SANITARY  COMMISSION
             3XTO, SO.
  The Committee to whom was referred the subjects of exam-
inations of volunteers and other officers of the Array from civil
life, and of reserves—

  Respectfully report in part :
  1.  They deem it of the highest importance  that a system of
examinations should be established at once,  under Sec. 10 of
the Act of July 22, 1861, by which the qualifications of officers
of all the ne\v lines, or  all newly-selected officers of future lines
should be sifted.  That the examinations should, when practi-
cable,  and  as far  as practicable,  be  general, rso as to avoid
making the fact of being examined a stigma.  That they should
be made as general  as practicable under the present circum-
stances, avoiding, on the one hand, crippling  the efficiency of
the present army by depriving it of officers, and, on the other,
a system inadequate, as to the qualifications required.  That
they should go as far back,  in reference to time when the offi-
cers were  appointed, as circumstances may permit.  Be con-
ducted as  rapidly  as  possible.  Refer to practical  military
matters, as well as to theory.  Be  made, as  far  as  possible, by
those who, having the requisite  knoAvledge of military matters,
are yet from circumstances prevented from active  military
command.
  The  Committee  propose the following plan,  subject to the
modifications of the  Commission, which they think, will, in  a
general way, meet the  requirements  of the important matter 
committed to them, and provide for a prompt beginning of its
execution.

  1. To divide the regiments in actual service into two classes :
First—Those in Avhicb from training  already effected, and the
positions and duties of the regiments, only those officers shall
be  closely examined avIio are  reported  as defective by the
Brigadier-General commanding the  brigade to Avhicb the regi-
ment is attached, or by the Colonel  of the regiment, the others
to receive a pro forma examination merely.
  That inquiry shall be at once addressed to the Brigadiers, and
through them to the Colonels of regiments, in reference to the
qualifications of  officers.

  2. Those regiments of the later levies,  of Avhich all the offi-
cers shall be examined.
  The  Committee recommend  that  when  the exigencies of
the service do not forbid, all officers from civil life should be
examined, as the mere fact of examination would otherwise be
a stigma  upon the examined.

  3. That a Board of five members  be constituted for the pur-
pose  of  holding examinations,  to  be selected  from paroled
Officers, from  Professors of the Military Academy, if dispos-
able, from resigned graduates of the U.  S. Military Academy,
to be commissioned for the purpose, and  from  other officers of
the Army not available for active military service in the field.
This will prevent any interference Avith active military opera-
tions, by  the constitution of the Board.   The system to begin
with the Army  of the Potomac,  and, if  successful, to be ex-
tended to other divisions.

  4. The Board to draw up for the approval of the Command- 
3
ing Generals of " Departments or Detached  Armies" a state-
ment of the qualifications necessary, and a plan of examination
and  recommendation.   The plan  of  examination  to include
practical exercises Avith troops, according to grade.

  5. The Board to visit places Avhere masses of troops are con-  .
gregated, to proceed promptly to examine and report upon the
cases of all officers examined.

  6. 1 he plans of examination and selection of officers to con-
form to the laAvs in regard to volunteers.

  7. The Board to present for  approval  also  a  plan for  camps
of instruction,  to Avhicb officers  of promise, not  having the
attainments necessary for immediate acceptance may resort.

  8. The plans of the Board to suggest the wTay of dealing Avith
cases in which an officer selected for a certain  grade, and not
qualified, is Avilling to accept a lower one for which he is fully
qualified.

  9. The  Board to  make  such  suggestions from time to time
for the approval of the Commanding  General, as may meet
cases of doubt or difficulty in practice, or as may be judged
improvements of the plan of organization and of examination.

  The Committee Avould further present a plan  for  a  school
for training rapidly Non-Commissioned Officers, adapted to the
prospective wants  of the  Army, volunteers, and regulars, de-
vised by one of their West  Point  associates, Professor Mahan.

  1. To allow each company to select or nominate  the four
men under the age of 25 that they may deem  the most worthy
of promotion to Non-Commissioned Officers. 
                                          So. 30.


  2. These four men to be examined by a Board  of competent
officers selected from the Regiment, to ascertain their soldierly
and mental attainments, and their moral character.  The requi-
site mental attainments to be to read and spell correctly, Avrite
a fair business band, and  to have sufficient knowledge of arith-
metic to make out  all  the papers, &c,  of a company.  Each
nominee  also to declare on  honor that he has taken  no steps,
directly or indirectly, to secure his own nomination.

  3. The tAvo  most competent  of the four  to be regarded as
eligible to promotion ;  the others returning to the company for
another trial, if again selected.

  4. All pf those selected to be embodied into  one  corps, and
placed under the charge of competent officers, for such a course
of instruction  as most suitable  to make  them useful Non Com-
missioned or Commissioned Company Officers.

  5. That as fast as any of the Corps sIioav themselves qualified
jn the prescribed course of instruction, they  be examined by a
competent Board, receive a certificate of qualification, and be
returned  to their companies  as candidates for A'acancies.

  I he Committee recommends  the adoption of the  following
resolution by the Commission :

  Resolved, That the Report of  the Committee on Examination ,
of Officers is  adopted  as the Report  of this Commission, and
that a copy be  presented to Major-General G. B. McClellan,
U. S. A., commanding the Army of the Potomac, asking  that
this plan  be put into execution, if approved  by him, under the
laAV, as early as practicable.

  On behalf of the Committee.
                                       A.  D.  Bache,
                                              Chairman.
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