The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-12-31
TIL L R L P u BLIC.
OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS.
Report OF the Commander OF the Army to- |
the Secretary OF War.
HEAD QUARTERS oF THE ARMY,
w AautNGrnN Noyembpr DI 1851 .

WAsHiHGToN, November 2l, 1851.
sin: The organization of the Army, ita actual
numbers on the rolls and it's distribution among
divisions departments, and posts are exhibited by
the returns of the Adjutaut General, appended to
this report, viz:
/. Organization of the Army of the United States
established by law, marked Al
2 General returns of the Army. showing the
present numbers borne ON the rolls Is;
3. p, sitions or distribution Of the troops within
the Eastern Division, e.;
4. Positions distribution ol the troops within
The Western Division, ID;
5. Positions or distribution of the troops within
the Pacific (or third) Division, T.; and
q. Statement OF the number OF recruits enlisted
from October /, 1850, to September 3D. 1851.
Our military posts have been generally visited
in the past year by tho inspectors general, whose
reports chow a satisfactory state OF discipline
Within the same period many wholesome re-
forms have been ordered in the several admins.
tratiye (hnancia) branches of the service, which,
without impairng the efficiency OF the troops, can
not fail in another year, to elect large dIIninu
ton Of expenditure. | allude, more particularly,
to General Orders No. |, January 8, 1851, "to pro-
mote the health of the troops and 10 reduce the ex
pense'> of subsisting men and horses at remote
posts-as on the Indian frontiers of Texas, OF New
Mexico, California, and Oregon-by sysemnuc
gardening and farming This will be made more
than probable by considering the details oil that or
der, hereto annexed.
To effect another considerable saving, il is pro-
posed to abandon Fort Atkinson, at the Great
Crossings of the Arkansas; as also Forts kearny
from the Missouri (say at Fort Leavenworth) four
hundred, three hundred and ten. and ak hundred
and forty miles, respectively. The three distant
posts being in regions which almost forbid attempts
at farming or gardening, they can only be sup.
piled with necessaries for man and horse by land
transportation, and at prices the most enormous
The object being to protect the lines OF emigration
| to New Mexico and Oregon, the proposed substi-
tues for the abandoned posts are some two or three
annual columns of Dragons or mounted riflemcn,
as in former years. experience having shown that
email bodies of horse triversing the praries as lar
| as the gorges OF the Rocky Mountains, and always
seen in condition to pursue and to strike exert
greater pacific influence over the wild Indians than
would, perhaps, ten times the number OF troops Ill
| the same country tied down throughout the year
to few fixed positions. The coluinns setting out
from high points of navigation on the Missouri, at
the beginning of the grazing or butialo season, and
returning early In the autumn, would cost but NJ
| tie more than If they had remained at the steam
| boat landpgs.
| must here repeat (from my reports of 1919 50)
that experience continues to demonstrate the ne
cessty, for peace objects alone oi n moderate Ill
| crease Of the Army.
| In the former OF those reports specified, for the
| protection Of our now frontiers and the execution
OF treaty obligation in favor of Mexico, the addi-
ton OF two now regiments, with an increase rom
| t2, 80, and 6i prvates per company of artillery,
| infantry, dragoons, and rillcmen respectively TO
| - privates i'll all companies
No new regiment has since been added; but by
an net approved June u, 1850, (sccond section)
the President authorized ''to increase the mum
ber Of pryatcs in each and any OF the companies OF
the existing regiments of the Army,""at the sere-
raj posts The tocster frontier, and al remote and
distant stations, to any number not exceeding sew
| cnty-iour."
