Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1865-12-15

ture in the War Department, to detail the military
situHcn Mt the commencement OF the last session of
Congress and to sketch the operations Of the army
which brought the rebellion 10 close. The rebels
still held Richmond the sembance Of State govern
nent existed in eight rebel States Hoods army
threatened Tennessee and Kentucky. and that under
Kirby Smith threatened Arkansas, Kansas and Mis-
souri. Wilmington, CharlestOn Savannah and Mo-
bile were strongly ganisoned and fortified, pirate
steamers. equipped and supplied by foreign nations
were destroying our commerce; rebel mauraudcrs
were planning expeditions against our commerce on
the lakes; planning TO burn Our towns on the frontier
and plotting murder against the President and Vice
President
But now the authority Of the Government is peace
fully exercised the whole territory OF the United
/ States. Al the armies a1Nycd against it have laid
down their arms and surrendered. Every hostile
flag hauled down, the Confederate Government il
ovcrthrown, its President is close prisoner awaiting
trial.
The arrangements for the spring Of 1885 were made
the part of the government to put forth It's strength
The available force present for duty on the first Of
May 1864 was 662,34j; grand aggregate, nclud-
ing those on detached service, in hospitals,
MS prisoners, &c, 970,7l0 brief resume Of
the campaigns Of that season is given, including the
great campaign from the Rapidan TO Richmond,
where there forty three days Of desperate fight
ing or marching bv dav and night and immense loss
on both sides; the campaigns Of Sheridan in the
Shenandoah, of Sherman and Thomas and Banks and
Butler, bringing the history down to March 1865, at
which time there was a grand aggregate OF 963,59l
men, Of which number COZ 5DS were present for duty.
new draft Tor half million Of men had been
called for, to which the State Executive and people
were responding with alacrc and recruitment was
Mt its hight when Richmond fell
The crises in the war is thus related;
"Thc month Of March, 1866, opened the great campaign
against Richmond and the army that had so long defended
the rebel capital.
Instructions were given by the Lieut. General the 2lth
Of March for a general movement Of the national forces
oround Ricbmond II commenced on the morning of the
20tl Of rch. Ten days marching and hghtng finished
the campaign. Richmond Petersburg the Army Of virginia
and its commander were captured Jefferson Davis and the
,fftrV
of Davis fled from Richmond on the afternoon OF sun
day, the 2nd day Of April The NATIONAL forces occupied
Pcersburs and entered Richmond Monday morning Lees
army pursued until reached AppomatoX Court llonse
where sunday the 9th day Of April, it laid downiIs arms
on the terms prescribed by Gen Grant.
From this period the history Of the but an cnumer
ton Of surenders by rebc commanders On the
2Gth day April Gen Johnston surrendered his command
to Major Gen sherman at Raleigh, North Carolina Cen
Howell Cobb with twelve hundred militia and FIVE generals,
surrendered to Gen Wilson, at Macon Georgia, the goth
OF April Gen. Dick Taylor, on the 4tl Of " surrender
ell all the remaining rebel forces east Of the Mississippi to
Gen Candy On the llth Of May jefferson Davi. disguised
and in flight was captured at rwinsve, dcorsn On the
26h Of May ten. Kirby Smith surrendered hrs entire com
mnnd. west Of the Mississippi to Major Gen Candy with
this surrender the organizs rebel Urce disappeared from
the territory Of tue | nited States.
Appropriate reference is made to the assassination Of
President Lincoln and the attempt upon the life OF secretary
Seward and The punishm Mt Of the conspmors Upon the
surrender of Gem Ice, the Department had tho following
Frst-To stop all drafting in the loyal States
second-ro cgrtail purchase Of arms, ammunition &c.
Thi-To reduce the Eumbcr OF general AMI stan officers
to the actual necessities Of the service.
Fourh-To rcsIct upon trade so far as might
! he consistent with salty.
These have been carried into effect from time to
! time as the exigences " The service would admit.
The Secretary says the force contemplated necessary
for peace 1000 small compared iiih that which
ganzed suhdue the rebellion. But the only reasons de-
,ni;n, ,rrotrr force arel,t rencwn of the insu-rec-
ton and 81 foreign For either both emergencies
the national ample. The chief demands for
war as shown by experience, are t, troop 81,
and ammunition; 3d. clothing; 18th ransportationi and
9th, subsistence supplies. The national strength in these
RESPECTS are d"' opo" with sasn ann fopp''ngy
The troops disbanied cieaS volunteers, who wen,
to the field uphold the system of rt government cstab
shed by their fathers which they to bequeah To
their children Their tolls and surngs, their marches
bates and victories have not diminished the value Of that
government to emi 50 that any lew rebellion would en-
counter equal or greater force for its eucon ana none
can eyer spring up with such advantages at the start or he
conducted with superior means, ability, prospect Of sue
foreign war wonI Intensity the national feeling
and thousands misd, would rejoice to atone their
by raying to the national nag The question OF time
In which armies could be raised to qurl inurrectOn
pe Invasion therefore, the only ques m relating tc
troops Our experience on this point is Significant When
Iee's army urrcndcrd thousands recruits pouring
in and discharged from recruiting stations and
rendezvous in every State On several occasions, whcr
troops were promptly needed to avert impending disaster
vigorous cNeon brought them into the field from remote
States, with incredible speed. Official reports show that
after the disaster on the Peninsula IN 1867 over lshtl
thousand troops were enlisted organized, arm-d, equipped
and sent the field in less thana MONTH Sixty thouanC
troops have repeatedly gone into the field within four weeks
And ninety thouslul infantry sent tn the armies, from
the five States Of Ohio Indiana. Illinois, Iowa and Wiscon
sin. within twenty days.
