The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1866-12-04
- &. 4 = p o Il r s ,.sa
.dnp OF THE ~ ~ s6l
SECRETARY OF WAR.

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WAR DEpARrnEsr,
WASHINGTON Cnr, Nov. IL, 1900
Mr. PRsMDEsr-D DISARMAMENT OF the volunteer forces
In service At the time the rebel armies suesdercd col
lcciing the arms ordnance military scattered
the theatre Of war; the sale and disposition OF
unservceable maierial storing In arssnais magaznes
and depots that which might bo used; settling and ad
justng claims recruiting and organizing the regn
lar army under the recent act the establishment OF
posts and garsons on the frontier and in the Indian
country; testing tho various improvements OF breech
loading small arms, and supplying them to the army
practical experiments TO determine the destructive
power Of projectes and the comparative resisting
qualities Of Materials completing seaboard defenccs and
providing them with armaments; planning and carrying
on harbor and river improvements; these with the ad
mnistraton or the laws relating to refugees freedmen
and abandoned lands, have constituted the chief opera
tons OF the War Department during the past year.
REDUCTION os THE ARMY AND WAR MATERIAL
The entire number OF volunteer troops 10 be- mustered
out May 1885, 03i 064 and my last annual re-
po,, reSounted the operation Of dsoandng tns iVrce
been transported, mustered out and paid. The
work was actively continued after that date, and on
January 20 1885, gls722 volunteers had been mustered
out; February u.s. 952 49, March 10, 967, SS7; May
0s6 1884, june 20, 100000; November 1, l.023 OIL,
leaving In service 0l3 volunteers white and colored
The aggregate reduction Of the coored troops during the
year has been 1904 and at this date regiment OF
ariIery and thirteen OF infantry numbering about
Commenced in May, 1885, the work OF discharging and
returning 90 their homes 1,034O6 volunteers,
would nave ave been completed Within three months nar
II that force. Past experience shows that should
any nationa emergency require larger force than IL
provided by the peace establishment armies could be
swiftly organized 10 at least the full strength Of mil
lion Of mon.
Tho reduction OF the army has been attended by
responding reduction OF material and rerenchment OF
expenditures The advanced depots OF the Quartermas
ters department. which had been established as bases
ri nf
the material sold az advantageous concentrated
In i've principal depois and arsenals, and all IN
isSs 70 Angus, Isss over ao7 COO horses
and mules were sold for SIS, 69075. About
400 barracks, hospitals and other buildings
have been sold during the year Tor $447,s73 The sale
OF irregular and damaged clothing store produced
during the scai year the OF ss02 TO- The feet of
500 transports in July 1862 at daily
expense OF Ss2 400 was reduced before June 80 1855
So vcsse costing $4,000 per diem and most OF these
have since been dischaged-ocean transportation being
almost entirely coma lced by established CONNER
cia lines of sieamerS OF 202 vessels which had been
employed IN inland transportation. al expense
OF So 1893 533 none were remaining in service June
3d. 1866 saes OF river Transports steamers and hages
during the year reported amounting TO l52 sg5
The rates o. wagon transportation In the Indian country
have also been reduced by sorabe contract Tho mill
tsry railroads. which operated during tho war al
total expenditure OF $45 7l9, and which officially
reported ha, reached OF ESQ mica and 10
possessed l33 engines and sos cara all been
transferred Ia companies boards OF public works upon
condition Of the adoption Of loyal organizations OF drec
81 1856 739 reported aud credit sales OF f7440I3;
upon the latter there have been paid principal and IN
ercst 200 0s5, leaving due 10 the United states
June 30, 1850. principal and interest, S6,5700N The
military telegraph, which attained extent OF l5S9
miles Of lines constructed during the period OF hoties
with total expenditure Of $32l9,400 during the war;
aud $67 637 during the last fiscal year. has bsen dcon
tnncd, the material sold and disposed or and the
pIoyes discharged, only a Few confidential operators
being still for CIPHER correspondence with
manders OF important districts such subsistence stores
could not be retained for sappyng The reduced army
haya Inn M nftxf0 sts1ru
Tne sails Of uservccabie and surplus pcta ming
the signal corps has been eacted most OF the officers
have been mustered ont and the employees discharged
Al the temporary ordnance deposs abiishcd during
The var, with the exception Of that ut Hilton Head,
~herc the work IL in progress but not completed, have
been discontinued aud The supplies have been sent 10
arsenas for storage when not worth the cost Of
transportation, have besn sold. The expenditures at
arsenas have been greatly diminished, and their opera
General hospitals. hospital transports and railroad
trains ambulance corps and number Of medical par.
