Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1842-01-06
REPORT OF THE MAJOR GENERAL. OF
THE ARMY.
HEAD QUARTERS 81 rnr AnMr,

Cyl" winch have been invited.
| I. A tabular view OF organization;
| 2. General return OF the army;
,. Position aud distribution Of troopsin the east
ern division;
4. Position and distribution ofuoops in the west.
5. A tabular exhibit OF tho whole number Of re-
cru,s enlisted into The army, from Oct I, $780, to
Sept. 30, 1871.
Within the year great and affecting event has
occurred in this office. NV distinguished prcdeccs-
sor, Major General Macomb, departed this life to
wards the close OF June. Succeeding to the COM
mnrd of the arciy, entered upon duty July the
5th.
The field operations Of the troops have been ptin-
cpally confined TO the prosecution ofthc against
the Florida Indians.
i In the of the past winter and SPRING Briga-
dier General Armstcad, who commanded tho troops
in that war, by the aid OF delegation of Seminole
chiefs brought back from tho west, succeeded in
peacefully sending off from Florida abort 45O Ind.
ans, including their slaves. He at me same time
gave effective protection to the citizens of the Terri
tory, and caused many districts occupied by the
enemy TO he secured, particularly the country east
| OF the ST. Johns and towards the Everglades.
At his own request that General was believed
May 3lst, when the conduct Of the war devolved
on the in rank then in the field, Coonc, Worth
OF the Sth infantry.
The Florida army at the time consisted of the
End regiment Of Dragons; nine companies OF the Sd
regiment ofartllcry, serving as infantry; together
with the LIST, 3D. Sd, 9th, 9Th and Sih regiments Of
infantry, all much reduced in numbers, leaving an
effective force of about 9. 500 men,
u The season OF heat and miasnla had already com
menced and partial negotiations, were still pend
| ing. Finding that the promises of certain chiefs
had become plainly deceptive, Col. Worth resolved
TO divide his forces into number of small dctnch-
ments, and commence hostilities every where at
once. AT the same time measures taken TO
guard the frontier Inhabitants and TO induce many
who had fled for safety 20 return in confidence -
Stimulated by his zeal, energy, and abilities, the
| Florida army, ever ready for any danger or hard
ship, then spread itself the country, penetrated
many secret hauns never before discovered, destroy
cd the growing crops and other means of subsst-
ence in those places, and, by constantly harassng
| the enemy, who never stopped to combat, forced
| many TO surrender for food and safety. Securing
their families, the chiefs were turned irto missiona
ries of peace, who found numbers willing to emf
CRATE Several influential leaders, previously cap
tured and sent off, were brought back, and also EN-.
ployed in like missions. BY combining active ope
rations with negotiations of this sort, and without
violating promise made, or one precept OF hu.
mainly, the most extraordinary results, for the
son, have been obtained. l,.ge shipment of emf
grants for the West was made IN October, besides
many prisoners REFINED till they DC Joined by
absent members OF their families known 10 be desi-
rous of coming in.
The region OF the Everglades mostly under wa
ter. could not have been reached before the return
of the cool season. A movement to effect this oh.
jec,, skIlfully combined from many points, and in
GLIDING the fotilla Of Lieut.. Mclaughlin. OF the
Navy, is no doubt now far advanced, and " hch has
every promise OF enveloping large part, If not the
whole, Of Sam Jones's followers already reduced
in numbers by band that recently deserted him
for emigration Should the gallan, Colonel meet
with the success in that quarter which his able COM
birations merit, there would only be left for him q
few fragments of bands 10 capture.
Ii is highly gratifying 10 learn that the troops
most actively engaged in the foregoing operations
have suffered but very little from disease than
those OF the same army left stationary nj the forts
and depots. Not company OF volunteers or mill
aeHI aNf hAka IL
the army of Florida since Col. Worth has been in
command, except two companies for the defence of
the Georgia froGter, not called Tor by him.
