Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1861-07-19
Special Report OF the secretary
of " ar.
WAR DEPARTMENT,


SIR u have the honor to submit the follow.
ing report Of the operations Of this Depart
ment:
The commanding officers of the regiments in
in the volunteer service, both for the three
instances, not yet furnished the Department
with the muster rolls Of their regiments Fol
the want Of these returns it is impossible t.
prese mt as accurate an enumeration Of the vol
unteer force accepted and in the field as coulu
be desired. Under the proclamation issued by
you on the 10th Of April last, the Governors
Of the different States were called upon to
detatch from the militia under their command
a certain quota to serve as infantry or riff emen,
for the period of three months, unless sooner
discharged. The call so made amoun' ed in tn
aggregate to ninety-fou regiments, making
1891 officers and men, Of the States called
upon, the Governors of Virginia, North Caro-
lima, Tennessee, Arkansas, Kentucky and Mis-
souri,, peremptorily refused to comply with the
requirements made by the Department.. All
the other States promptly furnished the num-
Der required of them, except Maryland, whose
Governor, though manifesting all entire rcad-
ness to comply, was prevented from so doing
bv the outbreak at Baltimore.
In the States of Virginia, Delaware and
Missouri, Notwithstanding the positive refusal
of their executive officers to cooperate with
the government, patriotic citizens voluntarily
united together and organized regiments for
the government service. Delaware and Vir-
GINA furnished each regiment, both of which
are on duty in the field. In a similar patriotic
spirit, the loyal people of Missouri raised a
force Of | | ,455 officers and men, making, in
round numbers, twelve organized regiments, to
sustain the government and put down rebellion
The total force now in the field may be COM
puted as follows:
Regulars and volunteers for three months and
the ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 225, 0JC
Add to this hty five regiments of volunteers for
the war, not yet in service 1900
Add new regiments Of regular army 900 75,Ut
Total force at command of government 1000,
Deduct the three months volunteers 5000
Force for service after their withdrawal ,OOt
1t will thus be perceived that after the dis.
charge of the three months troops, there vii
he still an available force of volunteers amount
| ing to lSS,OU0. which, added to the regular
army, will constitute total force of 100000
| officers and men.
In making the selection of officers for thu
new regiments, two courses seemed to be opcr
viz; to make the appointments from th'
regular service by seniority or selection. Tn,
first appeared liable to the objection that old
and in some cases, inefficient men would b,
promoted to places which ought to be filled by
Younger and more vigorous officers. The sec
ond was liable to the grave objection tina
favoritism might prejudice the claims Of worthy
officers.
| After the fullest consideration it was deter
mined, under the advice of the Generalin
Chief, to appoint one-half Of them from tn
Of tn" civilians appointed as regmental com
mandtrs, all except one are either gradual
of West Point, or have before served Will
distinction on the field; and of the lieut. nant
colonies, majors, captains and first lieuten
ants, large proportion have been taken from
the regular army and the volunteers now il
service, while the second lieutenants hav
been mainly created by the promotion of mer
itorious sergeants from the regular service.
The reports Of the chiefs of the diffcren
bureaus of this department., which are her
with submitted, present the estimat, of tn
probable amount of appropriations requir, d
in addition to those already made for the yea
ending June 80, 1860, for the force nov in til
field, or which has been accepted and will b
in service within the next twenty days, a
follows:
| Qutrtermaster Department $40, $50 90
Subsistence dept 3l,2!s, $
Ordnance dept ,46S, Il
Adj slant General s dept. 4os,oO
IN u sineer ,;., a:,;a..r ;.,,, es' 90
Surgeon G. neral dept 1,21,si
Due States advances made for troops ,0o, no
Total sls5, SIG 80
/ The arms and ordnance supplied from on
national armories, under the superintendent
of the Ordnance Bureau, compare most favor
ably with the very best manufactured for for
eign governments. The celebrated Enhel,
rifle, so called, is a simple copy of the regula
arm manufactured for many years at thu
Springfield armory.
Previous to the early part of last year tn
government had supply of arms and mum
tons of war sufficient for any emergency
but, through the bad faith of those entrusted
with their guardianship, they were taken from
their proper repositories and distributed
through portions of the country expected t.
take part in the contemplated rebellion. II
consequence of the loss thus sustained, ther,
was available, at the commencement of tn
outbreak, much less supply than usual of al
kinds. But through the zeal and activity 0
the Ordnance Bureau, the embarrassment thus
created has been in great measure overcome
AS the capacity of the government armores
was not equal to the supply needed, even after
having doubled the force at tae Springfield
armory, the department found it absolutel,
from private manufacturers. 1t is believed
equal in quality, and not much higher in cos
than those made in the national workshops
1t would, therefore, appear a wise policy or
| the part of the government to encourage do
nestle industry by supplying our troops in
part from private factories of our own coun
! try, instead of making purchases from abroad
| As rlfed cannon are, in point of effective
| ness. far superior to smooth bore, arrange
! ments have been made to rife large portion
of the guns on hand, and the work is still in
progress = = x i x
In concluding this report. deem it prope,
to express my deep Indebtedness to the vet,
eran General-in-Chief of the army for Tho
| constant and sef-sacrificing devotion to the
public service exhibited by him in this grave
crisis; and also to the chiefs Of the different
bureaus Of this department for the able and
efficient manner in which they have at all
times aided me in the discharge of my ofticia!
duties.
| haze the honor to be, with high regard,
your obedient servant,
SIMON CAMERON,
Secretary Of War.
To the President If the United s a,es.
Iowa News.