veyng depot have been dispensed with and all perish
able articles of medicines and hospital supplies IN
OF the requirements Of apsacs establishment have been
reserved supplies concentrated AT nye depots The pro
ceeds Of old surplus medical aud hospital property
amount TO "a, O442o
But the sale and disposition OF these large amounts Of
aud pcrhabe stores still leave hand
adequate supply Of material 10 meet emergency
that possibly arise. The stock Of cthing, equpage.
quarerase subsistence, hospital and or.nanr stores,
arms, ammunition and ncid artillery b sufficient for the
immediate equipment Of large armies. The dlsbanded
troops stand ready To respond 10 the national CALI and,
with OF transportation and rapid organi
zaion developed during the war, they can be organ.
lied armed, equipped and concentrated ut whatever
points military emergency may require. While. there
moderate and economical peace establishment. the
national military strength remains unimpafed and In
condition 70 bs promptly put forth
HycnUIrIsc yoR TUE Rr1rLsp ArnY.
While reduction OF tho volunteer force and tho
sdvantagcoas disposition concentration OF war
.er.ai we're thus successfully accomplished without
fHa
ING and rcorganixsng the regular amy fsvoraby pro
sTessed In consequence OF tho difficulty in procuring
snnstments for tho regular, while many
euned The volunteer service hundred and nfy
companies of the regular army then authorized
unorssnized on Nay a. 1862 but IN the middle Of
the foiio~ipg July theeo companies had been
pisted Under the act " July 20, 1885, the regular
army nov comprises ten regiments, or one hundred
xy companies Of artillery, and forty nvs regiments or
four hundred and my companies OF infantry OF which
two cavalry and four infantry rec nsns are composed
Of colored mep and four infantry regiments OF who
wounded IN the line OF their duty One rcgment
Of white cavalry hsd been fully recruited September
49, the othss regiment, assgned 10 the Pacinc coast u
vssy nearly completed. Foryeisbt Of the nrty.four
companies SECURED couveft into resincnts the single
hassaoes Of tle nine ihre.baitaon regmeet. % the
formep orgnntxson have been compistsdi snd sent
their regiments. The four veteran reserve regiments
have been assigned 70 districts where the men may be
ussfslIy employed guarding storehonscs sad GENE
tsres and on similar dsc The colorod regiments VIII
be rccrted far possible from tho colorsd voiun
SIN IN ssrse- The Lac authorizes m sssgsment
Afty being the Inininum, and the maximum strength
Of the army 10 thu- placed Al 1882 rank and die
The present strength of companies u fixed al sixty four
prvsies cavalry, artillery and infantry, and hun.
drcd ana twenty privsies for light batteries 81
teYy making aggregate strength Of "a, 302 Ass soon
a. ,be sanKs shah well filled " designed
the ecency Of the military force By asing tho standard
Of QUALIFICATIONS
r1ysxSr rRoors.
The troops In service we're regularly paid and the de-
nands Of those discharged and mustered out promptly
met During the h-cAl year ending June 20. 1903,
eio t3f OO4 dpbureed 10 the army ard military
academy e24s.elA3i3 IA volunteers; and la the dis
burrament Of millions of dollars In small sums and
amid gress dleute~ and hazards the total tho
government, In expenses OF every character Ia but
IRRATIONAL portion NJ one per cent
rRHcsrros- ssp rrgArsksr.
Every effort has been made 10 promote the com.
fort and hesith ~ the army, and 70 give ths b~tt
medical treatment 20 the wounded and sick. Well
grounded apprehensionr Of the Appearance Of
Asa,c cboiera ~ epldsmc early The preseni year
required prompt acion for the PROJECTION Of iroopa
rgd military quarantine was established on the south