The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1868-12-17
Report of the Secretary Of War.

dier who holds the office. From it We
learn: That the strength of the arinyea
the Both of September, 1868, was IS, ,OSI
which, by the lst Of January, 1869, vii
be reduced by the expiration of service
to about 43, ,o0O In November, 1867,
orders were issued to reduce all regiments
OF infantry and artillery Except light
batterles) to so men per company, and
recruiting for these arms has been dlscon
tinued. There is but one volunteer Office
left in the army. A regiment of voun
teer Kansas cavalry has been employed
for the Indian war, but the service is no
expected to exceed six months. Tht
of the army during the ensuing year bt
made gradually, by ordinary casualties, b,
| officers, and by consolidation ofregiment.
and by the disbandmont of the Veteran
Reserve Corps. The term of enlistment
he suggests, should be increased to five
years as measure of economy and eff
cheney.
The Secretary speaks highly Of the
successful labors of the nowregarded In
dispensable inspecting officers of the ar
my. The Bureau Of Military Justice il
deficient in the number of advocates, ane
no provision of law exists for their ap
pointment There has been much pro
grcss made in instruction in military tele
graphy and signalling, and the study ha
been added to the courses at West Poin
and at the Naval Academy
The expenditures for the Quartermas
ters Department during the year endins
June 80, 1868, including claims for store
taken for the use of the army during tht
war, were $50, 500, 2Sl. Claims for prop
erty taken during the war have been al
lowed to the amount of $500, 3l3; rejec
ted, 1854 ,430: and are still pending t.
!. 20 the amount Of $6.9O5. 69l.
At an expense of 50, 100000 the re
mains of BIG, ,233 soldiers have been col
lected in the National Cemeteries, and 0
these l75, 764 have been identified
The proposed military depot at Jeffer
sonville has been broken up, and tn,
$4,000 appropriated for q warehous'
at that point has been returned to th,
Treasury. .0ao
The Southern railroads YET owe s. s., GO GO !,
J 695 for material :olI them after the war
The Secretary asks an appropriation o
55J, ,o1y ~. ;, stock ll.sgllI to supply -.
for the cavalry.
The Secretary calls attention to tlo lto
that control Of many appropriations fo
the War Department is vested III certain
Treasury olIicers, who make large pay
menjs contrary to the advice and opinion
Of the u ar department.
The average cost Of the army ration
during the year has been about 23 cents
Tobacco to the monthly value of $40 D0t
has been furnished The troops at cost
Subsistence to the value of S63G.OO(
has been supplied to the purposes of th'
Freedmen's Bureau, and to the value o
$3T0, 900 for the support of the Indians
\ large sum Of last years appropriation
remain unexpended The deaths in tn,
army during the year were l.62l: IS.
of these were from yellow fever, and Do
from cholera; ia were discharged 70
disability
The expenses Of the Medical Depart
ment during the year were SS42, 12O
The expenditures of the Pay Depart
ment for the year ending June 80. 1868
were as follows; For the regular army
SIT, sos, 96o; for the Military Academy
Sl69, l99, and to volunteers, S42, 696, 444
The disbursements for reconstruction pun
poses have been S2,26l ,4l5, leaving
, balance fS46S, 620, which it is expected
will coyer all future expenses. The tot;
disbursements under the Bounty act
with the claims allowed at the Treasur
amount to s54, 600, 000 The Secretar
: recommends that the 4th of bIarch b
! fixed as the date beyond which no claim
: will be received The Secretary asks at
thority to sell the arsenals at Rome, \
: Y. and Vergennes, Vermont, and til
lands at Harper Ferry, and to establis
an arsenal at Omaha.
The expenditures for the Freedmen
Bureau during the year were $3,977,0
$50, 900 persons have received medic;
treatment, and an average of l6, 900 hay
received daily rations.. The number {
pupils attending the schools is l04,00t
t Arrangements are making TO transfer tn
+ hospitals, schools, etc, to the local authC
: riteis. under certain legal protection.
! The actual current expenses of th
War Department for the year were SOS,
743, ,093. to which $9,96l. 400 old wa
! debts are to be added, making an aggre
/ gate of SIS. 704, SOL. The appropriation
for the present year are $50, ,440, 55l
which. the Secretary estimates. Will III
+ short of the required sum by .$l3,915
; O00
The Chicago Post but reiterates tn
opinion of every Republican in the We,
when it says: ''It the State of Nilsson
: cares to have its voice made potent
7 the councils of the nation-if' it desire