The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-01-01
CONGRESSIONAL
DocuMRNTs ACCOMpANYING THE PRES

1T
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE COMMANDING GEN
ERAL or THE ARMY. -.
HsApQUARrEms or THE Army,
Washington, Nov. 20, l6l5.
STA: As the basis of this annual report, have
tie honor to submit tabular views of the army;
A. Organization " The army as established "
b General return (or actual number Of the ar
CD, {, F. DairibuiiOn etths army territOrially
and rr-
G.. Erhibh Of erlsimsnis
The Indian frontiers continue In an unusual state
of tranquility. Within the year there has been 90
field operation, bat many precautionary exPedip"H9
and movements OF troops. "a.
An expedition under Colonel Kesrney with hve
companies of his regiment, LIST dragons along
the route Of Oregon emigration TO The 9ou,h %
the Rocky mountains and back by me Faliey OF lhe
Arkansas and the road Of the santa re traders, has
been made with extraordinsSy despatch ana sue
cess. He set out from lor LeasehwoIth, on ue
Missouri, May the lsth, and returned me l9th OF
AuguS-having m'aeaea .",e' ~ 20 pase.
stract of the journals kept, illustrated by map OF
the whole rSate, are annexed. twill be seen that
his oficers and men entered upon the expedition
with sprit, and conducted themselves throughout
with credit. The great number OF Indians passed
in that wide circuit must have been powerfully I'M
pressed with the ygor, alertness, and hne appear
ance Of the troops, as well as by the wise and hui
name admonitons Of the commander.
Colonel Kearney well acquainted with the inter
ests temper and afinities Of those wild Indians,
does not recommend the establishment Of any
advanced military post on the Oregon or Santa
Fe routes, but rather biennial or riennial eayal-
ny expeditions, like the one he has so ably con-
Quoted
Another detachment Of the same regiment, under
Captain Sumner, consisting OF his own and Captain
wal N he
same period These companies, from the Dies
MONIES and Turkey rivers, took norherly direc-
ton; crossed the ST. Peters, and assembled its left
bank TO the Lac Qd Pais Tin this iverl north OF the
45th parallel Of latitude. Captain Sumner held
many impressive councils or talks with haifbresd,,
and other Indians who reside within the British
line but who south, every summer, in search
of game; besides sezing, for trial in the civil courts
several former offenders among the Sioux Indians,
whose homes are within our limits. No doubt this
expedition has also done much good and great cred
Il Is due to its commander, officers and men. an
mex Captain Summers report.
The movements of troops in the direction Of Tex.
ms have been numerous. There are now in that
country detachments from the four regiments Of ar
tllery; the whole Of the Cd Dragons, the Sd, 4th
5ih, 9Th, and 9Th regiments of infantry, which
(about 600 men) compose the army Of patton,
under Breyet Brigadier General Taylor an officer
of high merit. What dctachments be may have
made from Corpus Christi, what provisional
posts occupied, under the instructions Of the War
Department, time has not yet permitted TO learn.
But from his known character, that of bis general
stat, commanders OF corps, officers and men, there
is no doubt the army Of occupation will be more
han sufficient for any defensive exigency likely to
occur in that quarter. u. - II
To supply the troops sent into Texas many Of
our principal frontiers, Atlantic and inland, have
been disfurnished in the whole, in great part Of
their usual peace garrsons. For example, from
Lake Champlain, around by the Saint Johns and
Passamaquoddy, to Newport, Rhode Island not a
company has been left, and single regimen, (the
ID infantry has been extended from that lake to
Copper Harbor, half way up Lake Superior--a dis
lance, following the frontiers, Of more than 1 800
miles. 80 .
To meet the wants Of our extended frontiers 10
the northwest, west, and southwest, and without
reference to any immediate dang of war, Indian
or foreign, beg to recommend a small augmenta-
Gon Of our regular forces for the ordinary service
those frontiers. This may be attained by new regi-
ments-say one Of artillery and three of infantry
which wound adt 10 the establishment lag officers
and g ia enlisted men, Including non-commssion-
ed officers, &c.D or rE
BY adding 10 privates to each company of dfa-
aos Inow so prvates each and 90 privaies to each
company of artillery and infantry, (now a priyates
each,) of the present establishment we should have
total increase (by this psn) for 20 composites of
Dragons, 40 of artillery, and 80 of infantry, of
$500 privates--without the addition of regiment,
or Of one non-commissioned officer, musician, or
artfcer See organisation able) Of the regular arnu
of The United STATES, Army Register. But, in this
case, additional subaltern ed lieutenant to each
company of Dragons and infantry (l0O) would be
necessary. There are, at present, about IS brepei
second lieutenants Graduates of the Military Acad-
emy-sirangely called sarernumergy by act Of April
%, 1912, sec. ~ attached to companies, and doing
duty with them. These officers would be absorbed
by promotion, should this second plan of augmsnts.
lion be carried out, and the future supernunperaRv
or brevet ID euienants graduates of the academy
be kept down, for series of years. to small num-
bernot more than sufficient to supply three officers
constantly on duty with each company, and to give
others for staff and detached duties which the prog
ress of the service WILL in Eve or seven wears GER
tainly demand. g'a y
Exclusive of commissioned officers the peace "a.
adjustment was--from 1908 to 1912, 9,i28 men:
from 1915 to 1921, 1856; and at the date of
the last reduction, in lS42, Ii So since tfat re-
duction, as at present, 1883. ~ 4
With the larger augmentation, suggested above.
$500 privates--the non-commissioned oENcprs onJ
all other enlisted men would then stand 10 483. !
strength less than that of either 1921 or l842. ~
i.w,ll nave been seem u the second plan above,
each company OF dragons, and of 90 TO each com.
Pany OF artillery ond infantry only. There is no ne
cuiar Illness In those respective numbers All com,
Panes IN war, or on the near approach of war, are
genereay carried up to about 100 privates each and
no matter what the limit of law the number win III.
w,
fesf Of enlistng even one man beyond the establish
ment.' F5I1f ".ND ~
Our present Skeleton army may then, without an
additional regiment, and by the mere addition 81
Wivates, be augmented 1850 men, (more than
doubled) making total of non-com missioned az.
GERS, &C., &c, of 15,843. I'm
offer but elements. II is for higher authorities
TO determine the extent III nny) and mode of aug
mcntation. But ! may add that companies with but
AZ privates cannot be isolated Gas the ordinary ser
vice OF the frontiers so Frequently rcqures,l and
hence are often doubled, TO garrison even some Of
the smaller posts, 'E IN n,
beg also to recommend, for service at the Mill
tary Academy, and elsewhere. the creation Of d
company hf 100 enlisted men, like that formerly
styled "a company Of bombardiers sappcrs, and ,ni-
nsrs by the tact making further provision Tor me
corps Of engineers" (sec. ID approved April 20,
1912 That company was attached TO the corps Of
engineers and habitunliy kept duty at the acadc-
my. 1t unfortunately was abolished by the act for
reducing the army in 1921, after acquiring much
distinction in the Niagara campaign of 1914, under