Provided, That in consolidating two or more regiments the consolidation shall first be made of companies, so that the men of each regiment shall be placed in the same companies when the same shall be found practicable;"
which was not agreed to.
The question recurring on the amendment of Mr. Moore,
Mr. Moore demanded the yeas and nays; which were not ordered, and the amendment was not agreed to.
Mr. Akin submitted the following amendment to the first section of the bill:
Strike out the proviso and insert ill lieu thereof the following: "But troops from different States shall not, without their consent, be consolidated into the same company, battalion, or regiment."
Mr. Conrad submitted the following, amendment to the amendment of Mr. Akin:
nor shall troops be transferred to a different arm of the service from that to which they originally belonged;
which was agreed to, and the amendment as amended was agreed to.
Mr. Marshall submitted the following amendment to the first section of the bill:
Add after the amendment just agreed to the following: "And any noncommissioned officer or soldier belonging to another State than that from which the troops to be consolidated come may, at the time of such consolidation, at his own option, be transferred to such company from his own State as he may indicate; and it shall be the duty of the general consolidating the troops to make the transfer immediately;"
which was agreed to.
Mr. Cruikshank, from the Committee on Enrolled Bills, reported as correctly enrolled
And the Speaker signed the same.
Mr. Holliday submitted the following amendment to the first section of the bill as amended:
Strike out the whole of the same and insert in lieu thereof the following, viz:
"That all companies, battalions, and regiments now in service, that shall have been reduced below the minimum now provided by law, shall be consolidated and designated by order of the general commanding the department, under such rules and regulations as the President may prescribe: Provided, That only troops from the same State shall be consolidated: Provided further, That all noncommissioned officers and privates, whether on duty or absent with leave, or prisoners in the hands of the enemy, shall be allowed to select their command in the arm of service and army to which they may have hitherto belonged, provided that no company shall exceed the number of one hundred and twenty-five rank and file."
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Mr. Villeré submitted the following amendment to the amendment of Mr. Holliday:
Add at the end thereof the following: "Provided, That no such consolidation shall be made until it shall clearly appear to the satisfaction of the President that such companies, battalions, and regiments can not be sufficiently recruited within a reasonable time by the assignment of conscripts, or otherwise."
Mr. Blandford called the question; which was ordered, and the amendment of Mr. Villeré was lost.
Mr. Dupré submitted the following amendment to the amendment of Mr. Holliday:
Strike out the whole of the same and insert in lieu thereof the following, viz:
"That whenever a company shall be composed of less than thirty-five men, a battalion of less than one hundred and seventy-five men, and a regiment of less than three hundred and fifty men. exclusive of commissioned officers, they shall be consolidated with other companies, battalions, and regiments in the same brigade until the maximum number of such company shall be attained; unless the whole number of men in the brigade be less than one full regiment: in which case it shall suffice to form a battalion or regiment out of the whole brigade: Provided, The number of men therein exceeds the maximum herein established for a battalion or regiment.
The question recurring on the amendment of Mr. Holliday,
It was decided in the negative.
Mr. W. E. Smith submitted the following amendment, to the first section of the bill:
Strike out the whole thereof and insert the following:
"That whenever any company in the infantry, cavalry, or artillery service shall be reduced to less than the minimum number required by law, and shall remain so reduced for the space of thirty days, such company shall be dissolved, and the men distributed equally between the other companies of the regiment, battalion, or squadron. And if all the companies of a regiment, battalion, or squadron are reduced below the minimum number now required by law. then the company having the smallest number of men shall be dissolved and the men added to the company having the largest number of men, if the addition thus made to the company having the largest number of men shall not increase the number above or equal to the minimum required; then the next weakest company shall be dissolved and the men added to the company in process of completion, and so on until said company receives s number sufficient to raise it to the minimum and not above the maximum number of men. And when this result is secured, then the next strongest company shall be filled up as above indicated: Provided, That there shall be at least one company organized out of the men of such regiment, battalion, or squadron;"
which was not agreed to.
Mr. Snead submitted the following amendment to the second section of the bill:
Strike out the whole thereof, which reads as follows, viz:
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serving shall appoint boards of examination, to be composed of three general officers, which boards shall proceed to inquire into the relative qualifications, claims, and fitness of all officers of the several organizations which it is proposed to consolidate (excluding prisoners of war), and shall select such officers for the command of the new organizations resulting from the consolidation of the old as may seem to them best qualified for such commands; which officers shall forthwith assume the respective commands to which they may be assigned by the general commanding the department or separate army to which they belong, subject to the subsequent appointment of the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate,"
and insert in lieu thereof the following, viz:
Mr. Bell submitted the following amendment to the amendment of Mr. Snead:
Strike out the whole thereof and insert the following, viz:
"That the officers to command the regiments, battalions, and companies so consolidated shall be elected from among the supernumerary officers of the old commands so consolidated, and in case there should be a deficiency of officers, then from noncommissioned officers and privates; said officers after such election shall be examined by a board of examination, and upon being found qualified by said board shall be commissioned by the President."
