The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1865-03-22


The report Of the Secretary Of va
is justpublished, giving a general retrC
spect Of army operations during {
past year, and the expenses, ways ant
means necessary to the conduct of th'
war A notice Of some points may moi
be uninteresting, as they come from the
highest authority
In the Ordnance Department there
have been produced in the past veal
| 4, ,160 pieces OF ordnance, , 26l artillery
carriages and caissons; SCI, 3,525 small
arms; 7g4 05j sets cf accoutreme nts and
harness ], o. PA proiectiles for cannon;
/ i2470, 10 pounds OF bullets and lead;
/ s 100000 pounds OF gunpowder; lG9,-
$50, G29 cartridges for small arms, and
in addition a large quantity Of unfn-
I ished ART eles.
The capacity Of the arsenals and ar
/ mories + greatly for the man
l ufacfure OF arms and material The
armoFy at Springfield, Massachusetts,,
turns oui three hundred thousand Of
the best rifle muskets annually. The
armory at Rock Island is in progress Of
construction. The stock on hand Of
small arms Of the best quality, undis-
turbed, amounts to 100000.
The purchase of cavalry horses in
the time covered by the report, has
been placed under the charge of sin
gie division Of the Quartsrmaster' De-
partment The supply has been at the
rate Of 500 horses a day, which is also
the average rate of their destruction.
As an instance, it is stated that during
the first eight months Of the present
year, the cavalry Of the Army of the
Potomac was twice remounted. Not
withsianding this drain, the supply Is
not exhausted in quantity or quality.
Such Is the immense production Of the |
country il this particular.
The QuartsTmast ra trains average
one wagon to every twenty four men,
and an army in the field, well equipped |
with artillery, cavalry and trains, re-
quires one horse or mule TO every two /
men. The number Of horses and mules /
is neatly equal
COlored men have been extensively 4
employed, and have rendered great i
service in the Quartermsster Depart 1
ment So many have enlisted as sci
diers that now the Quartermaster Gen
eral csnnot get as many as he needs to
do his work.
The Medical Department cost sl2,-
2639 9sS during the year One hundred
and eighty-two hospitals, with a capa-
city OF eighty-four thousand and four
hundred and seventy-two beds, were in
operation at the beginning of the year.
Now they have increased to one huns
dred and rinety hospitals, with q capa-
city of a hundred and twenty thousand
FIVE hundred and tWenty-one beds. At
the close Of the year the number of
sick and wounded, both with their
commando and in general hospitals,
was less than sixteen per cent Of the
army The number sick with their
respective commands was four per
cent
The Provost MaFshal Generals re-
port shows that 2,7St226 meu have
been enrolled for draft. Over one hun
dred and thirty-six thousand veterans
re-enlisted as such in the fall Of 1868
and the fall Of 1864 There have been
arrested s., ,392 deserters and stragglers
from October /, 1866, 10 October !,
1864 Total from the establishment Of
the bureau to October /, 1864, 60, 200.
The Veteran Reserve Corps consists
Of 764 officers, and 2S,I I3S men.
Such are some of the interesting
facts found in this report. Altogether
it shows that the efficiency and power
OF our army is very greatly increased,
that its organization in every depart
ment is thorough, on a scale 50 vast
and formidable IS to compel submis-
sion at home, and secure respect
abroad