The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1866-05-24
COmmu m ication from General s.raut.
WASHINGTON Nav II

communication from General ezra G..
WASHINGTON, May II.
The President sent message to the
House to-day enclosing the following COM
munication from 1t Gen Grant
HEAoo'Rs ARMIES OF THE UNITED STATES,
WASHINGTON, D. Z. May Is, &c
10 Hon. E. N. Stanton, Sscy. of Var:
SIR In view of the long delay in the
lower house of Congress in agreeing upon a
plan for the reorganization of the army suit
able to our present requirements and the ur-
gent necessity for early action, | am in
duced to present the matter to you official
ly, and to ask the attention of Congress to
it, believing that when they have the mat
ter fairly before them they will do what
should be done speedily At the present
time settlements are sprnging up with an
unusual rapidity i'll the district of country
between the Missouri river and the Pacific
ocean where heretofore, the Indian was left
in uhdlsputed possession emigrants are
pushing To those settlements aud for the
gold fields Of the Rocky Mountains by ev-
cry available highway. The people hockng
to. these regions are citizens of the United
States, and are entitled to the protection Of
the Government. They are developing the
resources of the country to its greatest ad-
vantage, thus making it the interest as we'll
as duty to give them military protection
This rIakes a much greater force west of
the Mississippi necessary than was ever
heretofore required III ali the States lately in
rebellion, and 1t cannot be foreseeu that
this force will not be required for sume time
TO come Ii Is t" be hoped that tits force
VIII not he necessary to enforce the laws,
either State or National, but the differences
of sentiment engendered by the great war
which has ragged for four years. will make
the presence of II military force necessary to
give d feeling OF security to the people All
classes disposed to obey the laws of the
country will feel this alike. To maintain
order the government has been compelled to
retain volunteers all the while The voIun
teers have become dissatisfied and claim
that the contract with them has been VIOLA
ted by retaining them after the war was
over.
BY reason of dissatisfaction they are no
longer of use, and every one now remaining
i'll the service might as well be discharged
at once. The colored volunteer has an
equal right to claim his discharge but as
yet he has not done so. How long will ex
listing laws authorize the retention of tlis
force, even II they are content to remaiu
The United States Senate passed promptly
a bill for the reorganization of the army,
which In my opinion Is as free from obiec-
ton as any great measure could possibly be,
and it would supply the minimum forces re-
quired. 1t gives but a few thousand addi-
tional men over the present organization,
but gives large number Of additional bat
talions aud companies, and the public SER
vice guarding routes over the plains, and
giving protection in the Southern States, de-
mand the occupation of a great number of
posts For many of them small company
is just as efficient as one with more men
would be. The bill before Congress, or the
one that has passed the Senate, gives an IN.
creased number of Companies by diminish,
ing the number of rank aud file of each
company 1t is an exceedingly appropriate
meas ure IN this particular, for the Increase,
when occasion requires no more men The
company is the smallest unit of organization
that can be used without materially ignoring
discipline and efficiency The belief that |
Congress would act promptly in this matter |
II Their attention was called to it, has in
duced NE to respectfully ask your attention
to 1t II yon agree with me in this matter i
| would also ask if you deem il proper. that
this with such endorsements as You NAV
he pleased to make, be laid before Congress
through the speaker If the House.
Very respectfully your obi serv't.
Q. 5. GRAFT, 1t Gen.