Mr. Marshall submitted the following amendment to the second section of the bill:
After the word "and," in line 10, insert the words "from the officers certified to be qualified the men of the new company organization shall elect the new officers of the company."
Mr. Dupré submitted the following amendment to the amendment of Mr. Marshall:
Strike out the whole of the same and insert in lieu thereof the following, viz: "and from the officers certified by the said board to be competent the commanding general of the department or of the separate army in the field."
Mr. Atkins called the question; which was ordered.
Mr. Clark demanded the yeas and nays thereon;
Which were ordered,
Yeas: Anderson, Chambers, Conrad, Conrow, Dupré, Gholson, Gray, Johnston, Miles, Pugh, Shewmake, W. E. Smith, Villeré, and Wickham.
Nays: Akin, Atkins, Ayer, Baldwin, Barksdale, Batson, Baylor, Bell, Blandford, Boyce, Branch, Eli M. Bruce, Horatio W. Bruce, Burnett, Chilton, Clark, Clopton, Cluskey, Colyar, Cruikshank, Darden, De Jarnette, Dickinson, Echols, Ewing, Farrow, Foster, Funsten, Garland, Hanly, Hatcher, Herbert, Hilton, Holder, Holliday, Keeble, Lamkin, Lester, Lyon, Machen, Marshall, McCallum, Menees, Montague, Moore, Orr, Read, Russell, Sexton, Simpson, J. M. Smith, Snead, Turner, Vest, Wilkes, and Witherspoon.
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So the amendment to the amendment was not agreed to.
The question recurring on the amendment of Mr. Marshall,
Mr. Barksdale called the question; which was ordered.
Mr. Clark demanded the yeas and nays;
Which were ordered,
Yeas: Akin, Atkins, Ayer, Barksdale, Batson, Baylor, Bell, Boyce, Branch, Eli M. Bruce, Horatio W. Bruce, Burnett, Clark, Clopton, Cluskey, Colyar, Cruikshank, Darden, Dickinson, Echols, Ewing, Farrow, Foster, Garland, Hanly, Hatcher, Herbert, Hilton, Keeble, Lamkin, Lester, Machen, Marshall, McCallum, Menees, Montague, Moore, Orr, Read, Russell, Sexton, J. M. Smith, W. E. Smith, Snead, Turner, Vest, Wilkes, and Witherspoon.
Nays: Anderson, Baldwin, Blandford, Chambers, Chilton, Conrad, Conrow, De Jarnette, Dupré, Funsten, Gholson, Gray, Holder, Holliday, Johnston, Lyon, Miles, Pugh, Shewmake, Simpson, Villeré, Wickham, and Mr. Speaker.
So the amendment of Mr. Marshall was agreed to.
Mr. Barksdale submitted the following amendment to the second section:
Strike out all after the word "section," in line 4, and insert An lieu thereof the following, viz: "All such companies, squadrons, battalions, and regiments which it As proposed to consolidate shall have the right, on a day to be fixed by the general commanding the department, to elect all their officers, who shall be commissioned by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate: Provided, That the general commanding the department shall appoint boards of examination composed of three general officers, which boards shall proceed to inquire into the fitness of all persons so elected and that no one shall be commissioned who is not decided to have the qualifications necessary to the performance of the duties of the office to which he may have been elected."
Pending which,
Mr. Vest moved to reconsider the vote by which the amendment of Mr. Marshall was agreed to.
On motion of Mr. Menees,
The House adjourned until 11 o'clock to-morrow.
SECRET SESSION.
The House being in secret session,
A message was received from the Senate, by Mr. Nash, their Secretary; which is as follows, viz:
Mr. Speaker: The Senate have passed, without amendment, a bill of this House (H. R. 284) to issue a further foreign loan.
Mr. Cruikshank, from the Committee on Enrolled Bills, reported as correctly enrolled
And the Speaker signed the same.
A message was received from the President, by Mr. Harrison, his Private Secretary, announcing that the President had to-day approved and signed
On motion,
The House resolved itself into open session.
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