The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1847-12-24
Rersr, of The serrr,ar, Of War.

/ The report Is Acknowledged ON al hahdS I"
/ be most ably drawn. We give sort of con-
! densation Of it fiom the Reveillc.
la reference to the land forces now in the
1 field, the secretary says:
/ From the hest means in the Department
OF arriving at correct results, the whole ag-
sregate land force, employed IN prosecuting
( the war, is estimated at iolty three Thousand
five hundred and thirty -SiX, Of which TWEEN
ty-ouc thousand five hundred and niue are
regular troops, and the remainder v0lun-
teerS.
The distribution Of this force is as follows
With Ma jUr General Srntt, and belonging 10
his column, including the troops IN route, at
Tampico, n and about Vera Cruz, and on
the line thence TO his headquarters, the az
.resate force is estimated at ,hiIty-two thou
sand one hundred and fifty With Ma
jor General Taylor, NJ the several posts un-
der lis immediate command, II is about six
thou>and seven hui.ii,d and twemly-scven.
In Santa Fe, and ou the Oregon and Santa
Fc routes, and in the Indian country, there
are about three thousand SIX hundred aid
thirty-four.
The force IN the CALIFORNIA; is about one
thousand aud nineteen, including Two hun
bred now on the way Ia that country.
There are no means in the Department Of
calculating the deductions which ought 10
be made for sickness, disability, and other
casualties; but the effective force is conSiG-
erably below the rsgoing estimates.
Ofthe chihuahua expedition, the Secte-
tary says:
This adventurous march, by Col. Dcni-
phan and his small and gallant command, of
more than one thousand miles through u
hostile country, in the course of which two
battles were fought against vastly superior
numbers, and decisive victories won, with
great loss on the part OF the enemy, and al
most Gluodless on ours. Is an achievement
TO which it would he difficult 10 find paral.
lei in the history Of military operations.
General kearny's operations in California
are spoken of, without reference TO Col. Free
mont or Commodore Stockton, and General
Price receives great COMMUNICATION for his
suppression Of the Taos valley Instruction.
1t is remarked that the approach of winter
has prevented the work Of establishing the
two Oregon posts, east Of the mountains, one
at Grand Island, anu the other at or near
Fort Laramie.
The Secrctary's plan Of "lurthcr opera
tons" is that Of the President, as set forth in
his message, and tits supported by tie same
arguments. The document gees on:
In addition TO the troops required 10 garri-
son places to be retained, it is proposed to
have III the field competent force for ag-
gtessive uperations-to strike the enemy
whenever he may present vulnerable
point; to open avenues from the ports III our
possession into the cncmy's country, and 10
cover and subject to our cCntrCl some OF his
rich mining districts and productive agIicul-
tnral regions. 1t is not deemed proper IL
point out III mere detail, the movements and
objects contemplated in the further prUsecu-
ton U! the war upon this plan.
proceed 10 present my views in relation
to the troops considered necessary for this
purpose. The twenty-five regiments of the
regular army, as distinguished nom the vol
unteer force, when filed up 10 the limit fix
cd by law, would be twcnty-eight thou,an,
eight hundred and fourteen, exclusive CT Of
fiCers; but the actual strength, as near a.
can be ascertaned, is now twenty one thou
sand five hundred aud thirty-,hree; it vii
therefore require seven thousand three hun
drcd and eighiy-one enlisted men to com
plee the regular military establishment.
During the last year, the recruiting ser
vice for the regular army has been ATTENDED
with considerable success. The recruit
enlisted for the fifteen old regiments, amour
to eleven thousand and eighty one, and thos
for the ten regiments raised under the act o
10 . ,,tE thp,,
sand one hundred and siSiy-two.
By the operations uf the recruiting ser
vice, it is believed that the present strength
Of these regular regiments will be fully sus
tanned, and probably increased.
The accompanying tables from the Adju
jant Generals Office, show that there ar
now in service, engaged for the war, TWEEN
ty-three regiments of volunteers, seven bat
talions, and thirty-threc companies not or
ganiZed into regiments or battalions; bu
the rank and file of all these do not proba
bly, exceed twenty thousand men. Most u
the volunteer forces have borne IA conspicu
Gus part in the present arduous campaign
and partio ularly III the SERIES Of severe con
hicts with the enemy. The casualties q
the service have, therefore, fallen heavil
upon them. They have become considera
bly reduced. To give those serving for III
war their complete organization, wilrequir
an addition Of about twelve thousand iy
hundred men.
The Secretary is for the immediate rails
! ing of ten additional regular regiments, an
says, moreover:
The exigeices Of the war may require
larger force than can be brought into til
field, including the proposed new regiments
1t is, therefore, urged that authority shout
also be given to accept the services Of NOR
volunteers. II should not be restricted 10
, number less than twenty thousand. Wit
the increase of our present force by the 'e
/ new regiments, il is not probable that ther
will be occasion TO exercise this authority
vet all emergency may arise when resol
to it would be Of grea, Importance TO III
public interest.
IowA.-Tle Governor OF Iowa has Gale
special session Of the Legislature, to me,
at the capital on the third Monday Of Janua
"a, Tun limited Stairs Senators are 10 D