Braxton Bragg to Orders, } Headquarters Department No. 2, August 8, 1862

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT NO. 2,
Chattanooga, Tenn., August 8, 1862.

General 8. CooPER, Adjutant and Inspector General, O. S. Army:

GENERAL: I regard it my duty to submit the following for the consideration of the War Department:

Many of the regiments of this army are mere skeletons, but with complete regimental organization, which makes them costly without corresponding benefits to such a degree as to call for a speedy and radical remedy. There are two methods by which the evil may be cured: The weaker regiments may be broken up; the men, with a limited or restricted choice between regiments and companies, may be permanently distributed among the troops of the same State and the officers discharged; or such regiments may be temporarily broken up, the men assigned for the time to such other regiments as may most require them, and the supernumerary officers detached to assist in collecting and enrolling conscripts and establishing and conducting camps of instruction, from which men shall be drawn to fill up the regiments in the service, and to reorganize the old regiments, in which case all the old soldiers scattered in other regiments shall be restored.

To the first plan, which has been partially authorized in this department, there are some patent objections in operation. By it very many incapable, inefficient officers are retained and some of the best officers in the army are necessarily discharged. Injustice is done to some worthy, zealous officers, and material injury wrought to the service, which can ill afford to lose one capable officer at this juncture. In several instances, in view of an existing deleterious condition, I have recommended resort to this plan, but am satisfied some better one must be sought. That, I think, will be found in the second remedy proposed. namely, the temporary breaking up of all these skeleton regiments, the dispersion of the men among the several regiments from the same State, and the retention and employment of all effective, competent officers,

with a view to the ultimate restoration of men and officers to their reg: iments when recruited from conscripts and volunteers. This method appears to be in harmony with the spirit of the act approved April 16, and I feel assured will have all the advantages with none of the defects of the other plan, while it will be more satisfactory to officers and men. To continue these costly skeleton organizations in the field I trust will not be thought of, and I cannot hesitate to ask that I may at once be invested with authority to inaugurate the proposed system of reform.

In connection with this I must suggest another and much-needed reform measure: The rolls of every regiment are encumbered with officers absent sick, many of whom have been absent for months. Men thus absent unfit for duty would be discharged on surgeon’s certificate, and there can be no good reason why the same rule should not apply to officers, and a regulation established requiring the discharge of all field and company officers who remain unfit for duty (except from wounds in battle) for the period of ninety days. Such a regulation would work no hardship to the officers, and be fruitful of benefits to the service and a great contribution to the efficiency of our arms in the field.

your obedient servant,

GENERAL ORDERS, } HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT No. 2,
No. 109. Chattanooga, Tenn., August 8, 1862.
I. Until otherwise ordered the forces in this department, when taking
the field, will be provided with the following:
Means of transportation—One wagon for cooking utensils, &c., for
100 men; one wagon for extra ammunition, &c., for 400 men; one wagon
for each regimental headquarters; one ambulance (or light two-horse