The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-12-09

Experiments with iron targets, Shields and
| other structures designed. to resist heavy ord
nance have been and are being continued
ORDNANCE DEPARTMENT.
The expenditures of the Ordnance Department
during the last fiscal year, for oil PURPOSES in-
| elusive of the payment of war Claims were
little more than three millions--less than three
| ffths of the expenditure of the preceding year,
There are 27 military arsenals in all, including
| the National Armory at Springfield. The work
| done at them by the hired mechanics and en-
| listed men of the ordnance corps, under the di-
recton of skilled officers of the corps. has been
| economically and satisfactorily performed.
| Highly favorable reports of the breech-loadng
converted Springfield musket have been received
| from those portions OF the army where it has
A few smooth-borc and rife guns, of heavy
calibre, are being made, for trial of their power
and endurance. When the most suitable kinds
| have been determined, large number of guns
| for Notifications will have TO be made, and au-
| thority to make them as fast as can be done IS
asked.
MILITARY ACADEMY.
The corps of cadets on June l. 1863 numbered
21O members under the care and instruction of
superintendent, eight professors and thirty-two
officers Of the army. Fifty-four members of the
first class were graduated June 10, and appointed
| to the army. During the past academic year 0G
| candidates have been admitted to the academy,
! and 81 rejected. The cadets now ut the academy
| number 225 which, under existing laws, can
| eventually be increased to 29O. The necessity OF
q further increase is again mentioned, and tho
superiority of the Military Academy over all other
| plans lately proposed for meeting that want is
| pointed out by the inspector in his report
The great value and Importance of the annual
| Board of Visitors, both to the academy and the
government, is referred to, and the report of the
board for 1868 is attached to the Inspectors re-
| port The board report very iavorably upon the
| discipline instruction, administration and fiscal
affairs of the academy, and recommend several
appropriations especially necessary to be made,
| They highly commend the public value of the in
sttlition, and ask for IL generous support. The
favorable report OF the board is concurred in by
| the Inspector from personal observation during
| his semi-annual inspections. The charges once
| but no longer directed against the Military Aca-
deny, OF its alleged costliness, eXclusiveness,
and the disloyalty of Its graduates, are referred
| to and refutcd by facts and figures, among the
most interesting of which are the statements
| that during the late war; of the graduates from
all the Southern States, one-half remained loyal
| that OF the graduates from the actual Rebel
| States, more than one-fourth remained loyal;
and that of the graduates engaged on the side of
| the Union, one-tifth lost their lives
| The past. honorable record of the Academy, and
its present high standing at home and abroad, are
cited as evidence of the great usefulness to which
| it will in the future attain.
ARTILLERY SCHOOL.
This school was organized at the close of 1867
| by order of the General of the Army, and BrGvet
MajOr-GeneTal Barry, Colonel Second Artillery.
was assigned to its command. 1t was established
at Fortress Monroe, and one battery from each
of the five regiments of artillery was ordered to
that post the instruction batteries for the first
year.
The course CONSTRUCTION adopted for the school
is both theoretical and practical, embracing
riety of subjects, and is pursued both by the olii
| GERS and nOn-commssiOned officers of the bate
| ries. The practical course for the present year
has just been completed by an examination of
| the officers under instruction. The theoretical
part of the course is now in operation, and will
likewise be closed, by an examination before the
LIST of April next. 1t embraces mathematics,
military surveying and engineering, artillery,
| military history, and military, international and
| constitutional law.
ABSTRACTS OF REPORTS.
Military DiriSiOm Of the MisSouri.-This divi-
| sion, commanded by Lieutenant General Sher-
man, is composed of the military departments of
| the Missouri, the Platte and Dakota embracing
| the territory west of the Mississippi river to the
| Rocky Mountains, and commanded respectively
| by Major-General Sheridan and Brevet-Generas
| Augur and Terry.
| The war of races, which is the normal condition
of things on the plains, has continued without in
| terruptOn during the past year. The Indian
| Peace Commission, created by act of Congress
last year, to devise practical and, if possible
| peaceful solution of our Indian troubles, and of
| which General Sherman was constituted mem
| ber gave the unanimous opinion that peace with
| the Indians east of the Rocky Mountains could
only be secured by their collection on reserva-
tions and maintenance by the government till
able to provide for themselves Two such re-
servations were selected by the Commission and
treaties made with several tribes to go on them;
but the necessary legislative action setting apart
the reservations and providing necessary govern
ments for them (these being the vital principles
of the plan) was not taken, and to this many
attribute the failure of lasting peace and the
currence of a costly war with four of the princi-
pal tribes with whom treaties were made.
Concerning the existing war, it is proved be-
yond dispute that it was begun by the Indians
without any provocation whatever on the part of
the whites. Its object is supposed to be to pro-
cure the abandonment of the Smoky Hill route,
the best hunting grounds of America and those
engaged in it are believed to have been instgated
| by the Sioux, to whom the Powder River road
had been abandoned at their eutreaty principally
because it was of no further value but they at
| tributng this action to fear, doubtless so repre-
! sented to the other tribes, thus leading them to
! believe that they, too could enforce compliance
| with their demands The troops have been re-
| iniorced by seven companies of cavalry, and a
mounted regiment of Kansas volunteers will soon
! be in active service. With these il is designed
! during the coming winter the only time for efli-
| cent operations, to punish the hostile Indians so
that they will not again resort to war; and to collect
| them by force upon their reservations and compel
them there to remain. 1t is useless any longer to
| attempt the occupation of these plains in com
mon with these tribes. The country is adapted
only to grazing, which necessitates scattered set
| Elements, while the horses and cattle tempt the
| hungry Indian, who, deprived of his accustomed
subsistence, will steal rather than starye, and will
| kill in order TO steal. With such opposing in
terests the cannot live together and il is the
| Indians who must yield. They have been as
signed reservations which, in fifty years, will en-
| rich their descendants, and meantime they must
be fed while learning to cultivate the soil and rear
domestic animals.
The plan of the Peace Commission is, by Gene