Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1863-12-24

partment, which, on account Of the nearnes5
OF Florida to Cuba and Nassau, presents so
many available ports for Guiding the block
ade. More than one hundred craft have been
captured or DESTROYED
The Western Gulf and the Mississippi
SquadrOns assisted in some Of the greatest
victories obtained for our cause during the
year-the former aiding in reducing Port
Hudson, and the latter in reducing Vicksburg.
Together they thus opened the navigation of
the Mississippi-one of the heaviest blows in
ficted upon the rebels since the beginning
of the war. Only one point Of Importance
for successfully eluding the blockade was still
in the possession of the rebels-the mouth Of
the Rio Grande and this has now also been
closed by the successful expedition of Gen.
Banks.
The increase of the naval force during the
past year has again been very considerable
At the commencement of the Administration
it consisted Of 76 vessels, and OF these only
~ were in commission. In December, 1862,
the number of our vessels was 427; during
the current year it has increased to 568.
The Secretary calls attention to the highly
important improvements in naval warfare to
which our war has led, and which have as
founded the entire civilized world--the in
PRODUCTION into naval service of iron shield
ing and of ordnance of a caliber, reach and
power heretofore regarded as impossible He
urges upon the consideration of Congress the
adoption of further measures for creating
powerful navy The establishment of a new
Navy Yard on a large scale, he regards as an
indispensable necessity, as our present taciii-
ties for manufacturing and repairing steam
machinery are entirely insufficient. Sugges-
lions are made as to the establishment of a
tI,n ~,
ton of engineers, the Naval Academy, the
enlistment of scamen and other important
subjects
The number Of vessels captured by the
squadrons and reported to the Department on
the 1st Of November is 1,045, classified as
follows: Schooners, 547; steamers, 179
sloops, 13l briggs. 80: banks. %: ships
Is: yachts and small boats, III. This is
exclusive of a large number DESTROYED on the
Mississippi and other rivers, and on the coast.
In the discharge of his arduous duties, Mr.
Wclles has " has been constantly cheered and
sustained by the assured conviction that the
Navy of the United States has achieved a
great and new historical renown that it has
expanded and is expanding in a measure COM
mcnsurate with the eXigencies of the country
and Of the times; that it has done and is
doing heroic service in a great and sacred
cause, and that its force is welded by body
Of officers and men who have established the
highest claim to the gratitude of the country"
GREAT GUNS IN THE MANY
The Report of the Ordnance Bureau gives
an interesting view Of the enforced progress
Of work III that important branch of service.
The naval ordnance at the beginning of 1861, ,
consisted of ,S72 thirty-twos SIS eight-inch,
3O5 nine-inch Dahlgrens, 4G tcn-inch, old and
new, 80 elcven-inch Dahlgrcns making $50
heavy guns; with % twentv-fours, lO7
tweIves, and 1876 boat hOwitzerss We have
now POP howitzers of all kinds, 1872 thir-
ty-twos, 575 eight-inch, sos nine-incll Dahl
grcns, SO ten-inch, old and new, 1923 eleven
inch Dahlgrens, 200 thirtcen-inch mortars.
2l4 :twenty-pound PARROTS, 237 thirtv-pound
PARROTS, $50 one-hundred-p pound PARROTS, 90
misunderstanding pound PARROTS, Is TWEEN
ty-pOund rltlcd PARROTS, and 36 fiftccn-inch
Smooth-bores; in all 5,777 pieces, against
1855 III 1861. Over TOO more guns Of the
new sort will be done before the year closes.
Several new foundries have been started, and
the means are now equal to the demand.
The enormous amount of proiectiles used NAV
be seen in the following figures: Shells, made
and bought, CTS, 6l7; shot 80, 1892; shrapnall,
grape, and canister, 9,443, 94S pounds. Of
gunpOwder, $3.50 tuns have been ordered
since March |, lS6l-of which 2,G76 tuns
were from foreign inter The report details
operations in small-arms, gun carriages, fuses,
&c. All this appertains to the Navy alonc-
The report says "Thc general efficiency of
the ordnance of our Navy far excels that of
any other, its superiority being due mainly, or
wholly, to the improvements of the last two
years. Further extensive improvements are
i'll contemplation, and estimates i'll accordance
are presented to Congress-"
THE INTERIOR DEPARTMENT.
The report of the Secretary of the Interior
is Il clear and comprehensive document. See
rotary Usher reviews the operations of his Bu-
reauin the fullest detail, and, in general shows
very satisfactory results, accompanied 10y sensi-
BILE suggestions. One of these suggestions is
that moderate tax be levied on the product
OF the gold mines, which are now unburden-
ed in that respect. Indian affairs are re-
viewed at length, and the setting apart of
new and larger reservations is urged the
Pension Bureau is rapidly Increasing in its
number of pensioners, which now reach 49,
659 from the army and 1882 from the navy.
requiring an outlay of fully $500, 900
per annum; the Patent Office has issued near
ly four thousand patents during the past year;
the Government Asylum for the Insane has
greatly enlarged its sphere of usefulness by
atfording refuge for many of the unfortu
mates of the war, and the Institution for the
Deaf, Dumb and Blind has been managed
with great success; good progress has been
made on the Capitol extension, and nearly all
the works of art designed to embelish the
Capitol building have been completed and
put in their places. In reference to the Afri-
can Slave trade, the Secretary says not sim
gle vessel Is known to have been fitted out
for that purpose in our own waters during the
past year. An indispositon on the part of
the negroes to COLOMBO is noted, and in view
OF the new policy of the Government toward
them 1t Is now questionable whether the eff
fort should be kept up. 1t is suggested that
thousands of free colored laborers NAV be
protitably employed i'll the construction of the
Pacific Railroad. The establishment of
Bureau of National Statistics is earnestly
recommended, because it will contribute to
the advancement of all the public interests
commerce, agriculture, finance, &c.-and
enable the Government to permanently pre-
serve the experience and statistical knowl-
edge it has gained. The rest of the report
treats mainly of affairs in the District of CO.
lumbia, all of which are represented as in
commendable shape.
Accompanying the report of the Secretary
of the Interior is that of the Commissioner of
the General Land Office. The great struggle
in which the country is engaged still tends to
retard the purchase and settlement of the
public domain, and as a source of revenue
the public land sales cannot be depended on
at present. But the operations of the Home
stead Law are encouraging, Il million and a
half acres having been taken up under that
law during the past year. The other opera.
lions of the Land Office have been of minor
character; some few surveys have been COM