Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-05-22


according plans which he shall have approed Oh
whatsoever may be his rank shall make the slightest al
teration In plan Of barracks quarters hospital 50 ap
proved without the order Of the Secretary Of War commune
Gated through the Quarrnaer General These restrictions
do not extend to temporary huts where troops may be com
PEELED by the uneahiness their positions to leave their
quarters during the summer where from the cir
Of the service they be required tooccupy posi-
tons ON the Indian frontier advance posts
OIL No changes or alterations be made in the bar
racks quarters hospitals u permanent established posts
but by the authority Of the Secretary Of War communicated
through the Quartemaster General Should change or
alteration involving expense be made without such authority
the officer causing il shall not only be charged with the whole
incurred but also with that restoring the barracks
quarters hospitals thus altered their former condition
R. JONES, Adutant General.
need not read the rest Of this order. have read
enough to show its character Now have to say that
under its operation and under the operation Of order
subsequently issued by which the Secretary directed all
the quartemasters and officers in the employ Of the army
the frontier to discharge the civil employees In the SER
vice Of the Government who could be discharged very
great reduction has been made in that force and very
great reduction Of expenditure has resulted have
report which received within the last few days at the
Department showing reduction Of the civil employees
of the army in those distant departments refer TO
General Twggs's division General Hchcocks division,
and to that military department which is under the COM
rnand Of Colonel Sumner will remark here, in passing,
that the Secretary Of War very perceived the neces
sty Of appointing to those distant posts officers OF the
greatest energy not merely gallant men, whose service
had long since been recognised but men who added TO
gaantry intelligence Of the very highest professional
character and who added to that intelligence extraord
nary zeal and energy believe he selected three Of the
very officers in the service General Hitchcock whose
professional and other merits very well known COM
the Pacific division General Twggs commands the
division in which Texas Is situated boh good Democrats
and Colonel Sumner officer who has no superior Of
his age the army has been appointed to the command
of New Mexico 1t is under the supervision Of these in
tegent efficient and Jealous men that the Secretary
hopes to carry the reforms which he has projected
and already have evidence Of the fruits of these
forms in this fact When the present Secretary Of War
into Office, short time afterwards, the civil en-
ployees in that branch Of the military service were not
quite seventeen hundred, but very it. Now they
only amount to something six hundred. One thou
sand and three of them have been discharged since the
Secretary issued these orders orders to which he
prompted think by the criticism Of Congress- but
which originated in his good sense and which sprung
from his vgant wachfuness the operations Of his
Department and desire to do that which the condition
of the Treasury required One thousand and three of
these employees have already been dismissed and the
ducon Of the expenditure of the Quartermaster depart
ment in consequence Of these dsmissals, viii be
5000 900 year. doubt whether any Administration for
long time past has done any single act to reform abuses
SO productive Of good fruits as that.
The Senator from Virginia seemed to think that it
very wrong to have troops in New Mexico Texas and
California quarered about the towns He thought that
some reform ought to be effected in that particular
The Senator surely could not have read the instruc-
tons Of the Secretary Of War to Colonel Sumner, in
which he says:
4 WAR DEPARTMENT,
i WASHINGTON, APRIL l, 1851.
Colonel E. v. SUMNER,
ls Dragons, 81. Louis, Missouri:
Sin: You have been selected take the command of the
Ninth Military Department. and will repair to it as early as
practicable.
department both with view to more efficient protection Of
the country and to diminution of expenses
You will therefore, Immediately assuming the command
revise the whole system Of defence you will examine parcu
ary whether the posts occupied by the troops are the
suitable and if not win make such changes you may
deem advisable.
In the selection posts you win be governed mainly by the
following circumstances, viz
4 LIST. The protection of New Mexico.
I'd The defence the Mexican territory which bound
to protect against the Indians within borders.
Sd. Economy and facility in supporting the troops partcu
larry in regard to fuel forage and adaptation Of the surround
ing country for cultivation.
The Department induced believe that both economy
efficiency of the service would be promoted by removing
the troops Of the where they stationed and
staoning them towards the frontier and the
4 Indians. 1
From all the information that has reached the Department
it is induced to believe that permanent peace exist
until they have been made to feel the power Of
You WILL therefore, early practicable, make expedi
ton against the Nayjoe and also against the Utahs and
Apaches and inic upon them chasisemen If you
should succeed in capturing any Of them you viii retain them
hostages for the faithful observance any treaty that
be made with them.
In all negotiations and pacific arrangements with Indi
you will act in with the Superintendent of Indian
Affairs in New Mexico, whom you viii allow to accompany
in the expeditions into the Indian territory If he should
deem it proper to do and to whom you will afford every
facility for the discharge of his duties
Instructions will be given by the Department of the Interior
the superintendent and agents all their with
the Indians act in consultation and with the mill
4 tary authorities.
You win every effort reduce the expend
ure of the army in New Mexico, particularly in the quar-
and subsistence departments You will scrutnize
the administration of these departments, and rgdy
force all regulations having reference the economy Of the
i service. .t t.v Fl.
1t believed that the of employees may be dimin-
shed without Inconvenience the service and that
changes may be made in the ration whereby the
reduced without interfering with the health the
aka
may deem advisable
For the purpose of enabling you the General Or
der No. series will be supplied with such seed
agricultural implements, &c you may require "
In carrying out these measures and such others
Judgment hereafter suggest you viii exercise larger
discretion than would be allowable communication
between the commander and the Department frequent
and more rapid.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant
c. NJ CONRAD, Secretary Of War.
The criticism Of my friend from Virginia was made
few days ago. and the Secretary had anticipated him as
far back April 1851, Of which fact suppose the SEN
ator not before apprized 1t would be rather tire
some for me to read the whole Of these papers Thew
all very instructive and creditabe think to the Score
ary have read enough to show the design Of the Sec
| rotary to reduce the expenditures.
Here is another letter. dated April go 1861 in relation
to the Communication Of rations which evidences very
clearly that the Secretarys vigilance was wide awake
He says:
GENERAL oRDERs--No. u.s.
WAR DErARTaESr ApJurASr GENERALS OFFICE
WASHINGTON, APRIL 80, 1851. .
paragraph LOB Subsistence Regulations The Communication
for raons seventy FIVE cents per day therein allowed TO
soldiers detached command dc given except
where they temporarily detached from their proper sta