A military dictionary

by William Duane

Regimental Inspection is made once a month by the commanding officer. The clothing, the necessaries, arms, and accoutrements belonging to the different companies are examined by the lieutenant colonel or major of the corps. Specific returns are made by the officers commanding troops or companies, by whom the debts and credits of the men, which have been made up and accounted for on the 24th day in each month, in infantry regiments, and on the 24th day in each second month in cavalry corps, are exhibited for examination at head quarters. This forms the groundwork or basis of the general inspection, at which the troop or company book should always be produced.

Private Inspection of companies is the first step towards the other two, and ought to be made every Monday morning, by each officer commanding a troop or company, or by his subaltern.

Inspection of necessaries is an examination of the different articles which every soldier is directed to have in good repair. The regular or established proportion of necessaries that each soldier of cavalry and infantry is to be in possession of on the 24th day of each month, to entitle him to receive the balance that may be then due to him, consists of the following articles.

Cavalry.—3 shirts, 2 pair of shoes, 3 pair of stockings, one pair of gaiters, 1 forage cap, 1 saddle-bag, one pair of canvas, or woollen over-hose, 1 canvas, or woollen frock or jacket, 1 stock, 1 black-ball, 2 brushes, 1 curry-comb and brush, 1 mane comb and spunge, 1 horse-pricker.

Infantry.—3 shirts, 2 pair of shoes, 2 pair of stockings, or 2 pair of socks, 1 pair of gaiters, 1 forage cap, 1 pack, 1 stock, 1 black-ball, 2 brushes.

Private Inspection of arms. Twenty minutes or more before the general parade, every troop or company should be drawn up on its troop or private parade, and each man be narrowly inspected by an officer. When the dress and accoutrements have been looked at, the troop or company standing at open ranks, and with shouldered arms will receive the following words of command from the senior officer.

Open-pans—slope, or port arms—The pans and locks will be narrowly inspected. Carry arms—shut pans—order arms—draw ramrods—at which word the men draw and put them in the pieces, springing them successively as the officer comes up to them, but not returning them until the whole troop or company has been examined. The officer will carefully examine the nob of each ramrod, and determine from its appearance whether the inside of the barrel be clean. On some particular occasions, especially when a party is ordered upon immediate duty with ball cartridges, a more minute examination of the musquet should take place. The pricker is not always sufficient to ascertain the state of the interior part of the touch-hole, as it can only enter in one direction; it is therefore recommended to order the men Buts to the front, after which they are to blow down the barrels. By applying his hand to the touch-hole, the officer will be able to know the real state of the vent. When the arms have been examined, the men will be ordered to handle arms—fix bayonets.—When the bayonets and slings will be inspected—unfix bayonets—ease arms—stand at ease.

INSPECTOR of cavalry, an officer whose particular duty is to inspect all cavalry regiments, to report the state of the horses, and to receive specific accounts from the different corps of their actual state; he communicates with the commander in chief, and whenever a cavalry regiment is ordered to be disbanded, it must be looked at by the inspector general, before it is finally broken.

INSPECTOR of the recruiting service, an officer of rank through whom the field officers of districts, and colonels of regiments (when they personally manage the recruiting service of their own corps) transmit their several returns to the adjutant general’s office.

Inspector of clothing. These inspectors, or the inspectors for the time being, are directed to view and compare with the sealed patterns, the clothing of the several regiments, as soon as the same shall have been prepared, and if the said clothing appear to be conformable to the sealed patterns, they are authorized to grant two certificates of their view and approval thereof; one of which certificates is to be delivered to the clothier, to be sent with the clothing to the head quarters of the corps, and the other to be lodged with the general clothing board, as the necessary voucher for passing the assignment of the allowance for the said clothing.