Aspects of the Military Life of Troops Stationed Around the Norfolk Harbor, 1812 to 1814
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The composition of the militia companies themselves posed a serious threat to the discipline so necessary to the effectiveness of any army. The problem and the solution is revealed by James Jarvis in his reminiscences of the war:
"It is a fact that most of the members of the militia companies were blood relations, in some of the companies the Captain would have at least three brothers, one or two uncles, and perhaps ten or fifteen cousins; then in consequence, the balance of the company were half-brothers, etc. to the brothers, cousins and uncles. Here was a pretty mess for discipline, it was not unusual for a private to sing over to his captain: "Now what in the devil do you keep us marching all day for?" The Captain being the brother would pass over such as this without further notice; General Taylor soon discovered that this kind of soldiering would not answer, and determined the celebrated Organization . . . (Jarvis, 1846-1853, p. 24)."
What General Taylor did was to take the men of the companies (except for the commissioned and noncommissioned officers) and distribute them among twenty or so other companies. In this way, the men were strangers to each other and to the officers, thus enhancing discipline (Jarvis 1846-1853, p. 24).
At reveille the troops arose from their beds to start the day. Some companies were quartered in the barracks at Fort Nelson and Fort Norfolk, some were scattered about the towns in barracks or cantonments with orders to assemble at a specified place for drill, and many were encamped in log huts and tents. At one encampment near Armistead's Ropewalk the tents were placed so as to form streets that ran north and south, with each company owning a street. Boards were allowed for the floors instead of straw, and in the end this practice proved to be cheaper (Jarvis March 1814). Captain Julian Magganos of the 5th Regiment, Virginia Militia ordered that "...in each hut there shall be 16 persons whose names are to be fairly written and suspended in the hut in order that a noncommissioned officer may at any time in the night or day call over their names and report to the Commandant of the Company all absentees without leave (Ord. Bk., 5th Regt., Va. Ma., 23 Oct. 1813 - 24 Feb. 1814, entry 4 Jan. 1814)".
At sunrise the men formed in front of their huts and the sergeant called the roll under the supervision of the company commander. A Morning Report form was filled out, noting how many were fit for duty, on duty, on extra duty, in arrest, in the hospital, etc., and delivered to the adjutant, who took care of the regiment's paperwork. The company commanders were also responsible for seeing that the quartermaster, who was charged with providing quarters, clothing, equipment, etc., as provided with a monthly fuel return, and that the civilian contractor received a provisions return. The adjutants of each regiment had to go to headquarters or the adjutant general's quarters to copy the daily brigade and regimental orders (Ord. Bk. 5th Regt., 20 Oct. 1813 - 8 Feb. 1814, entry 20 Oct. 1813: Jarvis Papers, p. 27). Company commanders were " ...directed to furnish themselves with an Orderly Book into which they will transcribe all orders from the Adjutants Book (Ord. Bk. Ft. Norfolk and Ft. Nelson, 5 Feb - 2 Mar. 1813, entry 27 Feb. 1813)."