Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1868-12-26
MISCELLANEOUS.
Report of the secrelarx of war.

J
The strength of the army on the SOth of
September last was 4S,081, which will be
reduced by the first of January, by the ex-
piration of the term of service, to about
5000. No rendezvous arc now open ex-
cept for cavalry. During the next year the
infantry force will be still further reduced.
With regard to the signal service, provi.
sion has been made for such general instruc-
tion in military telegraphing and signaling
as may be necessary for the military service,
and by concert with the officers of the navy
nearly similar courses of study and practice
in these branches have been adopted at West
Point and Annapolis. A drill, with o field
electric telegraph, has been introduced at
West Point, and school of telegrapbing and
signaling has been established at Fort Gre
ble, in Maryland.
The expenditures in the Quartermaster's
Department during the fiscal year ending
June 80, 1868, including claims for stores
taken for the use of the army during the war,
were $50 SOC, ,3Sl So. Claims for property
taken during the war have been allowed to
| the amount of $5o0,313 %; rejected, So
654,430 50; still pending $6,995,691 ls
In the national cemeteries 3l6,233 remains
of soldiers have been collected, of which
It's, ,764 are Unidentified. The total cost has
| been about $2,700,000.
| Subsistence to the value of over $3.50, 900
has been supplied TO the Freedmen's Bureau,
and to the value of more than 1870, 900 for
the support of Indians large decrease in
| both instances. In the settlement of claims
for Communication of rations of Union soldiers
while prisoners of war, 1874 ,056 have been
expended. Claims for supplies taken for the
use of the army during the war, to the
amount of nearly $4,000, 900, have been re-
ceived, of which nearly 100000 have been
allowed, $3.50, 900 are awaiting decision, aud
the rest have been rejected.
The disbursements for the Pay Department
during the last fiscal year have been: For
the regular army, $l7,sQ3,06S SO; for the
Military Academy, s169, ,l09 04 ; and 10 vol
unteers, S42, ,676, ,444 0S-a total of $50, eco,
Gil 65. The disbursements for reconstruc-
tion purposes have been s2,26l ,415 02, and
there remains an available balance of SiG7,-
628 46, which, it is believed, will cover all
future expenses. During the year claims for
additional bounty were allowed to the num-
ber of BAL, ,972, involving an expenditure Of
s23, 3,649, 15l 7s.
The total disbursements on these claims,
since the date of the act, have been s37, I64, :
TIA, ,78, to which the claims settled by the
accounting officers of the Treasury being
added, makes the aggregate amount over
s54 100000. The expense of settling these
claims have been kept within FIVE sixths OF
one per cent.
Large reductions of the officers and agents
of the Freedmen's Bureau have been made,
and arrangements are in progress to close it
up by the first of January, except the edu'
cational and claim divisions. The total ex-
psnditurss Of the Bureau for the fiscal year
were $3,977, ,041 70, and the balance in hand
was $8,622 ,067,99.
The Military Academy at West Point is
conducted in satisfactory manner. During
the late war, of the graduates from all the
Southern States, one-half remained loyal; OF
of the graduates from the actual Rebel States
more than onsfourth remained loyal and
that Of the graduates engaged on the side
of the Union one fifth lost their lives.
The Artillery School orgaL. Asd at the