Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1845-12-30

/, DEGEss Is siEs 81, EB.75.
OF the service docs not exceed 800 men A
this time, there is stationed but a single regiment
on the whole Northern frontier from Maine Il
Lake Superior an extent Of two thousand
miles; and on the who.c line, from The Fail
OF ST. Anthony 10 New Orleans, (iieen hun
Gfed mileS,) only one regiment OF drasnaa,
and two OF infantry. The artillery regiments
reduced hy te;a:hncnS oi four companies
rom each how garrison the Notifications OF The
seaboard, from Newport 10 New Orleans The
remaining and large! proportion q! The army is
now stationed in Texas The report gives an
Interesting account u the political reasons which
have induced The Government 10 give them hi.
destination. The Secretary doe, not think il pGu-
dent to remove the troops from this position until
our relations with Mexico have assumed a more
decidedly amicaic character. In The event u
there being any necessity 10 increase The army
ne proposes 10 bald upon he basis Of the req
mems By adding 10 he rank and file Of each
company, instead Of creating new regiments
This necessity NAV be found in he couiSe oil
Mexico, OF IN the corducl Of the Camanches, or
of the Indians lha; are l3uni in Oregon, or hat
may interrupt he increasing current OF emigra-
lion 10 The Rocky mountains By The proposed
arrangement of hsirg mp the infantry companies
10 sky eight men, and Inc Dragons 10 sixty, the
prIvates are increased, without corresponding
augmentation OF The officers.
The report suggests that, besides this increase
oi The number OF p;ivaies in The Two existing re-
Tnrn;s OF dragoons, another re9iment OF dra-
goons or Of mounted r!llemcn may be necessa-
ry, in The event u. extending our posts 10 the
l,ociy mountains.
1t 5 ate> that, though the concentration of 81
large a proportion o. The array on the frontier u
Texas may have, in some measure, enlarged lsIe
expenditures, Certainly in the article Of trans
poralon,) yet ii has, in some degree, been COM
pensaed by The improvement which has taken
place 10 The discipline Of the Troops. II renews
the recommendation l0I establishing 4 corps oil
sappers, miners and poaton:crs, 10 assist among
other things, in constructing bridges, ia conse-
quence Of the military occupation Of Texas
I DGe hundred men viii lie sufficient for The pur.
pose.
The report s:rcs rapid but interesting ac-
count Of Col kearneys expedition, during The
last summer, 10 the South Pass oil the Rocky
mountains; tie Impressions il prodncetl among
the Indians; the number o. emigrans whom il
met on Their way Ia Oregon, ~ the number OF
2..:35 men, women and children, with 1000 head
81 cattle, 100 horses AM muirs, anu lid wagons
| This report al Col. Kearnpy accompanies The
communication ui the coiEEIan diG2 General. and
will furnish, no dunhI, an Interesting store Of ex
, !ac!a, al season OF greater leisure. Il also re-
ers 10 HE adventures Of another detachment Of
The Dragons, under the command oi Captain
Sumner, nearly 10 the Northern line of the u
States. between Lake Superior aud The Lake Of
the Woods Among The Indians whom they
met with on their foult, aad upon whom they
made due impression with their military array
was a numerous band 81 The hail-bfceds OF the
Red river oi the North, who had come fiom The
region o. inc Hudson BAY Company into our
lines, 10 hunt buffalo They had even solicited
permission 10 reside in the u. States.
The Secretary refers 10 The considerations which
had prompted Gen. Gaines 10 despatch The vnIun-
leers ol Louisiana 70 the camp Of Cen. Taylor
Ample justice is done to their galanlly, ami
Congress j, inri'ed 10 make appropriation Tor
their compensation General Taylor had alsl
accepted The services OF ionr Texan companies o.
mounted men Tor ;hrae months.
The estimates lur The ensuing year DO not great
| " vary from those oil former wears. The item
| Tor arming he Qualifications i, increased Sl0O 900
Inc attention oi Copgicss is iiected 10 the state
Of The iOrifcaions 10 the arinores oi Springfield
and Harpsr's Ferry-io the establishment oil a
national foundry for cannon--io The preservation
| oiihe gunpowier belonging 10 The government
| 10 the condition of the mineral lands in Tie North
west, which The Secretary proposes 10 lraE>!el
from the management OF The ordnance depart
| men 10 sOme other. Che Presidents message su9
! grsis Ia the lsn, cice.)
/ Il calls the attention OF Congress 10 The forty
eight oris in process OF construction, and 10 lht
| prOprety OF erecting new forts at other points,
| Among these, as suggested by the reports o! lht
| engineers, are Notifications ot the narroWs a
/ Staten Island and at Sandy Hook, and The cundi
! iion of the lnno.suSpcEded fortress al the Pc;
Patch; an additional work q, Sellers Point fo
The protection OF Baltimore; and projected tnrtifi
| cations on the Florida reefs
| The Secretary speaks with oteal consideration
of the school at West Point, and proposes som'
improvements. He calls special attention 10 thI
report Of the chief of the corps OF Typographical
| engineers--lo The Improvements OF the hafhors OF
The lakes, which are well calculated 10 tu,nsi
accommodations 10 s'eamcis Ihl in state 0
war, NAV be turned 10 The most elective pur
poses, and 10 furnish facilities 10 commerce tha
is now estimated al one hundred millions Of dol
/ lars annually.
The Secretary speaks with enthusiasm Of la
expeditions under Captain Fremont, and hi
| valuable services. He refers Ia The reports Of h
| pension Office which has now registered upon it
books 2S92 pensioners-2,31l added during III,
last year, and 1913 known 10 have died. He de
votes considerable space 10 the Indian agency
and the lndians-lbe Poita @a,unies, The choc
taws, and particularly the Cherokees. IIe lay
before The President some highly interesting com
muncalions from or Indian subagent in ,h
| territory OF Oregon.
He dcdicaies The conclusion Of his comprehen
svc and very Interesting report 10 a subject whicl
is OF ~ profound an importance in a tree Govern
neni, VIZ: The organization oi the militia Ii,
suggests various alterations; and, among III,
resi- submits the question whether il nigh, not /,
advisable 10 rc,inre the period OF service from Il
years Of age OIL, upon the ground thar, although
citizens OF eighteen years age are hot TOO youn:
10 bear arms they are not generally in q situation
10 equip themselves with aims, "a The law re
quiras.
The whole report, from one ii the most praci
cal and effective statesmen in The country, is wur
! ,l.y Of the most profound attention. Unmn.