Under this provision of law, the President, June
| "a, 1850 General order No. 20,) directed that
| some 80 companies out of l5S shoud bo carried
TO the maximum strength OF "a privates each
II Congress would authorize like extension in
the remaining sixty eight companies, add two to
the forty eight OF artillery, and organize the lly
companies INTO five instead of four regiments as at
1 present, with new regiment OF mounted rillonen
ii would give (Which might suilice) a nominal
force of 1853 enlisted men, exclusive OF ofcers)
or only 34lG more than the peace establishment Of
/ 1915 Il. (Pleese sec my annual report OF Novcm-
| bcr 3, ISi9.)
with the proposed augmentation of the Army,
on the suppositun that the whole be kept IN state
OF activity resembling campaign, IT is possible
that our extended frontiers may be guarded againt
Indian dcprcdations, and our treaty obligation TO
Mexico fully executed. Left with our present mum
bers a failure in both objects will, it is feared, be
| inevitable The experiment, however, is now again
on foot, with extraordinary zeal and energy, under
the directions OF three distinguished oitcers-Brc
vet Major General p. +. Smith, IN Texas; BreVet
| BrigadIcr General Hitchcock, on the Pacific, and
/ Brevct Colonel Sumner, in New Mexico.
In conncxion with the proposed new regiment of
| mounted rinemeu, beg to suggcst-should one be
added to the Army-that the authority given TO the
President by the act of 1850 cited above, to equip
and mount as cavalry any number OF foot soldiers,
(artiery and infnntry,) might be repeated Ihis
,
ment, has always proved failure, accompanied
by great loss Of arms, horses, and horse equip
ments as well rs a loss of efficiency in the foot
soldiers on returning to their proper duties
AS n company cannot be divided, except mo
| mentarily the advantag ge of extending the number
OF privatcs in each, besides obtaining a large aug
| montation without the expense OF an additional
| officer is that, in many cases. sfugle company
| becomes sufficient to guard post before occupied
| by two; two Il post requiring three or four, &c;
thus enabling the same regiments 10 guard an in
creased extent of frontiers.
al bin 10 increase the efficiency Of Me Army BY a
retired list for disabled oGicers has several times
| met with favor IN the military committees OF tho
| two Houses of Congress One with that title passed
| the Senate September d, 1850, and would no doubt
have become a law il n direct vote on It's merits
could have been taken in the House OF Representa-
| tives. II may be added that the measure would
not have cost the treasury dollar extra; and hence
! VIC may hope 1t will be taken up anew by the pre-
sent Congress.
By the "ac (Scptember 23, 1850 making ap-
propratons for the support OF the Army for" nc
| Congress gave two dollars day extra pay to all
commissioned officers and double pay to all enlist
cd men whilst serving in Oregon and California up
to the lst March, 1852, when the extra compensa.
ton will ccaso unless renewed by Congress, and
this | hope may be done for the period Of two or
three yeare and the same extras, and for the same
rcaeons, extended to the officers and men serving
| in New Mexico.
The Constitution declares that "well- regulated
militia isl necessary to the security OF free
| State" and gives power to Congress "to provide
for organizing, arning, and disciplining the mi
litia"
Highly important as the subject must be consid-
cred, il would hardly find place IN report OF so
limited n range this, il not thatit must AL
ways be in the future (as it has been in the past)
the fortune of regular troops in time OF war TO
find themselves in the open field and behind fortl-
fications; in attack, as we'll in defence eide by
side, with large OF our militia or volunteers.
| II theso-no matter what their valor and patriot
| ism-ehoud from deficient organizaton, arms, in
structioU, or discipline, be compelled to give way
| before an enemy, disaster on the spot and dis
grace 10 the country would be almost inevitable.
Hence, and from long professional experience,
| beg to submit tho remarks which follow;
A uniform organization of the militia was estab
lished Ivy the act of May ;, 1892, (sinoe but slightly
| modified and 100000 have annually been APP
propriatcd towards farming the whole body of the
militia Of the United States since the act OF April
| %, lS0S making n total of $S 100000.
50 much IN respect to organising and Grntng.
For discpiining, Congress has passed the act May
~, 1920 "to establish uniform mode of discipline