New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-12-05

EaNe teen made 10 SUSTAIN army
ing 10 has been called upon 10 prosecute an active ana
| fanguinaTy war, for distance extending from the
thirty fifth 10 the foysixth degree OF north latitude,
with very numerous tribes Of hardy and warike In
diane. II should be remembered, also, that The scenes
of these operations have been over the widest and
most remote regions Of mountainous ter1toi les
lying between the plains on the eastern slope OF the
| Rocky Mountain chain and the Paeihc Ocean. Under
these rcuns ances hs required the greatest watch
furess and to keep the expenditures for the year
within Tie appropriations for il. sum not less than
halt million dollars has been required for these move
nens the necessity for which was not and could not
| be io.eseen in this Department.
INDIAN BUREAU.
feel no hesitation now in bringing t. the notice OF
Congress the Importance OF restoring 10 the War De-
partmeDt the superinteDdence and control OF tue IN
dams. II is quite impossible to impress upon these
sayages tie idea Of obedience by any other means than
military power They respect nothing bat strong
military force and It's proximity to them IL therefore
essential Without that sort Of Intimate knowledge OF
their temper and disposition which nothing but com
mand them could give il is impossible for this
Department to know how and where TO dispose OF the
troops secure quiet and peace on the part Of
1.-The numerous tribes scattered over or immense terri
| tory. Knowing nothing III this Department of the In
dams except when in state OF actual hostility it often,
indeed CONTINUALLY happens that important marches
necessary to be suddenly made TO oveawe or chas-
tire these guilty of threaicnings and murder and con-
sequeBtly these movements attended with All eS-
pense dproportionaly large but at the same tine un-
avCidable.
Ii would be very easy 10 device plan of regulating
the Indian tribes, by which a large annual sum Of
money could be saved to the Treasury by using the
officers Of the army in dschaging many Of the duties
now performed by others at high rates OF compensa
tion For efficiency and economy there il no doubt in
my opinion, aboui the proprety OF putting the Indian
Bureau under The charge Of the War Department.
QUARTERMAsTER's BUREAU.
point with great satisfaction 10 the manner in
which the disbursements for the Qnartermasters Bu-
reau have been made within the period since came
into this Department This Bureau disburses all the
moneys for the transportation Of the armytor their
clothing barracks quarters and all other Of the multi
tudnOus OUTLAWS incident upon the occupation and
maintenance OF our numerous military posts. Within
the period spoken of, than ga 900 have been
dsbused by about 2J3 officers and agents. These ex
pendtures have been in strict conformity TO Law and
the regulations Of the Department and all this large
amount has been fully accounted for and settled, ex
cep about S24 $780, which has been suspended against
disbursing oicers probably the whole of which viii
be credited them upon further explanations Of their
payments stricer accountability orr more faithful
disbursement it would be difficult TO secure.
MARCH FROM ST. LOUIS To OREGON RIVER.
1t was, in my Judgment matter of the first mpor-
tance in military point of view, TO ascertain the prac
ticabty moving bodies of men from the hicky popu
lated parts of the Mississippi valley TO the Pacific coast
within such space oftme tonake them available for
service there. took active measures to have road
constructed, with the appropriations for that purpose
from Fort Wala-Walla, on the Oregon River, across
the mountain ranges to Fort Benton, on the head of
the Missouri River AT early period last season the
detachment Of recruits, amounting TO 800 men, en-
barked at St. Louis on the Sd day of May, on two
steamboats, Of light draught, and with all the necessary
appliances for such march, set out on the journey.
Tie season was the least propious OF any for some
vears as the water was very low from failure of rains
in the Spring. and Of the usual quantity Of snow during
the Winter among the Rocky Mountain range. But,
notwithstanding this disadvantage, the expedition
made good progress, reached Fort Benton BY the "a
MP their line of march for the Pacific Transportation
had been provided for them, and although there was
some little delay in rs reaching the command II caused
material detention and resulted IN noneonvenlence
After prosperous march of less than sixty days from
Fort Benton, the command arrived in safety and good
condition at Fort Walla-Waa. This march, covering
distance by water 600 by land has been
made in the space Of five months during one OF which
the troops were halted, through an unknown and will
derness country, with no great additional expense
beyond that OF an ordinary march, and without any
serious accident.
Although the movement was experiment alone, 1t
has demonstrated the important fact that this line of
INSTRUMENTATION can be made available for moving
large bodies of men from the Atlantic to the Pacific,
and will constitute the means by which we can defend
our possessions in that remote territory against any
force that can be brought against it. Indeed can
concentrate bv this line in the of three or at
most four months on the Pacific stronger force than
could be put there by any other power In the space OF
a year. OF probably much longer time
This route, for military purposes, deserves the foster
ing care of Congress, and with comparatively small
sum of money spent upon the removal OF obstacles from
the Missouri River, and additional expenditure
on the road this line would constitute most valuable
Improvement second only and hardly second for mill
ay purposes to any OF the projected lines OF railroads
TO the Pacific. II may be fairly doubted whether any
means of transportation whatever would be capable OF
conveying "A very large army, with its baggage artli-
ery horses and munitions of war, to the Pacific in so
short space of time and at so small cost as II might
be done on this.
considerable portion of this Missouri route from
II. sla
the head-waters Of that rver 10 me oregon passes
through country capable of sustaining large popu-
laon Ii is mountainous, but the climate ls salubrlous
and the soil is well adapted to grazing. There are
good grounds to believe that the mountains abound IN
rith veins of precious metals.
The march of troops through this region keeps in
subordinaon the Indian tribes upon the route; and
this is matter OF great importance 20 the northern
settlements of Washington Territory, now rapidly in
creasing and where the Indians are numerous, warke
and powerful.
ORDNANCE, ARMS, AND EQUIPMENTS.
The accompanying report from the Colonel OF Ord
nance is referred TO for information IN deta respecting
military supplies Of this kind, which have been pro-
cured by fabrication and purchase and which have
been furnished TO the army and to the militia OF the
States The experiments for the Improvement OF theSe
supplies which were stated TO be in progress IN my
last report have been continued with valuable RESULTS
have greatly improved if they have not perfected, the
fabrication of secoast and garrison gun-carrlages OF
iron, the models and mode OF casting OF heavy cannon,
and the quality of metal for the same. The same Is
true as to the manufacture OF cannon POWDER parlcu-
arly for guns of large caber whereby the endurance
of such guns has been much increased, without any
diminution of their effectiveness But Is particularly
In regard to rAe-cannon and proeces that such ex-
periments have been satisfactory and valuable
The report of a Board Of Ordnance and Artillery
Officers who have been occupied during the past sum-
mer and Fall in experimental firing with rite-cannon,
leaves no doubttha the accuracy and effectiveness OF
our artillery may be vastly increased at comparatively
small expense without discarding from use the good
and seryceabe cannon of our present models requir-
inc only that they be riae-grooved to adapt them to
10 " !ao-oar,o, With James's elongated expanding