Intendant

or Intendant Militaire . An officer in the French army charged with the organization and direction of all the civil services attending a force in the field. The officers acting under his orders are those in charge of all the finance services, the provisions, stores, hospitals, artillery train, and transport departments, besides the interpreters, guides, and such like temporary services. The intendant-en-chef of an army is the representative of the minister of war; and, short of superseding the general’s orders, can exercise, in case of need, all the functions of that high officer of state. The intendance is divided into intendants, ranking with general officers, sub-intendants with colonels, and a istant-intendants with majors; besides these there are cadets, who receive no pay, and constitute a probationary grade.