Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1865-12-27
The War Report.

me SecreCary efnpflatnlSeS the DegluuinS
of his report by contrasting his expenditures
of the Department in the last year OF the
war and the first of peace-the former being
$5l6, ,240,l3l 20, the latter, by estimate,
33,Sl4, 46l SO. On the first of May, 1865,
there were a million ofmen in the army; to-
day there are less than 200, 200, and by May
next it is expected the number will not exceed
$4,000. The progress and success OF the
war which made this vast reduction posi-
BILE are detailed at considerable length. I'M
mediatey after its close, orders were issued
to stop drafting and recruiting, reduce pur-
chases o. arms, &c, muster out supernumer-
airy officers, and unfetter trade and commerce.
From the Veteran Reserve Corps nearly all
the enlisted men have been mustered out at
their own desire. Recruiting for the regu-
lar regiments continues. Lest 1t be thought
that the proposed standing army of SO, 200
(which will be capable of increase to $4,000
without additional organization) be too small
for possible emergencies, the Secretary re-
minds uss.that either against renewal OF the
| insurrection or in case of foreign war it will
be possible to call out on the instant an i'm
mense number of veteran troops; that the
| Government has in Its arsenals more than a
| million of small arms, more artillery than it
can conveniently take care of, three years
supply of ammunition, andan abundant stock
of clothing and Quartermasters' stores
The present military organization embraces
nineteen departments.
The operations of the different bureaus
are detailed at considerable length. Eight
volumes of reports of battles, with maps
and indexes, are in press. The Adjutant-
General describes the rapidity and precision
with which the mustering-out of the troops
proceeded. Regiments began leaving the
army of Potomac, numbering l62.S5l Off
GERS and men, May 90, and in six weeks the
whole were gone. The average per month
for the whole army was 296, 442. The Pro-
vost- Marshal General includes in his stats
ties the enormous number of ,, 159, ,049 men
as the aggregate of quotas called for. The
number constructively put into service was
2.656. 553, and the deficiency l02, ,496 would
have been speedily made up but for the close
of the war. The total disbursements of the
| Paymaster-G General since the beginning OF
the war, were 81 .029, 239 900, of which du
ring the year ending June 80, 1865, $780,
73S, ,635 95 were paid to ovoluntenrs- Losses
and defalcations were Sc, 429, ,600 being les:
than three fourths of one per cent The
Surgeon General reports that during the
last year there 204 general hospitals, with a
capacity of Sc, 1914 beds; and in general hos
pitals alone ,057, 423 cases of sick and woun-
ded have been treated during the war, the
rate of mortality being s per cent.
The extraordinary services of the Quarter
master G enerars Bureau are duly recoun-
ted, among which not the least remarka bic
was the transfer of Hooker's command in
1868, numbering %, 900 men with artillery.
trains animals, and baggage, from the Rap
idan to Stevenson, distance of 1872 miles in
seven days. The Quarermaster depots
supplied to the army during the war 5000,
900 bushels of corn, IS, 900. 900 of oats, l.
500, 900 tons of hay, $50 600 cords of wood,
and 100000 tons of coal. During the
last fiscal year alone al ,632 cavalry horses
were purchased. The retrenchments in the
Department since the close of the war have
been numerous and thorough. The Com
missary General of Prisoners reports 9S, S02
prisoners in custody from Jan. to Oct. 20.
beside which la. .223 surrendered and were
released on parole.
The whole number of colored troops en-
listed during the war was l7S,9 Their
losses from all causes except muster out
were S.l7S. After existing orders for dis
charge are executed, the number remaining
in service will be S2,024