Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1842-01-04

| AoSent OF SICK, Sl2
| Absent on detached service, $685.. 447
| Needed to complete the Army, -. 1888
| Recruited during the past year, :. 4922
Deserton IN proportion to the number of recruits,
has largely diminished, as compared with the last
year.
! Of the Army, $500 men now employed in
! Florida, but the number is soon to be reduced to
5000.
The report speaks of the great successes, which
have recently attended the operations of the army
In Florida, and anticipates its termination at no
distant period. The military skill and enterprise
of Col Worth, are highly complimented.
The report recommends further increase of the
United States Army, by the addition of two regi
ments. The means of our national defence are re-
viewed at large under three distinct heads L.
Those of the western frontier against the Indians.
g Those of the northern frontier. 3. Those ofthe
maratme frontier.
The chain of military posts on our western from
tier, are represented as being insufficient oprotect
! the country from sudden invasion. There are
20OO miles of western frontier country, and the
savage tribes bordering thereon, are able to bring
Secretary therefore recommends the establishment
OF chain of Forts from Council Bluffs, to the
| mouth OF Columbia river so as to command til =
avenues by which the Indians pass from north to
! south, and also to maintain communication with
the territories belonging to us on the Pacific coast
With respect to the defence of our northern from
tier, the report recommends sufficient naval force
| on the lakes, as the only and proper means of Sc
curlty. The report adds 80 The naval force on
the lakes, is undoubtedly our chief reliance for de-
fence and offence. To furnish shelter from tenn
pests, the harbours must be enlarged and rendered
accessible and to protect and furnish the navy with
supplies, as well as the lives and property of our
citizens from an enemy, those harbors, and the
most important of the straits and rivers, connecting
the lakes should be Fortified
Another consideration of great Importance to our
national defence, are railroads and canals
These afford great facilities for the expeditions
transportation of troops, and military stores. By
the facilities of this character which already exist
In the country, the report contempates that the ex-
penses of war, incurred in the movements of the
| army from one portion of the country to another,
would now be greatly reduced from what they were
| during the last with Great Britain.
The report recommends the immediate estab-
shment of national foundry for cannon; also the
necessity of opening military roads to the frontiers
| of Maine.
| The report also speaks in favorable manner of
the Military Academy at West Point. Some alte-
rations in some of the departments of that instu-
ton suggested, and additions and improvements
! of the buildings are urged.
The Secretary says the most difficult portion of
| the boundary line between Michigan and Wscon-
sin, have this year been surveyed and established
The survey of the lakes and the northeastern
boundary is also in progress.
On the subject of harbor appropriations, the re-
port is of liberal character. Although the prin-
cipal appropriations recommended are for the At
lantic coast yet the wants of the West over
looked. That portion of the report relating to har-
Dor appropriations we give entire:-
at will be perceived that the works for the i'm
provement of harbors already authorized nave been
arranged into classes: first, those of great I'M
| portance and immediate necessity and second,
those OF perhaps equal Importance, but In respect
which there peculiar circumstances so urgent
for speedy action IN the first class. The plan of
proceeding gradually, with due regard to econo-
, my and the condition of the Treasury, and with
reference to the just and equal claims OF the differ
ent portions OF the country, will, Ii Is believed, be
| more likely to accomplish greater amount OF the
| desired improvement than any other mode.
The total estimates for the works OF the first class
is 1875, 900, while the very moderate OF Ss:jJ,
900 is asked preserve those of the second class
| from decay. 1t should not be inferred that any in
| tenon exists of abandoning many most valuable
andmportant works, for which no specific estimates
are submitted. On the contrary, the very recon-
mendation to preserve them proceeds from desire
for their completion at the proper time and in due
course reference to the principles before stated
The works Tor which SPECIFIC estimates sub
mtted, are upon the Atlantic and lake coasts, of
which by far the largest amount is for the former.
While justice is thus done to the maritime from
tier, the Improvement OF Its harbOrs and In the
provisions for its military and naval detences, the
exceedingly important and rapidly increasing COM
merce of the lakes, is fairly entitled consideration
| and assistance by rendering accessible the harbors
universally obstructed by natural impediments, and
by atfordng houses for hazardous navi CATION
| At the present time, this commerce, based the
! productions of States and Territory
must annually exceed 1875 600 900 and as it ex-
pands and increases it will give additional value to
| the public domain, which will soon add its trlbuta-
ry streams to the great tide of internal trade that
flows from Lake Superior to the Atlantic
The report represents the number of pensioners
as having rapidly diminished-more than one-thrd
of the whole number, having gone the way of all
the earth during the last year. The whole number
on the rolls at the date of the last report of all de-
scriptions, male and female, was 44,394. The
| present number is 2653l.
An Island in the Mississippi river, situated at the
confluence of the St. Peters, has been purchased
by the government for military purposes; for which
Island the sum paid was $4,000.
The Editor of the ''Galena Advertiser" paper
published in the north part of the State of H.
lnos seems to take II for granted thai he Is or Is