The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1842-01-06
NUMBER Is.
From tAs Charleston Courier.
REPORT OF THE SECRETARY o
A u

! hI.JOlkI NE OE
WAR.
The whole number Of troops now in ser.
vice is 10 .G95-commisslona officers 7l3
mon. commissioned officers, musicians and
priyales 9.906-exceediDg the aggregate
OF 1910 by l2A. Reported as present. 81.
/ So, absent or sick Sl2-absent oo detach.
tG service 447. Recruits required 10 cen.
plete tie organization oftbo army 1885
Recruited during the past year 1922. Az
erase Of desericrs largely diminished. En-.
pIoyed IN Florida, 3 ,50o-~to be soon recuced
to 3.000-lhe rest Of the army is disposed
Of for the protection of.be inland frontiers,
and for garrisonlng the Atlantic forts.
Co the Western frontier, the Indians
bave been kept at peace both with US AID
among ,hcmselVes--,he only exception
some depredaiions Of the Caddocs in Tex.
as, tribe for which that country Is moro
responsible than we are. On the Northern
aud N. Eastern frontier the presence Of
troops has aided IN preserving peaceful re.
aions with The adjacent territories Of &.
/ Britain.
Military operations iu Florida rader the
| able command ofCol. Worth have assumed
new aspect, ard a speedy and successful
resoll Of the campaign aay be expected.
! Au increase Of two regiments 20 the az
nv recommended.
For the defence Of the Western frontier,
numerous stocknded forts, with log block
houses, have been established TO protect tho
country agains, The Indian hosullties, from
Fort JesUp, IS miles south vest Of Nachi.
loches, on the road 10 Texas, al For, Ora.
hot, on the ST. Clair river, at the outlet OF
/ Lake Huron barracks are IN progress at
several places--and chain Of posts is re.
commended from the CounciI Bluffs to The
mouth Of the Columbia river, so as to com.
mand The avenues BY which the Indians
pass FROM the North to the South, and at tho
Same ;ipe maintain communication With
our territories in the Pacific.
/ For the defence Of the Northern frontier,
naval forces on the lakes are the chef rell.
aBce and the enlargement Of harbors, as
shelter from temPestc, and the fertilization
( OF mes, lmporlsnt strata and river, for pro.
lection, are recommended. Omissions Of
necessary appropriations last year have pre-.
vented the completion Of these defences.
4 company has been directed to garrison
/ For Niagara, ard Fort oswego will soon
/ be ready for effective service. Defensive
works at Detroit, Buffalo, and the outlet OF
Lake Chnmplain, viii be commenced as
soon as titles TO these sites are secured.
For the defence c! the maritime frontier,
tue system recommended by the Board OF
Engineers, orgauzed 10 1916 IS approved.
1t consists OF naval force, = Notifications
and 2 interior communications. i. As TO
tho FIRST, floating batteries arc considered
beyond our meaus and the chief reliance
Tor defence Of tho coast generally must bu
on tue rayy. For defence Of inIets and har-
hots, q class Of steam vessels, of ligh, draft,
is necessary ; bu, the fort!icsllon of har.
bors and roadsteds are our only efficient re.
source. 2. AS to permanent Notifications
they are indispensable for covering naval
and military depois and all other establish.
ments, public or private, exposed to naval
lncursion, and inviting the cupldiiy OF the
foe. 10 The execution OF line Of works in.
tended TO occupy the whole Atlantic coast,
from psssamaquodjy Bay TO Cape Florida,
and along the cult, from that Cape TO the
mouth of The Sabioe, great progress has
boon made, at the most lmportan, points,
and elA,000 900 have been already ex.
peuded, and $4,000 600 moro will finish all
bat those OF minor importance. The for.
iher prosecution Of the system is recon.
mended, and especially in reference 10 tho
works intended for the moro remote South.
rrn portion OF our territory, where tndlca.
tions are already made, Of designs OF tho
werst character agaIns, that region, in tho
event Of hnsiililles from certain quarter,
10 which we cannot DO inseusble." Esll-
mates submitted, with means on hand, will
furnish adequate defences at Beaufort, the
mouth of Cape Fear River, Charleston, Sa-
yanneh and st. Augustine A e,rong field
work should be thrown up at WilloDghby
point, in the event of hostile appearance,
until tho completion of Fort Calhoun in
Hampton Roads-and an appropriation Of
$4,000 is recommended for the purpose.
On the gulf coast, Pensacola, Mobile, aud
most Of the avenues to New Orleans are
fortified The plans of existing works in a
complete state Of efficiency is recommend.
gu tlRt WI " w Iotio III WlbtSt SSh-
son as most favorable in the South. To
provide for points still unprotected in the c.
vent of hoslities being threatened, before
this system Of for,ificaIion is complete, light
steam vessels are recommended, five for the
Gulf of Mexico and seven for the Southern
Atlantic coast. An appropriation of $780,
; 900 each asked for o work at or near tho
, mouth OF Cumberland Sound, and another
, a, or near the outlet OF St. Simon's sound--'
| the best harbors IN Georgia, on tina. part oil
, The coas, A work on Dauphin, or Peli.
, can Island. recommended for Mobile. and
! 500, 900 asked for it. Preliminary surveys
Q to be had before commencement Of any
work. 8. As TO interior communications,
j, The facilities for the transportation oftroops
c aud munitions ofwar, by means Of rail roads
and canals, are adverted to al some leng,h--
and in the even, Of u war. the saving effect
}, ed through them TO the Government, in the
Y cheappcss Of transportation, will fully equa