Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1858-01-22
Aansai Report 81 Lisat. Gen. Scott.
HEAoeuARrRss OF Tas AaMr,l
NEW Yoax. Nov. 1867.


SIR: AS the immediate commander OF
The army. under the President. have
the honor to submit The usual annual re-
port Gu lie general condition and wants.
Our seg'msnts. horse and foot. inelu
ding artillery. (serving mostly a. infan-
try are as have remarked in former
reports: anything but piece establish
meat. For years they have been almost
eens1antEy IN pursuit of hostils indiana.
through s~amps and mountains. in heats
and SHOWS. aud with NO ineonsidsrable
less OF life from frequent combats. and
= still greater mortality from excessive
Labor. deprivation and diseass. Ia other
~ars those hardships are occasionally
broken by rest and comfort. nov long
unknown to nine-lsnths OF our troops;
and hence another CREST syil--ths nu.
Enssous dsSeriiUns which daily thin their
ranks
As a partial illustration OF the extra
ordinary activity and su8srings have
spoken OF. beg leave to annex copies Of
swo of my ordeys-Nos. q and l4-of the
present year.
To mitigate thoas syilr. aud enable Us
20 give q reasonable security to our PEG.
pie on Indian frontiers. measuring thous.
suds OF tuiles. respectfully suggest an
augmentation Of at least one regiment Of
horse. dragons. cavalry or ridemen.
aud at least three regiments Of foot. Gin.
fsutry or riaemsn.) This augmentation
would not more than furnish the rein.
torcemen.s now greatly needed in Flori
da. Texas. New Mexico. California. Ore
gon' Washington Territory, Nebraska
and Minnesota, leaving not 9 company
Tor Utah. II tho rsinforcements should
Be authorized as early a. January. it
would be easy. III the present unfortunate
want OF profitable employment for the
thousands Of able. oodiod men to be found
idle IL, eTsvy populous district OF the
country. to'nake the number Of recruits
needed. sud in IiEns for them to reach the
theatres OK military operation in the SUN.
MGR and autumn OF 1850. OF the relief
which tho measure would afford to our
geneEai poPc;st:Ca may not speak in a
cai!itszy paper. but to the army. and ex.
posed frontiers urder its protection it
gould be immense.
49, Il is eminently desirable, by all the
reasonable means at the disposition Of the
government. to attempt the moral eleva-
tiion II our enlisted nen-that is. all be.
iOs commissioned officers. In physical
comforts. whether they ara sick or in
health. the justice of Congress. in respect
90 physicians. medicines. hospital stores.
the pay. clothing and subsistence Of eve>
rybody. has scarcely left anything to be
ssksd ior. (TAis subject of quarters will
be noticed il the seqVel.l So. too. in re.
sPsct 70 religious instruction; though
some twenty and odd military chaplains
--Sonsioe1ing the great number of sects
and ths habitual dispersion Of the troops
II have nothing practical to suggest.
Bot 10 render the service honorable, 80
chat ei;iSsns may freely enlist without the
fear OF harsh. arbitrary. or capricious
treatment. at she hands OF any superior.
sone additional legislation seems indis
pensable. ! allude to revision Of the
rules and articles for the government of
che armies OF the United States. particu.
ldVly the 45th. IS h. 66th. 9Th. and 99lh
OF those .sr'iSles-ali respecting the ad-
E1inistrRt;on of justice. In order: among
other things. to provide for the legal pun
ishment Of petty offences. (suhsIituting.
when necessary. courts consisting entire.
J.: Of strgeants. so as to deprive COM
nautlers CT small dstach ments and Isola-
%sa companies Of all prstsxs-the want of
officers to compose courts. &c.-for tax.
Jog the lew into their own hands. aecor-
d'ngly / recommend that the subject be
% ths frat instance referred to board
consisting OF intelligent officers Of great
experiences with troops. and. if their re-.
port be- approved. that Il next be submits
ted to. CongessG- The same board might,
with great bAnt 6t. revise the general reg.
ula'ions Of the army and the conflicting
systems Of infantry tactics now In force.
In eonneIiOr with penal justice. Il is
due to all good men in the ranks to say
that they are directly interested in the
suppression Of crimes. disorders. and ne.
glect preludicial to good order and mill
targ discipline. inaSmuoh As offences hurt
she just pride OF the corps. and every Of.
fen Ter put under guard or In arrest Ia
eFe4sss the duties add fatigues Of HE nsr,
taorious companions OF the same class OF
rank.
have word to say 10 respect to quar-.
ters for troops on tho GeAhoAyd. In our
regular fos,!6e&t!ors We have but little
shelter. o:hsr than Easements for fighting
siege guns. and these arches are too
damp and otherwise uncomfortable for
the lodgings Of the troops. In respect to
the Indian frontiers. except ct one or two
interior points for reserve. the troops are
when they chance to be allowed short
Issts-e!ther in tents. winter az we'll "a
summer. or such miserable bush aud mud
huts az they have hastily constructed for
Ihs moment. Hence another cause Of
assertion. disease. and mortality. It is
tue that the frontiers are constantly
satF:ing By the extension Of settlements.
and hence q great difficulty in providing