New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-12-07
PUBLIC DOCUMENTS.
Report of the Secretary Of War.
WAR DEPARTMENT,
WASHINGTON Cn Nov. q, 1865.

% an 5Ol The 0-II'aICs
after careful revision amount % thirty three millions
81 hundred aud fourteen thousand four hund Ell and
Nv one dollars and eighty three cents (s&3 ,S4 i6l so
Rational military force the first Of LAY, 1866,
one million FIVE hundred and sixteen men II Is pro
ITO reduce the military establishment tfty thousand
s and over eight hundred thousand have already been
-fered out Of service. What has orcasoned this reduc
tn Of force and expenditure in the War Department, il IS
H., prrposc Of this report 70 explain.
Al the commencement Of the last session o. Congress
pah had been accomplished toward supprcsng the re-
btion and restoring federal authority the rfur-
GENT states. But the rebels still hold edmond the
,spia Of their socaed confederate government and the
s.nbace OF state government existed in Virginia, North
tsIona, South Carolina Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Nj
ssspp, ard yas while strong military force occupied
considerable portion 81 Arkansas and louisiana Their
g'ncpg army, under IT'S favoric cOnmaner, General Lee
.efendei with undaunte front impregnabe positions around
5tersbuTg aud Richmond Another army, under General
Hood moving north with purpose tonyadc Tennessee
and Kentucky. West Of the Mississippi large iorce IN
Ger General Kirby Smith threatened Arkansas Kansas anu
Missouri The chief seaport OF the rebel
ton, Charleston savannah and Nobie-were strongly sT
rsOned aud fortified and blocading Squairons were
unable prevent trade and supplies reaching tue eehE
Pirate steamers, built in foreign po,ts Tor repel
armed manned equipped, and supplied by iOreth capita,
roamcd high burning our ships and destroy us
commerce. Maraudcrs, hired by the rebel sov.rh
nert and h9rbOred on orr northern frontier, were se'S
ON foot pratica expeditions against commerce on the
ases planning burn and plunier towns and clN'S
and we've plotting murder against The President aud VICE
President of United states in hopes ofoverthrowng our
government b. anarchy. fliih their nal success and
bope Of open recognition by foreign governments stu ann
mated leading traitors.
But now the approaching . ion Of Congress will fnd
~. authority or the federal government efiecuay and
cefly exercised over the whole territory Of the United
states. All the armies heretofore srrayed against the
tlonal government have laid down their arms, and sur
rendered prisoners Of Every hostile banner has
hauled down the socaled confederate government
cyorthrown it, president Is prisoner in close custody
waiting trial while IT'S vice pre- ident and three OF It's
chef executive officers have recently enlarged from
prison by your cIemency. Al the ordinances laws, and
organizations existing under by virtue Of the
sOGaled confederate government have been swept away
and BY your sanction, he people OF the nsursei States
org0nzsd huy engaged in organizing, State
governments in snbordnaton the federal authority
In harmony with this condition Of affairs, the military
force OF the federal government has been reduced large
armies disbanicd aud nearly million Of brave men lately
sodicrs arms. pad anu honoraSly mustered out oi
service, have ne from camps garrisons and posts TO
their homes and most them are engaged already IN the
peaceful pursuits OF civ If.
Among the causes which, under Divine Providence have
brought about these wonderful results successful military
CtefatioDS stand FIRST in order.
clear comprecns on Of these operations requires brief
glance at the military position just before the spring
cam aigns of lSal
MISUNDERSTANDING the successful campaigns on the Msis
sippi, IN 1865, by the REDUCTION of Vckshurg aud Port
Huison severed in twain tha rebel territory and restored
10 rs the navigation and CONN rce Of the Mississippi, while
we victory ~ oetyshg drole PACK 'he reDe' ihVS.s
om the northern states We; the military strength OF the
rebels continued Formidable. The army of Vrgna, under
Generh Iee recovered from Us disaster ~ Gettysburg,
occupied its former lines in Virginia protecting the rene!
capital and holding inactive and in check the army OF te
Potomac Another large army under General Bragg, re
eaorccd by LOngSrees corps threatened the recOnquet
az Tennessee After ;he disastrous battle Of Chckanauga
army Of the Cumberland shut up and surrounded al
ChataDooga, unable 10 move b. reason Of the nclemcncy Oh
the weather AMI impossible roads, was III extreme
jeopardy.