It's also proper to add that, carly in the summer,
the LIST infantry was detached from Florida, and now
garrisons Jefferson barracks and the forts on the
Upper Mississippi; that Ave troops Of the u drn.
goons are IN march for the Red River frontier, and
that the nine companies Of the Sd artillery may
soon he expected TO occupy the forts at Pensacola
Mobile Point, and the neighhorbood of New Or
lenns-Co!onel Worth having reported that he could
dispense with so much OF the force that had come
under his orders IL was also at his sugse ston that
the 9Th infantry, which, had arrived at Jefferson
barracks, near ST. Louis from the North on its way
TO Florida, was stopped ut the former place in Sep
TENDER; aud he has been joined 1.-THE 22d OF Oct)
by six companies Of tie ith infantry from Arkan
sas; and has hnd or soon will have, the old regl.
menis remaining with him strens hened by abou,
500 recruits from the general depot 10 the harbo. Of
New York
From the foregoing details the army OF Florida
may, ny the ION oi next month, be estimated q
| something less than 5000 effective men,
In the month u August, For, Kent, al the mouth
of Fish River, and Fort Fairfield on the Aroos,ook,
were each, for police PURPOSES occupied by com
| pnny oil the LIST Artillery from HOu,on, near the
eastern frontier OF Maine; and another conpanv Of
the regiment, was transferred from the harbor
OF New York to that of Portsmouth, New Hamp.
shire. In the same month the I'd Artillery was
brought down from the Niagara and Sackett's Har.
Dor 10 the sea board; and il now garrsons tie
works of Newport nd Neyv Nork hal
Mlfilln, ION the Delaware,) and Fort Monroe
champion Roads.) This moyemsn, induced nm
extension Of the 4ih Artillery, stationed on Lake
Huron and the Derot) TO Buffalo and Sncke,t's
Haroof; and the retTogade movement of the 5ih in.
faniry, from Jefferson Barracks (which now occu
pies the forts on Lake Huron and the Detrot) has
caused the remainder Of the 4,h Artillery 10 be or
defed down, so as 70 give four companies to Pom
sett Barracks, tat Buffaio) one to Fort Niagara,
one 10 For, Ontario, lat Oswego,) and four TO Ma.
olson Barracks, (SacketPs Harbor)
Ii has been said that six companies Of the 9Th in
flntfy are now in Florida; three remained in the
Southwest, to be concentrated on the upper Arkan.
sas on the arrival on the Red River Of the five
troops OF the % Dragons in march from Fiorda.-
The remaining company OF the 4h infantry took !
post at Baton Rouge arsenal in October.
Ii is confidently believed that sixteen regiments i
the minimum regular force now absolutely required
by the couniry-not for actual war, but as n stand.
ing guard alnst outbreaks on the part of Indians
and hostiiisies from abtoad-sometimes imminent,
ana always 10 be looked u win sOlcltude by those
Immediately charged win the defence Of our soil.
Of such force we have put fourteen regiments-tFo
OF cavalry, four Of artillery, and eight Of infantry.
Additions Of one regiment to the artillery arm, and
Of one to that 0: lnia niry, are respectfully sug-
gested.
On the suppositions of this sigh, augmentation
and the termination Of the Florida war, the follow
ing would bc the proposed peace distribution Of the
army: five regiments two Of cavalry and three of
Infantry along the frontiers between the upper Sa.
bine and the great falls Of the Mississippi with a
sixth regiment Infantry he'd in reverse M Jclfer-
son barracks near 81. Louis, whence II might. by
seam IN the seasons Of danger, be rapidly carried
near TO either Of those particular bordcrs five re-
glments OF infantry along the frontiers between the
upper Mississippi Tor Lake SUPERIOR and Houiton,
in Maine; and FIVE regiments OF artillery to garri
son the forts along the 5eaboard, including the Gulf
Of Mexico
The necessity Of the augmentation will be appa.
rent by considering the immense extent Of outline
70 be guarded, and the remoieness Of numerous
points from any dense population Of citizens, the
many tribes Of Indians recently transplanied from
the eastern districts just beyond Louisiana, Atkan.
sns Missouri, and Iowa; and the ber the cost,
and importance Of the forts constructed or about to
ho constructed, on the seabOafd and the Canada
frontiers.
BfsIdes the Obligation TO defend States and Ter. |
IiorcI agoinst predatory ncursions on the part Of
Indians, accumulated on their borders by the nc, |
OF Government, there are treaty stpuntiOns 10 pro
teci some OF the manipulated tribes against their
ne" and more savage ncghbors beyond them and |
II may be added that the entire removal ofthe peace
garfsons rom the permanent forts, during the last
five or SIX yeats for the Florida war, has caused !
serious injuries to those works. The injuries IRE |