Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1863-12-17

strac have been furnished during the last years
AT the beginning of the compelled to rely upoI
foreign countries for the supply Of nearly all nut
| munitions, Now all these things are manufactured a
home, aud Independent Of foreign countries n'
only for the manufacturers but also for the materials
which they ARE composed. :.
The MILITIA, FoRTIFlcATIoNs, &C.
The law of lsOS made provision for the annual expend
turo Of $500 coo Tor arming the militia OF the States
hat is insufficient for the wants Of the increased
population OF the country Two millions Of dol should
be annually appropriated for that purpose until all the
States are rupplird, in proportion 10 their population,
with the number of that have been distributed
III Of the States to meet the exigenclrs OF the
From the report Of the Chief Of Engineers it appears
that the giants made by Congress for iurtfcatons ut its
last session amounted to $50 900 for permanent works
aud $500 900 for temp rary works These liberal pr0yi
'"s allowed "f very material progress being made upon
The important class Of Notifications under coDstTuc
ton and OF essential notifications beug effected IN old
works and existing batteries obtain largely increase
efficiency, by preparing them to receive ordnance OF
greatly increased cabrrs aud to store greater buks Of
ammunition with additional security afforded therefor.
These important have been very generally
realized The difficulties existing last year IN the procure
men and transportation OF materials and in ob aiming the
quisite amount Of skied and ordinary lab H. have III
creased; but these difficulties have been surnounted r
avoided to such degree that the general result is very
favorable, and sraboard and border orfcatons
in condition to afford lorudabe defence, decidedly
stronger than last ar.
MISCELLANEOUS SUMMARY.
The reports OF the chiefs of other bureaus depart
ments are all briefly noticed by the Secretary.
The report Of the Conmssary General of Subsistence
shows that the army has been well supplied 1t is beev
ed that at every point the troops have been furnished
with abundance oi good wholesome food and that it, in
h- movements Of armies, temporary want has been
felt 1t has not been due to any which the off
Of this department had control Ia addition 10 the
troops subsistence has been furnished to all prisoners
whether political to large plumbers Of contrabands
ard to euhenng Unun families found by armies in the
rebel States.
The Pnymsser General reports that, except where pay
meuts have been postponed by commanding Generals
account q" pending operations the various armies in the
field substantially paid to the 81 of October 1868 the
latest period allowable BY law and regulation and that
un6s have been provided and placed i'll the proper hands
for fun pay ment OF all the troops up to the date
mentioned.
BY the report of the Acting Surgeon General he De
partment informed that the latest reports received give
hundred and eighty two general hospitals with
pacty Of Si472 beds The humber Of patients renaniog
in general o-pta1 June 30 1863 81 per cent.
10 the field per cent q" the entire mean strength .;
the army Of whom II per cent. sick and ) per
woided The corps Of medical nsre ctors by the
system of Inspections establish ID has added materially
70 the efficiency Of the medical and hospital service, and
marked Improvement iii all matters Of sanitary pecautun
aud police exhibited The health of the troops has been
god, and the mortality less than the preceding year.
The military telegraph, under the general direction of
Colonel Stsger and Major Ecker has been Of nrsiimaba
value to the service During the fiscal year 755 mics
of land aud submarine line c"I structrd, making he
total number Of mles Of land and submarine military tee
graph lines IN operation during the 5326 being length
of line sufic ent to grde than fifth of the or
cumference Of the globa by close estimate, it appears
that Mt least mon two hundred Thousand te-gram9
have been sent and received the military nes III
operation during the f'csl year ending June 30 1868
being at the rate If about thirty three hundred per diem
These messages have varied in length from ten to
thousand words and upwards, and generally uf an
urgent most important character.
The Judge Advocate General has accomplished much
in the enforcement Of discipline, aud the detection and
prevention of frauds, Il c. The following is summary
OF the business dispatched in his office from the st Sep
tember, 1862, Ist November 1868 period If fourteen
months Number of records Of trials by general courts
martial aud military commissions reviewed II }l7 Mum
Der Of reports made to the rcgulartes Of the proceed
ngs applications Tor restoration 10 tho service aud for
the pardon of offenders and mission communication of
sentences, 23lS. Miscellaneous reports other quts
tnns reerr, to the office l72 Will many of these
reports brief mauy org aud ell b0ratr involving
examination of conpca masses Of TACT, and of diff
cult ga questions. As recorded they occupy about two
thousand quarto page.
The Secretary testfes to the general diligence, ability
and fidelity manifested by the chiefs o the several bureaus
OF his Department, aud says that whaeyer may
have attended s administration is great measure,
due to them and their subnrdnaes lie closes his report
thus: -
In conclusion, may be permitted o express the hope
that the annual report from this Department may
the complete overthrow of the rebellion and the
restoration Of pence and the establishment Of the Union
Foundation all the bounds Of the United
States"