The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1850-12-03
r E T
SECRETARY OF WAR.
WAR DEPARTMENT

WAR DEPARTMENT,
WASHINGTON, November 80, 1850 {
Sir: beg leave TO submit the following repoft Of
the operations OF this Department during the last
year
The aggregate strength Of the army, as at present
established by law, and supposing every company
| to have its complement is twelve thousand three
hundred and twentysix, az, 800 officers and men.
IL rarely happens, however, that company is COM
| plete for while on the hand, the enlistments
can never exceed the limit prescribed by law,
deaths, discharges, and assertions must always
cause the number of men actually enrolled and in
pay TO fall far short OF 1t. This Is particularly the
case in regard TO troops stationed at the frontier
posls for the men all enlisted in the older
States, considerable time must always intervene
between the happening OF a vacancy and Its being
filed. 1t Is estimated by competent judges that,
owing TO these causes, combined with sickness
and other casualties of the service, the number OF
men actually in service and hi for duty usually
falls short OF the legal organization on average
Of from thirty TO forty per cent.
The report of the Adjutant General, hereto ap-
pended, will show how this force distributed.
by that document it will be seen that seven thou
sand seven hundred and ninety. six 1851 of the
! twelve thousand three hundred and twenty.six
[l2,326l officers and men composing the army, are
/ stationed in or are under orders for Texas, New
| Mexico, California, and Oregon, leaving only four
thousand live hundred and thirty ,53Ol in all the
| re ct Of the States and territories.
When IL is recollected what large accessIons
| have, within a few years past, been made 10 our
territory, that extensive seaboard will require
Notifications, and an enlarged inland frontier needs
/ u
nfest that the present military establishment of
/ the country is entirely inadequate TO its wants.
Allow me 10 call your attention TO the remarks on
this subject contained in the report OF the General.
| in Chief
The most important duty which al present de-
wolves on the department, 10 the protection OF Tex
as and New Mexico against the Indian tribes IN
their vicinity. This object has engaged the anx-
ous attention Of the department, and all the means
at its disposal have been employed to effect il.
| The recruiting service has been actively prose-
f.sL kw.p
| toned on that frontier 10 their complement of
venty -four men, as fixed by the act OF the 17th 0f
June last. Prompt measures have also been taken
10 carry into effect the provisions OF the act,
| which authorizes the mounting Of portion of the
| infantry stationed in Texas.
Early in August last, the seventh regiment of In
antry was ordered to Santa Ee, and had proceeded
Its destination some distance beyond Fort Lea
wentworth, when a steamboat, laden with supplies
Tor the expedition, was sunk on her way from ST.
Louis to that post In consequence of this accident,
nd the advanced state of the Jason, Was ordered
10 return and take its winter qua rters at Jefferson
Barracks, from which point IL will resume its march
as early as practicable in the spring. From the re-
ports OF the officers IN command IN Texas and New
Mexico, as well as iIom other reliable sources of
information, the department is fully satisfied, how
ever, that the force now stationed on that frontier,
with all the reinforce ments II will be able 10 send
there In the spring, will be entirely insufficient for
/ its protection.
! In order TO make the troops as available as pos
sible for the protection of the setteme they ave
/ been separ ate into small detachments, stationed
nj various posts along the frontier. Bat, as the
/ frontier is many hundred miles in extent, these
| posts necessarily considerable distance apart
and the utmost vigilance and activity on the part OF
| The officers in command cannot prevenI small
| bands OF Indians from passing between them, and
committing depredaions on interior settlements.
The only description OF troops that can eticctuallY
put stop TO these iorays IL cavalry Unlike those
Of their in this part OF the continent, the In
dams that occupy the vast and open plains from the
southern extremity OF Texas to Oregon ia all their
/ "A he ar
I invariably mounted, and are well skilled in the
management of the horse. In their ineursioRs into
| the whie settlements they are prompted, n OF 80
much by feeling Of hostility by a love OF plum
der, ana, couse quently, seldom move IN large
! beis prepared To encounter an armed force, but,
separatlng into small parties, watch 4 favorable
/ opportunity, make sudden and rapid inroads INTO
the settlements, drive oil whole herds OF cattle,
and occasionally eonmh acts Of shocking bar
| befiiy.
Embroidered by the impunity with which these
iEcuTsons have been heretofore too often aitcnJed
I end encouraged by The su scess with which they
have b, en- rewarded these bold ma randers have OF
late ventured much further into the settlements,
and even within a short distance OF our milllarg
poets. All the roads leading into the country are
| infested by them, and cannot be safely travelled
without military escort They stand 10 little awe
| Of troops foot; but light and &c i've tyalry
could pursue and cha stse them or recapturr their
pisnder whereby their deprt dations would be reE-
dered more dangerous aud lees profitable. Several
OF these tribes have made sne progress in civliLa-
ton, having fixed fluctuations and considerable pro-
Teriy BY pursuing these TO tiier homes and retail
iningsevefeJ upoa them, they would soon he taught
that Is their interest to respect the property of tie
whites. The officers in command in these depart
ments concur IN the opinion that To enable them
do this, a larger force, particularly in mounted
I men, is indisp, nsahly necessary. As a Temporary
means al suI dying this deficiency. the command-
ing officer IN Texas died out several companies
OF volunteers; but the short period for which this
description OF force can b. lrgally called upon TO
serve, renders " more expensive aud less etiicie
than II would otherwise be. Doubts are ente r.
tanned whether he experiment OF mounting iafar.
try will prove successful Little, n anything, a
gained by such arrangement on the score a
economy, end soldiers enlisted with no reference
TO their aptitude for cavalry duty will seldom be
able TO adapt themselves TO a service for which
their previous habits may not at all quality them.
IL Is therefore veiy much 10 be desired that Con-
eress viii, at an early period, consider the pro.
riev OF ihcreasing thu army. and particularly of
iaisng one or more regiments OF mounted men.
This additional force will at irst be attended with
proportional addition of expenditure but IL Is be-
lie,ed that IN the end economy viii be promoted
| by IT. The supplies necessary for the troops tt,-
toned in that country now nearly all take a
from the other States. These supplies have to be
carried a great distance by land, and owiag to the
bsdDtts of the roads, the scarcity of provisions and
provender, and the exorbiiant prices demsneed for
labor, the cost Of transportation u enormous The
following is the actual cost Of transporting pork and
flour Che two most important items ot supply TO
several Of the military posts in Texas and New
To the nearer interior post in Texas, per barrel
for porh as, for flour $3.50
To ssnta lie and Les vegas, New Mexico, for
pork 1872 per barrel, for flour s2i,a0
To Taos, Socorro, Abequr, and Savoyette, for
pork fll, GO per barrel, for Hour 1915 80
To Psso del Nofie, Texas, snd TO Sm Ehzanc
and Dona Ana, for pork tiS per Darrell for Hour
S31sO
The above sums are paid for transporting bread
and NEST 10 n CO upiry. large porttn of which "
susceptible of producing abundant crops OF grain,
and nearly all Of y hch IL well adapted 10 grazing
ard m, % spns will cootinus to be paid long
the intursions Of the Indians confiaue u Pfeveas