The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1865-12-22
The War Department and General
Grants RepOrf.

"SW"S . tcpO|fs
The editor of Walton's Daily has COM
piled an article from the reports ot' the
secretary Of war and Gen Grant, which
We copy:
The great closing campaigns of the
wal, under Lt.-Gcn. Grant, commenced
May +, 1864, at which time the entire
army numbered 970.710 men, of whom
6O2,3l5 men constituted the available
force present for duty. Ten months of
hard fighting ensued, with immense losses
III killed, disabled and prisoners, yet the
prompt responses OF the states and people
to the requlSllions Of the war department,
kept the army so nearly full, that Oh the
first OF March, 1865, the entire army
numbered 9G0,59l, and the available
force present for duty was GO2,59S. In
the April following, when the rebel ar
INES were worn out and had surrendered.
fresh troops were pouring i'll Us fast is
means of transportation could be furnish
ell. Immense, then. as were the armies
Of the Union, still the fact was the re-
sources of the loyal states had not been
fully tested. These figures and this fact
cannot fail to command the respect OF the
world; they are bonds of peace which
Great Britain and France will not under
take to break. Bat stronger still Is the
aggregate showing for the war, the num-
Der of men credited on the several calls
and put into service being 2.656.553. ex-
elusive of l20,0O0 men temporarily III the
service in 1868. The a5ove ao"rerate
includes re-enllsied men, and 80 far that
portion of the army has been counted
twice, Otf-sctting the 10000 in tempo
rary service, excluding 1880 colcred
troops mainly from the South, and max
ing 4 still farther large allowance. We
have two millions as the approximate
number OF men actually furnished bv the
loyal states i'll the war.
The prompt reduction OF the army.
without difficulty or discomfort. Is another
striking fact, Immediately after the sur
render of Lee. orders were issued TO re-
duce the army. and l,twccn May 80 and
-iu@. !, & GlO.SO troops had been MUSTER
cd out, and NOV. ID the total number
mustered out w:ls SU0, ,9J3, all of whom
were paid.
And now for a few facts rs 10 war cx-
pcnSe5: From July |, 1861. 10 July |,
1860, the pay OF officers and men III the
army amounted TO one thousand and
twcntv-ninc millions two hundred AMI
tlIirlv-ninc thousand dollars; and that
item alone is well up to one-hall' of the
national debt. Ii we could add the ex-
penditureS in all The other departments.
we could see where the money went
Statements oi these expenditures lave not
yet come, but are TO be made.
Here Is something that talks 10 the far
mcrS Furnished by the quartcrmaS.cr's :
department during the wars, 800 900
bushels of corn. 1So00,O0O bushels OF
oats, $1,000 bushels oi barley, 1.J0O 900
tons of hay, 20,00o tons oi straw, 90, 900
cords of wood, 100000 tons of coal.
As to the future. Instead of more than
five hundred millions of dollars last wear.
the secretary estimates the expenses next
year at less than tiirty-four millions: and
instead of an army OF nearly million of
men, he proposes TO have only fifty thou
sand. The organization proposed is such
that the number can b. enlarged TO
eighty-two thousand and six hundred
without new organizations: and in case of
emergency, past experience has shown
that eighty thousand men month can be
organized and put into the field from the
loval states alone. Arms and ordnance
are on hand for IN army of million.
with vast amount Of clothing and three
years stock of ammunition. More bonds
OF peace, you see. Fifty does Secretary
Stanton say: with our education. hab-
its and experience, the nation, while in
the midst Of peace, is prepared for war;
LIEUT.-GEN. GRANTS REPORT.
This Is luminous as well as voluminous.
Grant goes bluntly at his story, and keeps
straight on, just as he fought the glorious
campaig ignS. He neither hides the merits
or mistakes Of his subordinates nor wastes
breath in undue praise or censure. He
for the main part lets results tell the sto-
~. 1t is clear that the campaigns that
crushed the rebellion were his The in
PRODUCTION to the report contains the pith
of the plan-flus:
From al early period in the rebellion
| had been impressed with the idea that
active and continuous operations of all
the troops that could be brought into the
field, regardless of season and weather.
were necessary for speedy termination
of the war. The resources of the enemy
and his numerical strength were far inle-
rior to ours but as an Offset to this. We
had vast territory with a popul alton hos
tile to the government, TO garrison, and
long lines of river and railroad commune
cations to protect, to enable us to supply
!, the operating armies.
The armies in the east and west acted
independently and without concert, like q
balky team, no two ever pulling together.
enabling the enemy to use to great advan.
| tage his interior lines of communication
| for Transporting troops from east to west
reinforcing the army most vigorously
pressed, and to furlough large numbers
during seasons of inactivity on our part
to 20 to their homes and do their work o
producing, for the support of their armies
II was q uupstiOn whether orr numprica