therefrom. The value of the Regular Army and of the Black Regular were
both proven to an absolute demonstration in that thin line of blue
that compelled the surrender of Santiago.

In July, 1866, Congress passed an act adding eight new regiments of
infantry and four of calvary to the nineteen regiments of infantry and
six of calvary of which those arms of the Regular Army were at that
time composed, thus making the permanent establishment to consist of
five regiments of artillery, twenty-seven of infantry, and ten of
cavalry. Of the eight new infantry regiments to be formed, four were
to be composed of colored men; and of the four proposed for the
calvary arm, two were to be of colored men. The President was
empowered by the act also to appoint a chaplain for each of the six
regiments of colored troops. Under this law the Ninth and Tenth
Cavalry Regiments were organized.

In 1869 the infantry suffered further reduction, and the four colored
regiments organized under the law of 1866, numbered respectively the
38th, 39th, 40th and 41st, were consolidated into two regiments, and
numbered the 24th and 25th--the 38th and 41st becoming the former, and
the 39th and 40th the latter. Previous to this consolidation the
numbers between the old 19th and the 38th, which was the lowest number
borne by the new colored regiments, were filled in by dividing the old
three batallion regiments in the service, and making of the second and
third batallions of these regiments new regiments. The whole infantry
arm, by the law of 1869, was compressed into twenty-five regiments,
and in that condition the army remains to the present, to wit:[9] Ten
regiments of cavalry, five of artillery and twenty-five of infantry.

The number of men in a company and the number of companies in a