The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1865-12-20
R. & P @ r T S
Report of the secretary Of war.

4
emanated from the governmental depart
ments for many years. Although1an OK
tended document, it is written in the most
compressed style, briefly recapitulating
the campaigns since,the capture of Vlcks-
burg, and giving synopsises of the Re-
ports of the heads of the various bureaus
of the War Department.
The military estimates for the next fs-
ca! year amount to $50, 3,814,461 SO. The
military force, May l, 1865, numbered
l ,00O, 5l6 men. 1t is proposed to reduce
the military establishment to $4,000, and
SOC, 1868 have already been mustered out.
The aggregate military force of all
arms, on the list of May, 1864, was 97O,-
710, to wit:
Available forcs present for duty !. 662,345
On detached service e............. 109,385
In hospital and unfit for duty. III, ,244
On furlough or prisoners of war. -. 66 go
absent without leave. $500. 15,4S3
In his review of military operations, the
Secretary seems exceedingly careful of
the reputation of commanders General
Shermans Atlanta campaign is described
in quotations from that officers oflicia re-
port, while the events in North Carolina,
which created so much feeling, are thus
| chronicled: "On the 26th day of April
General Johnston surrendered his com
mand to Major General Sherman, at Ra-
leigh, n. Co. In like manner is General
Buffers failure at Fort Fisher disposed
of: General Butler effected landing on
the 18th of December, but re-embarked
on the 9th, and returned with his troops
to Fortress Monroe" General Banks
part in the disastrous Red River cam
paign is briefly described as follows:
| General Banks with his forces reached
Alexandria about the 10th of March
Advancing thence towards Shreveport, a
series of disasters commenced that ended
in the failure of the expedition, with
heavy loss of men and material 1t is
evident the Secretary has no disposition
to place any one in an unfavorable light,
terest feeling toward him.
The Secretary recommends the adoption
by Congress of "a well-organized militia
system" and also measures for the relief
of disabled soldiers.
The appropriations. of the last session
OF Congress were S516, ,240, ,131 20; the
estimates for the fiscal year commencing
June 30, 1865, are So, ,S14,461 S3.
On the subject of the ability oi
the country to prepare for sudden war.
the Secretary states that "after the uis-
asters on the Peninsula in 1862, over
$4,000 troops were enlisted, organ
lied, armed, equipped and sent to the
field in less than month. Sixty thous-
and troops have repeatedly gone to the
field within four weeks, and 80, 900 infan-
try were sent to the armies from the five
States of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa
and Wisconsin within twenty days"
Recruiting for the regular army is pro.
crossing satisfactorily. The present au-
thorized strength of the regular regiments
is 952 officers and Al ,819 enlisted men.
I It is recommended in the Adjutan1
Generals report that law be passed fol
the enlistment of meritorious disabled
soldiers, with the pay and allowances Of
ordnance sergeants, as superintendents OF
the national cemeteries. This is a humane
suggestion worthy Of adoption.
Some interesting figures are given rel
ative to the number of men enlisted and
drafted under the various calls for troops
Under the call of July, 1864, for 500, ,00(
men, the total obtained was 272, ,463, o1
which 54,709 were drafted or substitutes
Under the call of December, 1864, fol-
100000, only 194, ,635 were obtained, Of
which 24,5Se were drafted and substi
tutes. The aggregate quotas charged
against the States during the war was 2,
759, ,049, and the total number obtained
was 1856, ,563. "This number does no
embrace the emergency men put into the
service during the summer of 1868, BY
the States of New York, New Jersey and
/ Pennsylvania, nor those furnished by tht
States Of Ohio, Indiana and Illinois du
ring the Morgan raid, amounting in al
to over 1000 men, who served periods
| of about two or three weeks"
/ The total amount of commutation mon
/ ey received under the act of March 1853
4 was $25, ,902, ,029 %. The wholesu dis
bursed by the Pay Department during th
war was 81 ,O29 239, 600. On the 18th o
! June last, whisky was discontinued as al
article of the ration, and the amount Of
hand has been disposed of by sale.
i The receipts of the Medical sDepart
meut during the fiscal year were $40,
/ 489,860 Al; disbursements, $19,32S, 40
, | %.
The depots Of the Quartermaster's De
partment have, during the war, furnishe
| 1O1 ,O93, 600 bushels of grain, 10000
tons of hay and &c. .000tons of straw, $50
600 cords of wood and 100000 tons c
e COAL
About $4,000 miles of military tele
$ graph has been constructed during th
war, at cost of $2,665, 500.
The total number of rebels surrendere
and paroled at the close of the war we
164,223, oe Mhich 1905 were surrende
0 ed by Lee, and 31,243 by Johnston.
The Secretary speaks in complimenta1
e terms of the Freedmen's Bureau, but n
!. details are given, as the report of Majc
t General Howard had not been received.
II Among the patriotic measures adop
n ed by the Governors of the loyal States,
r the aid furnished by Ohio and otht
7. Western States in the. opening of tt
e campaign of 1864 is especially acknow
# edged, and the efforts of Governo
Brough, Morton, Yates, Stone and Lew
highly commended At that time Oh