George Washington's Enforcers: Policing the Continental Army

4. The Supervisors

45 4 The Supervisors A well-disciplined army required more than punishment of delinquents and slackers. Constant oversight was needed to maintain order and promote combat readiness. Duty officers, known as officers of the day, had as primary responsibilities during their twenty-four-hour tours of duty “handling all internal security problems” and “overseeing the performance of the interior guard.”1 Certain staff officers—adjutants, brigade majors, and inspectors—in addition to serving as channels in the flow of information and orders, had oversight in the enforcement of standards of behavior and training. The employment of duty officers relieved the commander in chief, generals of separate armies, and unit commanders from constantly attending to many routine details of command. In effect, officers of the day acted in the stead of their commanding officers. Normally, in the assembled army, duty officers consisted of a major general and brigadier general as general officers of the day; a colonel, lieutenant colonel, and major as field officers of the day; and staff officers dovetailing their regular assignments, namely, as adjutants, brigade majors, inspectors, and quartermasters.2 “I am the officer of the day every fourth day,” complained Major General Johann De Kalb. “Twenty-four such hours afford employment sufficient for two men,” and “even in my brief leisure hours I hardly have a moment to myself, being then obliged to look after my division, and to attend the various consultations and councils of war.”3 All general and field officers had the same problem. The frequent tours as officer of the day, the incessant courts-martial, and other auxiliary obligations greatly cut into the time available for officers to exercise their command responsibilities. General orders spelled out the duties of officers of the day. The major general of the day THE SUPERVISORS 46 is, in some sort to represent the Commander-in-Chief—He is to give directions for all guards, parties and detachments—to receive reports of the proceedings, and of every occurrence of any importance, both in and out of camp. All deserters and prisoners, other than for common military offences, to be brought to him for examination, and disposed of by him—All detachments, or reinforcements arriving, to be reported to him immediately, on their arrival, and to take his orders —He is to superintend the regulation of the camp, and the execution of General orders; for which purpose he should visit the whole line, if not absolutely prevented by other duties; and he is to report, to the Commander in chief, what, from his observations, he may think necessary to be done, for the better regulation of the camp and army. . . . He is to make a general report next morning, to the Commander in chief, of every thing that passes worth notice on his day. Occurrences of emergency, and that require immediate attention to be reported the moment they are known by the Major General.4 All reports from guards and scouting parties went to the major general of the day, who also assigned duties to field officers of the day.5 Anyone who was not a member of the army and all “suspected persons” who sought entry into an encampment were to be brought before the major general of the day “to be examined and dealt with, as he shall see fit.”6 The brigadier general of the day is to be considered as the commanding officer of all the guards—He is to receive his orders in the morning from the Major General. He is to attend the Grand parade, to see every thing conducted with propriety —to assign the posts and give all necessary directions—to visit them after they arrive, & see that they have taken post right; have followed the rules prescribed them; taken proper precautions to secure themselves and avoid surprize; and to give his orders accordingly —On an alarm he is to perform all the essential duties of commanding officer of the guards—He is to make a general report of every thing relating to them, to the Major General.7 In attending the grand parade at guard mounting, usually held at 8:00 or 10:00 a.m., the brigadier general of the day had to see that guard details were “regularly made up” and “properly posted,” appoint the schedule for field 47 THE SUPERVISORS officers of the day to make their rounds in visiting guard posts, and make sure that while...