The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1859-04-14

panies serving In, or on the way to those
distant stations, The 5,046 men, the addition
OF whom to the army Congress consented TO
allow, would have been exactly supplied.
The books Of the War Department state
that this increase made the total enlisted"
las the troops are now posted, or on the
way TOY l6,905, and the aggregate 1899,
not deducting invalids, old screws, or useless
persons. The whole number Of companies
attached TO oil the regiments is one hundred
and ninsty.eight. II oil these companies
were located on the distant stations to which
only the Presidents order applied, land
present indications seem to render such q
movement not impossible, if not probable,)
the additional number Of privates allowed
would be 5,642; thus increasing the total en-.
listed to Il 500, and the aggregate to lS. 585.
1t is hardly necessary to dwell here on the
system Of education adopted in the Military
Academies OF the United States. The
West Point Institution has already exer.
cised very beneficial influence on the ar.
my, and has turned over to several regi.
ments not only good officers, but polished
scholars and educated taeticians. Engi.
neering, ethics, mineralogy, geology; in
fantry, cavalry and artillery tactics natu-
raj and experimental philosophy, chemistry,
drawing, mathematics, literature, French
and English studies, and in fact everything
that an.officer and gentleman should know is
taught there. Nor have the requirements
Of the men been overlooked. The low and
dangerous vices to which the private soldier
ofalmost every nation is more or less ad.
dcted, exist in the United States army to q
far less extent than in other services but
this is particularly true since the return OF
the gentleman who visited the camps at Sc
bastopol during the Russian war. Idleness
and the isolated nature OF his calling make
the soldier careless, devil-msy-care sort Of
fellow, and an easy prey to temptations of
all kinds. The most singular popularity Of
our Republican military organization, and
one which seriously protracts the retorma-
tory course laid down BY the higher officials,
is the tyrannical and supercilious demeauor
Of young officers, occupying comparatively
subordinate positions. Men have deserted
from the lines by hundreds. because Mr..
So.and-so was down on them for months" in
consequence Of slight and probably an I'M.
intentional seglect Of the customary salute.
Indeed, an old gentleman said recently
that an American soldier confessed to him
that he was let Of three times for sleeping
on post, but was subsequently, court-mar-
tailed for trivial offence, aggravated by
bis not having presented arms when a
Lieutenant in uniform, With Q lady on bis
arm, passed bis beat 10 spite OF these
difficulties, reform is rapidly advancing, a.
may be seen from sketch OF how the forces
at Camp Floyd, Utah Territory, amuse
themselves. First, it may not be out of
place to say that Camp Floyd is situated
some forty miles south of the renowned Salt
Lake City,'and is composed Of adobe or mud
buildings, used as quarters Tor the officers
and men, which were built by the latter
themselves. The mud is made into cakes,
eight inches by four, which are laid 10 the
same manner as mssons lay brick. The
camp looks like small city, as all camps
do. There are not only billiard saloons, ball
alleys, libraries, but theatres and even cir
cuses in it. The men participate in the
thespian and equestrian performances. 1t is
vouched for that many an ex-member OF these
last named professions, driven either by pow
erty or laziness to the recruiting Office, has
lately turned up 10 the different garrisons,
and their acquisition to the military com.
munity seems to be peculiarly fortunate at
this time. Some of the horses OF the dra-
COON regiments are also reported to be
strangely familiar with circuitous cantering,
and, in short, everything favors the progress
Of amusements at Camp Floyd, except an
occasional bullet from an anonymous Nor.
mon.
The Indians have at all times been the
chief annoyance to United States troops,
and, indeed, if it were not for the dep.cda-
tions they commit on resident and itinerant
citizens, we could almost do without any
regular army Only a week or two ago the
steamer Uncle Sam took out from San
Francisco q large number OF men to estab-
llsh military post rear Beale's Crossing,
on the Colorado river, in latitude IS de
grees, in the very centre of the Mojave peo-
pie, with whom the government is willing
to consider by-gones IA by-gones, provided
peace for the future he preserved. The
strength of this new post is as follows:
Men.
Company F, 9th Infantry Major Ar.
mlstsr,.... Observation-Disclosures. u
Company |, 9th Infantry Lieutenant
smith,. OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES u
Company II, 9Th Infantry Lieutenant
MArshal............ ............... so
Company {, 9th lsfsntry-Lie utenant
Higgins. ........-.......-....... 80
Company G., 9th lnfanry-Captsin
ketchum. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 80
Company X, 9Th InfAn,ry-Captain
Company 4, 9TH ln'an'ry-lLsutensnt
Clarke,......... ................. 81
Two Companies lst Dragons, ...-.... 100
Company Artillery. mountain howit
kers...- ........-... .............. %
Total. -.........-'.. ..'........... 'W
Although many attempts have been lately
made TO estimate the exact number Of ma
,ives and foreigners in the army, no reliable
information could be obtained 90 tha, point.
Hundreds OF foreigners book themselves as
born in this country, and even deceive the
cleyerest judges Of sccentuatioo. A good