The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-12-09
THE WAR DEPARTMENT.
Annual Report of Sec. schoneld.

Hcho6eld's annual report which we dld mot
publish yeste rday:-
- WAR DEPARTMENT, WASHINGTON Cry, Nov.
40, 1868.--Mr. President;-I have the honor to
submit general report of the operations of this
department since the last annual report of the
Secretary of War, with the reports Of the chiefs
of bureaus and military commanders for the
same period. Il
ADJUTANT-GENERALs DEPARTMENT.
The strength of the army on the Both Of Septem-
bcr was AZ, 081, which by the 1st of January next
will be reduced by the expiration of term OF SER
vice alone, TO about Az, 600.
Orders were issued in November last to reduce
all regiments of infantry and artillery Except 10
light batteries) to 90 men per company. NO re-
cTuting rendezvous are now in operation except
for the cavalry service, and the expense OF the re-
cruting service is reduced to the minimum.
All volunteer officers except one have been
mustered out of service. --F--..-
At the suggestion of Lieutenant-3cneral Sher-
man, authority was given on the 9th OF October
last for the musteT-in of one regiment OF volun-
teer cavalry from the State of KInsas for service
against hostile Indians The service OF this regl-
ment is not expected to exceed six months, after
which it is hoped the regular cavalry will be sui-
eicnt for the frontier service.
1t may be reasonably expected that consider
able reduction of the infantry of the army may
De made within the next year without detrment
TO the interests of the country. | recommend
that such reduction be authorized by law to be
made gradually by ordinary casualties, by dis
charge of incompetent and unworthy officers,
and by consolidation of regiments. l also re-
commend that the four regiments constituting
the Veteran Reserve Corps be dsbandcd, officers
unfit for active service to be RETIRED and all others
TO be transferred to active regiments.
The term of enlistment for all arms Of the SER
vice should be increased to five years, rs mea-
sure Of economy and efficiency.
L.LH INSPECTION SERVICE
Through the agency of the inspection branch Of
the service the entire army, with a few eXcep-
tions, otherwise especially provided for, has
been thoroughly and constantly inspected during
the year, and numerous special Investigations
have been made, resulting in material improve
ment in the efficiency of the troops, in the eco
nomcal management of the administrative
branches, and in the and disposition of public
moneys and property.
Both here and abroad inspections have come to
be regarded as Indispensable to successful manage
ment of military establishment, and the con
Viction of the usefulness is everywhere gaining
ground.
2 The Importance of the duties to be performed,
and the insufficient number of officers of the regu
Jar inspection service, has resulted in the adop-
ton of SYSTEM whereby the required number
will be supplied by detail of field officers in adli
tion to the regular inspectors, the selections 10
be made by the War Department. This plan is
designed to secure officers of proper capacity,
Judgment and experience, and TO Obviate the ne
cessity of an immediate increase in the corps of
inspectors, which now numbers but nine officers.
SIGNAL SERVICE.
Provision has been made during the past year
for such general instruction in military teegraphy
and signalling may be necessary for the service.
Books OF instruction have been furnished each
company and post and steps have been taken to
provide necessary telegraphic apparatus and the
equipments for signalling.
The courses of study in military telegraphy and
signalling have been pursued with success at the
Military Academy at West Point. BY concGrt
with the officers of the navy, nearly similar
courses of study aud practice in these branches
have been had at the Naval Academy at Annapolis.
A drill with q field electric telegraph train has
hapn Mt nd NJ tha
cadets discharging all the duties of running out
and erecting the lines working the teegraphic
instruments, and sending and receiving messages
by sound.
A school of telegraphy and signalling has been
established at Fort Grebe Maryland, and is in
successful operation. At this school selected
officers and enlisted men are instructed in all the
duties pertaining to the service with electric tee-
graphs and signals simple telegraphic code,
easily acquired, is used for this purpose.
The report of the Chief Signal Officer, and the
sub-repOrts covered by it, give details of the du-
ties of his Office for the past year. and the results
so far obtained.
QUARTERMAsTER's DEPARTMENT.
The report of the QuartermasterG General shows
the total expenditure of that department during
the fiscal year ending June 80, 1868, including
claims for stores taken for the use of the army
during the war, to be $33, SOC, ,8S1'53 Claims for
property taken during the war have been allowed
to the amount of $500, ,31328; rejected, 81, 65l,-
43O,38 and are still pending to the amount of
$6,905, 691'18.
In the national cemeteries 316 233 remains of
soldiers have been collected, of which 175 764
are identified. The total cost has been about
S2,700,000.
The fre-proof warehouse Mt the Schuylkill ar
senal has been completed, and the expense of
rent greatly reduced thereby. The warehouse
authorized at Jeffersonville will not be erected,
as that depot will be broken up. The $150,000
appropriated for that warehouse has been re-
mitted to the treasury.
OF the debt of the Southern railroads for mate
rial sold to them after the war; $4,627, 695'77 re-
main unpaid.
The erection of suitable building to accomo-
date the several branches of the War Department
is recommended as measure of economy
and efficiency.
An appropriation of $50 900 is asked for stock
farm TO supply horses for the cavalry,
No appropriation for clothing or camp equipage
Is required
An increase of the number of assistant quarter
masters to fifty is urgently recommended as ne
cessary to the proper administration of that de-
partment.
Attention is invited to the operation of the Joint
resolution of March 80 1868, by which the con-
troll of the appropriations for the War Depart
ment is taken, in great measure, from the Secre-
taTy of War and vested in the accounting officers
of the Treasury, in consequence of which large
sums have been and are being paid from those
appropriations contrary to the advice and opinion
OF the War Department.
MEDICAL DEPARTMENT..
No cases of the epidemic cholera or yellow
fever, which prevailed among the troops at the
date Of the last report, have been reported during
the present year.
One hundred and forty-six Thousand one hun
dred and ninety-seven cases (bclng an average of
three for each man in seryice) received medical
treatment during the year ending June 80, 1868,