The New York herald., 1863-12-12

promps atenton no lately repaired 70 thai place
~. RooSsr "a Sov tss e Sss. ,o so1
sesea under " y Sith, tAs 6esah sde OF he river
...s se "ss g = e, nSSS0
2sth and 29th Of October fns important success re
stored his communications with his depOts Of supplies
doi.s So 70 SPEAK Of the nt exploits OF our navy 10
the western waters may 20 proper, howeve,, TO ro
report that Admrals Farraeut and Potter and their on
GERS have rendered most valuable assistance IN
oExxRAl REMARKS AND RrooxxxuAnoSs
II has not been possible 10 the foregoing summary to
with the oneny during the past year as no official ac.
couois or reports OF sane OF them could be
from kilograms, dispatches and reports received
through the various bureaus Of the War Depart.
ment ! respectfully reoomnend that all those official
war be collected and published in chronological order,
under the direction Of the Adutant Generals Depart
nent Some have already been published by Congress,
but they are 80 incorrectly printed and badly arranged
70 be almost useless as historical documen The rebel
armies live manly upon tho country through which they
pass taking food and forage alike from riends and foes
This enables them 10 move with and great rapidly.
Our commanders operating tho rebel States generally
and no supplies and IN the border States IL difficult
| distinguish between real friends and enemies TO live
upon the country passed over often produces great df
ress among tho inhabitants But IL ia ono Of The IN.
avodabe results OF war and s usGaed by the OF
clvzed nations Some OF our commanders availed
themselves OF this right Of military appropration while
others have required TOO large supply Of trans, and
aS Ss S 20 m much as they
4
! General Grant says, IN hs Official pcport;-
UeIoS m ne e, mach 1 iG% Banose.a e yessos,s
IRON from the stores dye days
the and wes sSoS Ssea o We
Ss oensa from The county through which ased
could Ins, Dc picked ,dn up through the county
10 hostile territory 10 subsist their armies poss
ne upon the country recepng and accounting for every
may hereafter be remunoraiod for their ,essos By
this means our troops move more randy and
ana tne enemy deprived Of supplies lie should
ocers hesitate 10 fully carry out these measures
praseworthy but mistaken notions Of humanity; for
what is spared by us is almost invariably taken by tie
rebel forces who manifest very little regard for the suf
ierings Of their own people In numerous cases women
and children have been fed by save them from ao
tua starvation while fathers husbands and brothers are
nghtng in the ranks OF the rebel armes or rob6ng and
numbering in the ranks OF guerilla bands
Having once adopted the system Of carrying
nearly ten days supplies with tho army 10
the mass Of the population active part in lhe war
y s found very difficult TO effect radical change Never
theess trains have very considerably reduced
within the past year stl greater reduction how
ever, VIII be required 10 enable our tsoops 10 move as
lightly and rapidly as those Of the enemy In this con-
necton would respectfully call attention 10 the present
system OF army suffers There no article leg timaeiy
supplied by suffers to officers aud soldiers could
not % 1urnshed at much less price by the Quarter
master and Commissary depar ments euters and their
employees are now only partially subject TO military
who are disposed the part Of spies nformers
smuggers and cOntraband traders The catire abolition
sutler wagons the and the nuisance Of suffers
stalls and booths 10 camp lt would relieve officers and
soluers OF much OF their personal expenses would
improve the discipline and efficiency OF the troops IN
many ways and particularly by renewing from campo
the profgate evils OF drunkenness.
referred in my last report the large numbers OF
officers and soldiers absent from thor commands IL was
estimated from Official retnns January last that there
were then absent from duty eight thousand hundred
and eighty seven officers, and two hundred and
g eighty thousand aOd seventy three non commission:
these we're really disabled or sek Tho
remainder we're mainly deserters stragRlers magners
and shirks or men who sbsented themselves order
avoid duty Much OF this evil has abated. Very
FEW fmlouRhs are now given, and officers from
duty not only lose their pay but are subject 70 summary
dismissal Struggling and desertion also greatly d
m'nshed and might DO almost entirely prevented the
punishment could be prompt certain IN this respect
military penal code requires revision The machine
ry OF court martial is TOO cumberous Of mill
tary offences in time OF war To organize such
courts often necessary 10 detach large number Of
officers from active duty IN the field and then single
snorca dsnnrs - hs eaS ~ ior many onts
pun shment follow the offence.
In regard TO our military organizations / respect.
fully recommend an ncroase Of the Inspector Generals
Dopartment and that be merged in the Adutant
ral's Department.
The grades commanders Of armies and o: army oorue
should be made TO correspond with their actual com
nande The creation Of such grades cause any
additional expense TO the government pa, enrol
ment Of generals and lieutenant generals could be made
the same as now allowed 10 major generals commanding
divisions
also respectfully call attention TO our aril.
mry lery Organization; .s IN the Filth regiment Of
lB
twelve corporajs and ali Of these, together her
In the T,fst second, Third and fcSr.h regiments Of
United states artillery, battery 10 allowed captain.
with the exception Of batteries 10 each req men M
which special allowance was made by laws enacted
Say md ans M 81 2, ss s 1s
exception Of four or 1ve companies, performing
pnes pessely, S,eon,s %sf % aass @ Ged battery Of s1
commissioned ofncers allowed II the Filth artillery.
and the additional responsibility Of officers and
labor OF both officers and enlisted render necessary
the additional pay and allowance accorded by law
those grades 10 that regiment simple remedy for
these evils is the enactment Of giving the FIRST
Second, third aud Fourth regmenls OF United States
artillery the same organization and sames rstcr Of pay
tho same as that already given 10 all The voIupeey aed
batteries now in the United states service.
IN an as n,sse % ho ss
upon the same basis Of organization and paw The act
authorizing the President 70 call out additional volun'
airy, artillery and infantry arms, and makes
no provision for organizing volunteer engineer rcsi.
omission IN the law, and should be suppied as
creates serious IN tho organization OF
armies complain strong the deficiency Of enqi
troops for the repair Of railroads. the construction
sisse and urge tSat the evil be promptly rsmedied
The waste and destruction Of cavalry borses 10
come Immediate and ehlcient remedy. 70 the Army OF
the Potomac there are thr,ysix regiments Of cavalry
averaging for tho last ss months from ton thousand 70
fourteen thousand mon present duty The OF
cavalry horses u this army Tor tho same have
been az follows in May 6673 in June, 6,327 n July,
1le August b4se 40 September, s27; 70 October,
To this number should be added the boreee captured
from the enemy and taken from the citizens, rnak ing
altogether an average every two monihe We
have now 10 our service 223 regiments Of cavalry
when VIII require, at the rate the Army of the
Potomac the issre within the coming year Of 43b 900
cavalry horses
The organization ol cavalry bureau IN The War ne
npdth thovo1
noped would, 70 como degree remedy those evils. To
reach the source, however further caieaou 10 peces
sary PROBABLY the principal fault 70 in the treat
ment on tner horsoa by the cavalry soldiers
Authority should therefore DO given 70 dismoupt
and transfer TO the infantry service every man whose
horse through his neglect or faut rendered unot
Tor service Tho same rur might DO applied 10 cavalry
omeers VITO ia 70 maintain the efficiency OF their ree
nents ADD companies the vacancies thus crcated could
pe ned ny .wrcsNndng transfers from The regular and
volunteer infantry
BY the existing hw The CHIEF sdiutant general. in
spect0r general quarermaater and oomnssary Of an