When the rebellion commenced the nation strange
to war Officers had little experience priyates had
Ru the urescn generation in this country nov
veteran soldiers F5r the battle, the march, the siege
they are already trained. They much at home in tn
,ad se ns in the farm house the manuI factory, or tn
shop No time required To train them; and the speed o
the railroad and telegraph determines the time required
raise army in the United States
Second. As to arms and ammunition. The dsbande'
armies allowed to take home their arms at nomim'
price. Rust is not likely gather the muske ol sabr
horne through the campaigns OF 1861 ana 1860 The GOV
crnneut in its arsenals more than million OF tn
best quality Of arms and equipments The artillery on ham
tasks the department. for its means Of storage The manu-
ure ammunition requires materials Ton which we av
in degree relied upon other countrts because e
could he had cheaper For this reason and to guard agas
any mischauce three years stock o material or annun
ton already been kept in store and the supply on ham
ample for any war that can DC waEed aga nst us by an
Third Clothing, transportation and subsistence. Ate
selling or distributing among freedmen ana refugees a
damaged irregular ciohiEe, the stock OF clothing an
material in the Qusremastes depos is sufficient for an
armies that may be called into service The water trans
ports and rolling stock mules, wagons aud horses held h
the government adequate to the Wement Rn suppl
larger forces, in less time, than had heretofore be
known in The government has disposed or Is dispo'
ing of this transportation but II remains in THIS country
and answer any eNtgency.
The remainder Of the Report consists Of detailed st te
rnen of the preseut military organization into divisions "a
and departments Oo) General Meade commands the ir'
division Gen sherman the second, Gen Sheridan the hir
Gen Thomas he fourth, Gen. llAeck the nth. The rcpo
includes reports Of the Aduau Gsneu Provost Ma
shall Pny1haster General Commissary General Subs
cnce sufgeon Gcner,l Quaremastcr General Chief Eng
neer, Ordnance Bureau, signal Corps, Military TeleFra
Commissioner of Exchanges Judge Advoclte General an
The Provost Marshal General, commencing where his re
port Ot the year closed, says the number o me-
called for hy President July s ls6i was 800 900 TIL
was reduced by credits 2656I3 leaving he obtained ~
. 337 Whole, number volunteering under this call lSS 14
drafted 81 2g1 Whole number obtained under July cal
272,463 Gan excess of 81, 1850
- ON the 18th December call was made for 100000. No
ntrcrs under IT, l53 O5S drafted, 1887, whole numb
raised 10i635. The operations under this all were brou
# stand by tho close of the war; or the number woull hay
been raised in iuil.
The aggregate quotas charged against the several 81
under all calls, from the 18th day Of April 1901 to the III
The aggregate credited, O553, leaving deficiency
all calls when The war closed OF iO2,iW.
This number does include the "emergcncy menh ca
ont by the States Of New York; nsyyauia, Ohio ndai
a Total amount Of Commutaon money received under Il
act of March s. 1868, is S25,0O3O29 % Amount eXpende
l. siO3S7. .l35 50 Balance remaining, S9,5li,S93 40
expended from the appropriation "fOr cOlleI
~ ing drilling AMI organizing volunteers" from November
e 1861 to November l, lsd5, was Sl,i22,2Sl IS.
Noapprupratiop will be required for this bureau for
= next fiscal yeU.
If The General has dsbursed since the begnn
~ Of the war 81 l,O9A 230 OoO
Total aud dafacatons S5il 900, Of which
= believed, will be recovered - ~
ll Total excuses Of disbursement S6429 Coolies tn
~ three. iourths Of one per cent
c The denos the Quart rmhster nave furnished the
%usi shs ' oT oa oSoo t bushels barley 100000 IONS
hy 20 600 tons stoves 100000 cords of wood aud LOO
r. 900 tons Of coal
le produced the estimated amount OF 81 800 OOO l2s 5
" animals.
The total Of sales OF goverament property since goth
April amounts to Sl33573i5 in the Quarernastcr Gen
V, ais department
nj The ordnance Bureau while cutting down expenses
an as eNpedn are not ntemttng the construction Of cam
and carriages for iortihcHtons Preference is given
nj iron smophbore cannon wrought-iron red ptc
thu. Er.4i NJ. &