American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846, 1846-12-14

| ANNUAL REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF
WAR, The Union of Friday night contains
this document, which is as lengthy as any ofts
predecessors, and is principally occupied with
p narration Of events in relation to the Mexican
war, with which our readers generally are al
ready familiar. We suhjoin an abstract:
The report commences with a history of the
commencement and progress of the Mexican
war operations, embracing the battles Of PaIo
Alto, Resaca de la Palma the thee days con-
fllct at Monterey, the termination Of the arms-
tice, the conquest of Santa Fe and the CalIlor-
Mas, etc,
Satisfactory, though not official information
had been received Of the taking Of MonclrVa,
but not Of Chihuahua. Gen Kearney's de-
tachment was expected to reach the Pacific
about the last of November, The operations
of Col. Fremont and Com. Stockton, west of
the Rocky Mountains, are referred to with com
mendauon. Authentic Information, but no Of
fetal report had as yet been received
The military force Of the United States has
been augmented from 1910 to SO 900. The
duties of the department have been arduous and
! embarrassing.
! The department of Tamauipas, on the right
| bank of the Rio Grande, for several hundred
miles from its mouth, New Leon, CuahuaIIa
! and chihuahua have all in effect been wresled
from the Central government of Mexico, aud
the Mexican author les, both civil and military,
displaced in New Mexico and the CALIFORNIA;,
all in the short space ofseven months.
! The regular army created under the law of
the last session, when filled up, will amount to
/ Il, 99S officers and men, but it does not now
exceed 10000. The want ofsuccess in filling
up the ranks is attributable, probably, to the
large numbers of volunteers called out since
the passage Of the bill increasing the army. 1t
is impossible TO tell what number Of troops the
exgencies Of the war may require. The vol
unteers called out who have encountered the
enemy have more than justified the high ex-
pectalons formed of this description of troops,
but it is no dsparagement of them to say that
regular force would be preferred in war to
be prosecuted in foreign country. Consider
atoms OF economy also are decidedly in favor of
troops beng engaged TO serve during the war
! The Secretary is most socitous that this sub
ect should receive the early attention of Con-
gress, and that body of troops should be rails
ed to take the place of those volunteers who
will claim discharge at the end OF their years
service
A plan recommended by Gen. Macombe, in
his report in 1887, in reference to regimeuta
and field officers, is approved Of by the Secre-
tary, and the attention of congress directed
TO it.
Provision should be made for the punish
/ ment OF offences committed by our troops and
by persons connected with the army.
"The act of congress-" SAYS the Secretary,
"aulhorlzing the acceptance of the services of
volunteers, provides that they shall furnish their
own clothing, and receive therefor a Commuta-
ton in money. 1t was determined that those
first called out, were entitled, by law, to be paid
in advance for one years clothing, and each
volunteer received forty-two dollars, on being
mustered into service. This sum was not al
ways appropriated for clothing, and many of
them soon became 80 destitute as to suffer in
their health, and, in other respects, to be
scarcely fit for service. To this cause. in no
inconsiderable degree, is to be ascrlbed the
great disparity of sickness between the volun-
teers and the regular troops, the latter being
well clothed by the government, and compare
lively much more healthy. lfpaid in advance,
there is danger that the commutation money
will not BIO applied to the proper object, or not
judcously applied; and if withheld until earn
ed, those entering the service will not be able,
in many cases, to procure a needful supply,
and consequently, will suffer for the want
thereof, or be obliged TO pay enormous prices
To remedy these Inconvenience, recommend
that the present law should, in this respect, be
altered, and that the appropriation for clothing
should be enlarged, and the government re-
qured 10 provide supply for the volunteers
and furnish it to them at cost, ia lieu of the al
lowanoe in money, now directed TO be paid
and that no money III lieu of clothing should
be paid unless the commanding officer Of the
company, to which the soldier belongs, shal
certify that he is well supplied with proper
clothing"
A farther increase of the regular army is re-
commenced.
, The estimated appropriations for Notifications
for the next year is S4s5, 500, including the
defence and the support of the saPpers and mi
ners and Typographical engineers. The presen
orgsnzatio oftne ordnance bureau is deemed
inadequate. A deficiency exists in the medca
t staff Of the army. A history is given of thu
operations in mineral lands during the pas
year. The number of pension agencies is for
ty-four, exclusive of navy pensions, and thu
number of pensioners about twenty thousand
The independent treasury act contemplate
) the employment OF officers therein named a
penson agents, and renders it doubtful whethe
, those hitherto employed arc not suspended, !
is therefore recommended that authority b.
given to continue the present agents at Iea
: sonable compensation.
, Thrty-fou n ndred and thrty-four Indian
= have been rem we'd from the f ist to the Yves
of the Mississippi, since the last annual report
New treaties With the Indians are referred
TO-, and the solicitude of government expresses
for the promotion OF the welfare of the India
| tribes.