The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-12-09
REP ORT
OF THE SECRETARY OF WAR.
wAR DrpAarMsSr, Nov. PC, 1912.

WAR DEPARTMENT, Nov 20 lolz.
Sra: have the honor to submit the following re
port upon the various ecs committed to the charge
of this Department.
The condition of the army, Of the Qualifications
and of the other branches Of the military service and
the four Indian affairs and of TIE pensions and
military bounty lands, exhibited, presented in
the copous and very satisfactory reports Of the General
chief and Of the heads of bureaus TO whose imped
ate direction the respective subjects assigned
Such suggestions and recommendations a the good
of the service seems to require, made. and
count is given of the taken in execution Of
the laws passed at the last session of Congress.
Inspections and examination of the men and near
provided for the national detnce by Independent and
responsible officers, afford the only means by which
an accurate knowledge OF their condition can be ac-
CURED by which responsibility can be enforced, and
by which judicious improvement can be effected
During The last year they have been made vigorously
and thoroughly. Posts and portions of the army that
have not been inspected for many years, have been
examined; the Notifications, the armorcs, arsenas
and depots of military stores, have been visited and
is believed that but very small portion of the army
and no important military establishment Of the Go
vern nen has, during the year, escaped inspection.
The information which the Department is thus
bled TO obtain and much OF which appears in this re-
d IT. and those OF thevarious bureaus is ofte most
tisfactory character.
In pursuance of the act of the last session altering
the fiscal year, the estimates of this Department have
been prepared for tie first six months in 1913 and for
the year commencing the LIST of July, 1913, separate
ly. Those for the army proper for the half year Of
1913, amount to 1858 $50 50. The appropriations
for the purpose for the service of 1872, amount
ed TO "a 2o4 669 of which the half would be ~ i42
334. THIS very great reduction is owing to various
causes first, the diminished expenses IN Florida, e
fected mainly by the vigilance Of Brgadier General
Worth before The Cessation of hostes; of which I'm
account was transmitted to the House of Represents
tlves at It's last session. second, the termination OF
those hostitcs third the stopping of The recruiting
service in August last fourth, the doubt whe her the
state of the Treasury would warrant even the expen-
dilu'es authorized particularly those IN the Engineer
and Oidnance Departments, induced suspension OF
many of those which could he suspended with the
least public injury and considerable balances in con-
sequence remain; and, fifth, desire TO economist,
which believed 10 have Influenced all the branches
OF service These, and other not so important,
have saved the expenditure Of large portion of the
amount appropriated for 1912 and left it to be applied
to The Service for the year lSi3
Inc same desire to economist and adapt our eX-
penses to any probable state Of the Treasury has IN
.ured the very moderate estimate for the service OF
aTmy proper, fiscal year commencing
July ls lS43, Of SO 204 56S 60, being 81 OS0 100 Az
less than the appropriations for the OBJ
Jecs in 1872 and 1867 430 40 less than the expendi-
lures in 1910. 1t Is confidently believed that the pre-
sent military establishment OF the country, includ
ing all he expenses Of the military academy of per-
manent or contingent character may be maintained
at not exceeding So 100000 This estimate does
not Of course, include the appropriations for ord
nance ordnance stores, small arms and equipments
which distributed among the States, or are accu-
fN,,lnt tod trrf,lr 4 Undo fhn
expenditures of the engineers in erecting fortifca-
tons other military defences, or in the measures
preparatory to such erections 1t will be seen that
appropriations asked for the ordnance service
for the first six months of lS43 Those recon-
mended for the fiscal year commencing LIST July,
lS43, S775,200 The appropriations for the same
objects in 1912, were 1921 800. These have been
reduced in reference to the possible state OF the
treasury than to the actual wants of the service In
the Engineer Department the appropriations asked
for the ensuing eighteen months amount to 81 PAS
500 The amount appropriated in 1912 was S27S,-
COO portion of the estimates is indispensable for
the preservation Of works already commemorative
residue is deemed necessary and il is believed that
true economy will be consulted by appropriating it, but
still it is not indispensable at this time. The whole
amount of the estimates for the military service of
the country for the first half year Of l843 exclusive
of Notifications, is S62O949 10, and for the fiscal
year terminating July lst, 1874, is S4,l44,l54 So
The estimates thus stated to prevent if possible,
the misunderstanding which frequently charges to
the military service all the expenditures of this De-
partment Thus, many of the estimates of the Chief
of Typographical Engineers relate TO works either
exclusively of civil or of a mixed military and CT
vii characterised as lighthouses placed under his
charge, and Improvements of harbors, rivers surveys
&C., and cannot, with propriety, be included among
the military expenses of the country.
The estimates for pensions also very much reduced
from the amount appropriated during the last year,
which is believed to be justified by the dimnution OF
the number OF pensioners. The estimate for that OBJ
ject for the first half year of 1843 is Sll9,340 and
for the fiscal year ending July ls 1914, S697 $780,
The appropriations for the last were $3.50 600
In the Indian Department the expenditures being
regulated by treaties by law there is room for
the exercise of discretion in the reduction of their
amount As these chiefly made within the first
six months Of any year. the estimate for that portion
Of the year lS43 is, in fact, for the service of the
whole year, and amounts to S791 4S4 40, and those
for the fiscal year commencing July lst 1913
amount TO Sa5O,97S, being however, nearly Sl5OCOt
less than the sum appropriated in 1912 for the same
department. This arises solely from their being less
required to fulfil treaty spulations for the purchase
Of land
The report of the Major General commanding the
army shows the operations of the troops during the
past year, and the present position of the different
corps. The reasons which demanded the cessation
OF hostilites in Florida having been communicated tC
Congress by your special message, during the las
session, and the policy recommended having beer
sanctioned by that body, by its adoption of the peace
full measure oil inviting the occupation OF The Ierrlto
ry by actual Settlers the number of troops serving
there has been gradually diminished, leaving ade
quae number to protect the inhabitants from the
miserable remnants of tribes still remaining. We
have advices that arrangements have been made with
all but very few of those Indians, for their removal
10 the west of the Mississippi to the district in the
southern part of the peninsula assigned them for the
habitation. And it is believed that by this time al
the bands north of that district have agreed to
hostilities and there. Two three instance:
nj o,tra hayp ne orders ie
sued for the termination of hostties but they are
ascertained 10 have been committed by bands who
were ignorant of the measures adopted, or Of the
terms offered.
During the past year four hundred and fifty
Indians have been shipped TO the West and it is sup
-alI