The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-12-03
OUR WAR BUREAU.
annual Report of the Secretary OF War,
Hon. Edwin M. stanton.

Vember IA, lS66-Mr. Observation-Disclosures
afthe volunteer forces in service at the time the
Rebel armies surrendered; collecting the arms
ordnance and military stores scattered over the
vast theatre of war; the sale and disposition OF
unserviceable material; storing in arsena.s,
magazines and depots that which inigns pe
used, settling and adjusting war olalnls TO
erulting and organizing the regular army UNI 1er
the recent act; the establishment OF posls end
garrisons on the frontier and in the Iridian
country testing the various improvements OF
breedh, loading small arms, and supplying them
TO tho army; practical experiments to determine
thedestructive power OF projectlIes and Itho
comparative resisting qualities Of materials.
completing seaboar@ defenses and providing
mAemSgith armaD,ents; planning and carving
Aon harbor and river improvements: these with
the administration OF the baws relating to refu-
gees, freedmen and abandoned lands, have
constituted the chief operations of the War De-
partment during the past year.
MASTERING Out of Troops:
The entire number of volunteer troops to be
my last annual report recounted the operation
Of disbandtng this force until November l5,
mustered out aud paid. The work was actively
continued after that date, and on January 20,
February is, 952,452; March 10, 9G7, ,SS7; May !,
S667S2 Jun e 80 1,Ol0,67O; November l, l,O23,s2l-
eolored. The aggregate reduction of the colored
troops airing the year has been 75,024, and at
bnlb ua q regiment OF artillery ana thirteen
of inie ntry, numbering about 10000 officers and
enIst ed men, remain in the service. COM
and 9 IN May iII SSsir rnS Somes MUN Soun
teer wOuld have been completed within three
mo sths but for the necessity of retaining in
ser vice part of that force. Past experience
sh 6ws that, should any national emergency re-
y ARE q larger force than is provided by Ihe
y lace establishment, armies could be swiftly
, Gganized to at least the full strength of mill
kon ofmen.
Reduction of Expenses.
The reduction of the army has been attended
10Y corresponding reduction Of material and
,8etrenchment Of expenditures The advanced
depots of the Quartermaster,s Department,
which has been established as bases of opera
'tions, have been broken up; the greater part of
the material sold at advantageous rates or con-
'eentrated in five principal depots and arsenals;
and all unnecessary employees discharged
From May l, 1865 TO August 2, 1885, over 2O7, 900
horses and mules were sold for $l5.269 075 '54
About 400 barracks, hospitals and other build
iBgs have been sold during the year for S447,-
ing in store produced during the fiscal year, the
sum OF S90277O45. The fleet of 800 ocean trans
ports in service on July l, 1865 at a daily ex-
pense of $50, 400, was reduced before June 80.
1896, to 63 vessels, costing $1,000 per diem, and
transport tation being now almost entirely con-
Quoted by established commercial lines of
steamers. OF 262 vessels which had been
ployed in inland transportation, at an expense
of s3, ,l93, ,5332S, none were remaining in service
on June 80, 1865; sales of river transports,
ported as amounting to sif52,s95.92 The rates
have also been reduced by favorable contracts.
The military railroads. which were operated
during the war at o total expenditure OF $45,-
have reached he'd an % extent Of 26soi% miles, and to
have possessed 433 engines and 66O5 cars, have
all been transferred TO companies or boards OF
public works, upon condition of the adoption
ofloyal organizations of directors. Cash sales of
railroad equipmentt to the amount of 49, 466, 1898
the latter there have been paid, principal and
interest, 81 2O, ,OS5,lS leaving due to the United
States, on june 80, 1866, principal and interest,"
a657O O74'05. The military telegraph, which at
tanned an extent of Is, 3S9 miles OF lines con-
total expenditure OF 32l9,40O during the war,
and s567 637 during the last fiscal year, has been
discontinued, the material sold and disposed OF,
and the employees discharged only q few conf
dental operators being still retained for cipher
correspondence with commanders OF Important
districts. r..H .
Sale of Government Property.
such subsistence stores as could not be re-
tanned for supplying the reduced army nave,
for the most part been sofa at satisfactory
The sale of unserviceable and surplus stores
pertaining to the signal corps has been effected;
most of the officers have been mustered out,
and the employees discharged.
All the temporary ordnance depots established
Hilton Head, where the work is in progress but
not completed, have been discontinued, and
the supplies have been sent TO arsenals for
storage or when not worth the cost Of trans
pOrtation have been sold. The expenditures of
arsenals have been greatly diminished, and
their operations limited.
General hospitals hospital transports and
railroad trains, ambulance CORDS and number
of medical purveying depots have been dis
pensed with, and all perishable articles of
medicines and hospital supplies, in excess Of
the requirements of q peace establishment
have been disposed of by public sale at advan-
tageous rates, and the reserve supplies concen-
trated at five depots. The proceeds OF old or
surplus medical and hospital property amount
TO "a, ,044, ,26f59.
But the sale and disposition of these large
amounts of unsGgviceable and perishable stores
still leave on hand an adequate supply of war
material TO meet any emergency that can pos
sibly arise. The stock OF clothing, equipage,
nuarterInaster, subsistence, hospital and ord
nance stores, arms, ammunition and field ar
tillery is sufficient for the immediate equipment
OF large armies The disbanded troops stand
ready TO respond TO the national CALL and, with
our vast means OF transportation and rapid
organization developed during the war, they
can be organized, armed, equipped and concen-
trated at whatever points military emergency
may require. While, therefore, the war eX-
peIises have been reduced to the footing of a
moderate and economical peace establishment,
the national military strength remains unim-
paired and in condition TO be promptly put
forth, El.FH-. a.G I'D.
While the reduction of the volunteer force
and the advantageous disposition or concentra-
tion of war material were thus successfully ac-
complished without diminishing the military
power OF the country, recruiting and reorgan-
fzing the regular army faYorably progressed
In consequence of the difficulty In procuring
enlistments for the regular while so many men
were required for the volunteer service 1853 COM
panies OF the regular army, as then authorized,
were unorganized on May 81, 1865, but in the
middle of the following July these companies
had been completed. Under the act OF July 2S,
1885, the regular army now comprises 10 regI-
ments, or l20 companies, OF cavalry, s regiments,
or 90 companies of artillery, and As regiments,
or 450 companies. ofinfantry: OF which 2cavalry
and infantry are composed of colored men,
and 4 infantry regiments OF men who were
wounded in the line of their duty One regi-
ess 81 White "a Heyahy hs yer nSe Dssa ey recruited
TO the Pacific coast is very nearly completed.