The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-12-10

Annual Report OF the Secretary OF War.
WAR DEPARTMENT.,

bIR-I beg leave to submit brief account OF tho
ops,.uoss Of this Depart nsns during the year;
pally directed TO the defence Of frontiers ana
these Of Mexico, from the Indian tribes witnsn or
borders. For this purpose, cut Of about iiooo ON
csrs and men borne the rolls OF the army, ABOUT
e,000 are employs iD the defence OF Texas. Nav
Mexico. California, ard Oregon, or OF emigrants
destined TO the two last.
II affords me great pleasure TO say that the Efforts
The departure mt for this purpose have been attend
ed with more than usual success.
The benefits that were anticipated from the judi
eious arrangements made by the commanders OF
TIE 9Th and 9Th military departments (rexas and
New Nexco) have been fully realized With the
exception Of portion Of the Rio Grande country,
the former has been comparatively exempt from
lncian depredations. A number OF persons OF des
perate character and fortunes attracted to that
fiontier by the lawless attempts OF Carvajal, and
sfer his defeat they dispersed through the country
and ressrted TO plunder for subsistence. On the
other hand. many Of the inhabitants OF Mexico
either sought TO avenge themselves for the wrongs
inflicted on them by that adventurer and his fol-
lowers, found in his IL ~less proceedings jusd
ton for their own and retaliated on the PISA esble
inhabitants.
The Indians in that vicinity availed themselves
Of the confusion and alsrm consequent upon this
state Of things to renew their depredations Thefts
r0bbsries and even asssssinations, were the con.
sequence.
orders like these, when committed by others than
Indians, belongs rather to the civil authorities Of
the State than to the military force Of the United
States, the commanding officer used every excrtion
to put stop to them, and for that purpose ordered
several additional companies Of troops to the part
OF the State where they had occurred 1t is be-
ieved that these measures have been, at least par
TALLY, successful So long, however, ~ the species
of border warfare, which has lately boon carried
in that region between the inhabitants of the two
countries, continues, II viii be difficult, if not i'm
pessihle, with any number Of troops and with tho
ftrictest vigilance on the part of their officers to
prevent, on 30 extensive frontier. repetition Of
these disorders,
In New Mexico, the depredations Of the Indians
have been entirely arrested. The Navajos and the
Apaches, the two most formidable tribes in all that
region, have been completely overaSed, and mani.
feet every desire to be at peace with the whites.
In consequence of frequent collisions between the
Oregon, it was deemed advisable to send the 4th
Regiment of Infantry to the Pacific, to replace the
mounted rifemen that had been ordered thence to
Texas
Intelligence has been recently received that the
Yuma Indisns, bold and hostile tribe, occupying
q portion of country on the Gi's and Colorado
rivers, whose inroads and depred atoms have been
the source of frequent annoyance and alarm to the
il Inhabitants both Of our own territory and Of the
Mexican State Of Sonora, have agreed to peace.
The troops stationed on the frontier may justly be
considered as in active services service, too, in
which they are exposed to all the hardships and
dangers Of war, without its excitement to stimulate,
or its hopes Of honorable distinction to sustain
them.
Owing to the many officers who, from disability
or other causes, are excused from duty, the cares
and responsibilities of command frequently devove
on q email number, and the establishment, during
the last season, of n number of new posts, has
added very much to the laosrs both Of the officers
and men; nevertheless, it affords me great pleasure
to bear testimony to the cheerfulness and slacrsy
with which oil have discharged their du lies. To
Brevet Major General Smith and Brevet Colonel
Sumner, in particular, much praise Is due. The
former, although in feeble health, has been unre-
uniting in his exertons, and to hts energy and Judi
cions arrangements his department is greatly in
debted for the comparative tranquility it enjoys
The latter has not only succeeded in arrestng the
incursions Of the Indians within his command, but
has greatly reduced its expenditure.
Brevet Brjgadier General Hitchcock has also dis
played great energy and prudence, and done al that
It was possible to do with very inadequate force,
and amid many difficulties and embarrassme to
protect his extensive command
regret to say that the attempt to cultivate farms
by the troops has, but in instances, during the
past season, been attended with beneficial results
This failure is owing In part to the constant activity
in which it has been found necessary to keep the
troops, and to the necessity of employing them in
the construction of barracks and in other works, ut
the many lew posts that have recently been estab
lished. Hopes are entertained, however, that whom
fair trial Of the experiment be made, it will,
ut least Mt such Of the posts - favorsby situ
ated for the purpose, be more successful.
In spite Of this failure OF the unusual activity OF
the troops during the past season. and Of the fact
that 30 large portion Of them are stationed on the
II,
that the expenditures have been considerably 70.
duced, and this too in the Quartz ssters depart
ment-tBat branch Of the service OF which the sx-
penditures most affected by these circumstanses
The expenses of that department, ascertsined and
estimated, Exclusive Of clothing, tho amount Of
which ia fixed by permanent regulations,) continue
to exhibit annual decrease, viz: for the current
year. as compared with the last year, reduction Of
4501 252, and for the next year, ~ compared with
the current year, further redustion Of $500, 000
In spite. however, Of every effort to reduce the OK
penses Of the army, they must continue to be very
great in proportion to its numbers, 80 long ~ it 10
which supply little of what is necessary to its sup
port Is those in which the greater part OF 1t Is now
stationed beg leave therefore, to repeat the sug-
gestion contained in my last annual report, that
sound policy, less than humanity. requires that
some other means than force should be tried to
strain the Indians and to prevent the frequent col
lisioDs that occur between them and the white in
habitants in their nsighborhood The whole his
tory of our country shows that whenever tho two
brought frequently into contact, collisions,
Generally produced by aggressons OF the stronger
on the weaker Iarty.) are inevitable. know of no
other means by which these collisions can be pre-
vented than rigid adherence TO the policy which
has heretofore been successfully pursued, of setting
apart portion of territory for the exclusive oocu-
pancy of the Indians
difficulty occurs in the application Of this policy
10 Texas By the terms Of the compact admitting
that State into the Union she reserves 20 herself all
the vacant territory within her limits 1t is under
stood that sbe Acknowledges no right Of occupancy
IN the Indians within her borders, but proceeds to
lay OF bier territories into counties and as fas. IS
1t is needed TO sell it, without assigning any por
tion Of it to them, or providing in any other mode
for their support Nothing could be mere calcu-
lated 10 alarm and rritae the Indians, and to pro-
duce collisions between them and tho whites than
the adoption Of this policy. It, in fact,
dive the indiana to desperation, by leaviog
them no alternative but TO steal or to stsrye.
Il alto deprives the government Of the United
States of that control over them and OF the
they occupy which is necessary for their preser
walton as well AS for the safety of the white settle
ments IN their vicinity. Ii the United States are
beund to protect Texas against the Indians, it is
manifest that the government Of that State should
do bothirg to thwar., but. the contrary oil in it's
power to promote, the fuIGment Of this duty.
therefore respectfully suggest the expedieucy of
deavoIipg to make some arrangement with that
State whereby portion Of her vast auoconpiod do
main may he temporarily allotted to the exclusig 20
occupancy Of the Indians within her borders