AT this dcouraglng juucture a change Of military organ
izaon made. The departments Of the Ohio, the Ten
nessee and the Cumberland unlteI 1 military
division called the dvsoa Of the Mississippi under Major
General Grant Command Of the army Of the Cumberland
given TO Major General George II Thomas, relieving
General Rosecrans winter campaign was Immediately
directed sgsns. Bragg army. The battles Of Wauhatchie
slyouf nd fhatfa
opened communications, and routed Baggs army with
heavy loss Tho movement Vi Longstreets crp5 against
Knoxville 10 East Tennessee also proved das
failure 10 the rebels who were driven of and forced
back 70 the mountains.
In the month Of February 1864 General sherman move
rnent with large force from Ncssbug into the interior Of
che state Of Alabama as far IS Meridian inflicted heavy os
npoa the enemy by the destruction Of railroads and supplies
the capture Of prisoners aud the escape OF negroes and
refugees. This operation demonstrated the capacity Of
invading army 10 penetrate the rebel States and support
te ON the country The forerunner OF the great
movements In Georgia.
Ts arrangements the spring campaigns Of 1865 were
made on the part Of the government TO put forth It's
strengh Ia All the bureaus u the War Department sup
,js were provided scale Of great magnitude. To meet
spy eyeency that could be oresefn The estimates were
based upon an army organization o. one iniioh o. men
The states called upon 70 Strengthen the armies by
volunteers new drafts ordered and pot in execution
throughout oil the loyal states vast supplies ofarms, ammu
milton clothing subsistepce medical stores ana forage
we're proviicd and distributed in dpOs 20 meet the wants
of The troops wherever they might operate horses mules
xagons Railroad iron locomotives aud cars bridge timber
telegraph cable and wire, aud every material for trans
portaOn and communication Of great armies under AL
conditions supplied. Congress, with unsiiDtng
hand voted large appropriation for recruiting, paying
and supply,ng the troops The Office Of Lieutenant Gen
era. % command all the ARMIES was created by law
Ulysses 8 Grant appointed 10 that rank by The res
dent and assumed command Lieutenant General. on
the 18th day of March 1854 from which time the opera
tons Of all the armies under his direction.
The national forces engaged in the spring campaign OF
1861 orgaDz II armies or distributed 10 military
departments IS follows
The army OF the Potomac commanded by Major General
Meade whose healquarter were on me north slde ~ we
Fapdan This army confronted by the rebel army If
Northern Virginia stationed the south side OF tn Rap
Gan. under Gene al Robert T.. Lee.
The 9h corps under Major General Burnside was at tho
opening Of the campaign distinct organization but On
te oath day Of May 1874 incorporated into the army
of the Potomac.
The army Of the james wa by Major General
Butler whose headquarters at Fortress Monroe.
The headquarters Of the army of the SHENANDOAH
msnded BY Major General Sgol, were at winchester.
Three armies were united under Major General william
T. Sherman viz the army Of the Cumberland MAJOR Cen
eral Thomas commanding the army of the Tennessee,
MAJOR General Mcpherson commanding and the army "
The Ohio Major General SchoGeid commanding. General
Sherman headquarters at Chattanooga The effective
strength Of these three armies nearly hundred
thousand men, and to hundred and my -four guns 10 wit
Army Of the Cumberland, Major General Thomas com
mandiug
Infantry 0l5ts
Artillery. .......'. -.
Avary. '..''... 7's-s
To,,, o07,3
Sn,ober OF Observation-Disclosures. l3J
Army Of the Tennessee Major General NcPher.on com
'n ,s,ls e2,l37
Artillery ......................... ......... i,lo:
iayary. .'...... "1f
Total 24Bs
Surnbar ~ gnns - ....,... 90
Army q the ono, 11jor General schohed command
ng: ,,,so
Infantry OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. HlS