Secretary of War

Is an officer of the executive department and member of the Cabinet, appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate, and has charge of all duties connected with the army of the United States, fortifications, etc., i ues of commi ions, movement of troops, payment, commi ary, etc., and engineering. The following is extracted from the law of the United States: “There shall be at the seat of government an executive department to be known as the Department of War, and a Secretary of War, who shall be the head thereof. “The Secretary of War shall perform such duties as shall from time to time be enjoined on or intrusted to him by the President relative to military commi ions, the military forces, the warlike stores of the United States, or to other matters respecting military affairs, and he shall conduct the busine of the department in such manner as the President shall direct. “The Secretary of War shall have the custody and charge of all the books, records, papers, furniture, fixtures, and other property appertaining to the department. “The Secretary of War shall from time to time cause to be collected and transmitted to him, at the seat of government, all such flags, standards, and colors as are taken by the army from enemies of the United States. “The Secretary of War shall from time to time define and prescribe the kinds as well as the amount of supplies to be purchased by the subsistence and quartermaster departments of the army, and the duties and powers thereof respecting such purchases, and shall prescribe general regulations for the transportation of the articles or supply from the place of purchase to the several armies, garrisons, posts, and recruiting-places, for the safe-keeping of such articles, and for the distribution of an adequate and timely supply of the same to the regimental quartermasters, and to such other officers as may by virtue of such regulations be intrusted with the same, and shall fix and make reasonable allowances for the store rent and storage nece ary for the safe-keeping of all military stores and supplies. “The transportation of troops, munitions of war, equipments, military property, and stores, throughout the United States, shall be under the immediate control and supervision of the Secretary of War and such agents as he may appoint.” The British secretary of war was formerly a high officer of the British ministry, having control of the financial arrangements of the army, and being the responsible medium for parliamentary supervision in military affairs. The formation of a war-office proper took place about 1620, the secretary of state having previously performed its duties. It was, however, limited to financial authority, neither the commander-in-chief nor the muster-general of the ordnance being subject to it. During the Ru ian war the evils of this divided authority led to the creation of a secretary of state for war, to control all the military departments. The secretaryship-at-war was merged in the superior office in 1855, and abolished by act of Parliament in 1863. See Minister .