The New York herald., 1869-12-07

the control OF the military department COMMANDERS
workmen has been reduced from ll0l to 74S, and TO
department commanders has peen given the super
ters except the final assignment OF recruits TO reg
ments which Is controlled here Dy the Generai.in.
CnIef. who can best judge where the recruits are
As to the consolidation OF tho star corps and
departments, discussed In this report feel disposed
In evidence page thirteen OF this Report Army
Organization,' that 1t would hardly be wise to make
to favor inc Chief Signal Oiiicer mgnI be attached
to the engineer corps or to one OF the stan depart
ments and the forty post chaplains now In ser
vice might be assigned one to each OF the forty regi
ments which now compose the army. would
deem 1t advisable to allow the other corps ana
departments to remain unchanged, except with such
limits as to the number and rank OF officers as Con-
gress may adjudge proper In numbers ana rank they
do dsproportioned to the line OF the army but
this has been the case for number OF years, and
the experience OF the war OF the rebellion demon
sraued its wisdom. A stan system that has admit
ted an increase OF the line OF the army from the
mere nucleus OF 1860 to million OF men, aud the
reduction back to the present standard without con-
fusion and with tue most perfect accountability aS
to properly and mOney-ar all times providing for
the army abundantiY-is entitled 10 our respect.
have therefore laid before you the annual reports
of heads OF all The stan corps and departments,
but nave noted certain matters In them especially
eflecting the army itself that now beg leave to
Ter TO-
The Quartermaster General shows that the dis.
bursements OF his department have fallen $l4 900
below those OF the previous year, This department
Is more affected b. The scattered condition or the
troops and the peculiar sterile character Of the coun
try III which tney are kept than any other. II The
army could be concentrated ana Quartered In the
region Of supplies the expenses could be kept down
to comparatively small sum- or II we had, as in
former years, single line or frontier little In ad
vance or the settlements, the same or similar would
be the result: but now from the nature or the case,
our troops are scattered by companies to posts IN
the most inhosptable parts OF the Continent. to
wnIcn every article OF food, forage clothing, ammu
hilton, &C., must be hauled In wagons hundreds OF
miles at great cost. For the same reason this de.
parnlent Is heavily taxed by the cost OF fuel and
materials for making huts, sometimes at distance
OF 100 or zoo miles from place where growing
twig as large as walking stick can be found.
Nhiie the pay and allowances OF soldier remain
e se M an N Ters Nave s ING r1ss s
yada Idaho, Montana and Alaska Is two aud three
times as great as on the Kansas and Nebraska from
approximate those Ot the ante-war period, we may
be forced to withdraw our troops from all or large
part OF the Territories named. l have personal
knowledge that the huts III which our troops are
forced to live are IN some places Inferior to what
horses usually have 10 TINS city Nearly a OF these
but as time progresses and roads become established,
We can choose the real strategic points. and at these
we should have good quarters Tor troops, and hope
the secretary will ask liberal appropriation sub
ect to his CONTROL for the erection OF the necessary
barracks.
In reference to the report OF the Commssary
General General Eaton, 1t is proper that should
say that the army has been well supplied with good
healthy iood, and al oil the posts kept supplies OF
articles not embraced IN the ration, for sale to the
companies ano the officers families at price sui
the necessity for suffers, which are now prohibited
by law, except as mere traders having no lien what
sistence Department. are at depots and che actual
issues to the troops are made by line officers, styled
acting commissioners OF subsistence, who receive an
extra compensation OF twenty dollars u month, less
the value OF ration. (See section two act OF Con-
saaai s5sss experience ' Doubt % Be prc
cable TO commission these officers specially
as such, or TO appoint permanent commis-
sary sergeants because Of the constant changes of
stations OF small army; but tnlgk they should
have a fair compensation Tor the extra labor and
risk imposed on them by these duties. recon-
mend repeal OF tue provso OF the second section
hereInDefore referred to- and That the Occrs acting
as quartermasters anu commissaries OF posts re-
ceve ten dollars month where there are two COM
panies less and twenty dollars month where the
garrison Is more than TWO companies.
The Engineer Department has charge OF the con-
structlon OF the permanent forts, the improve mens
of rivers, harbors, and various other duties imposed
by SPECIAL laws, so much a5 refers the forts con-
Germs the army that must 1--we In them and nghs
them, and therefore falls within my official province
All else nof directly affecting the army is none OF
General Humphreys gives in great detail the con-
dlton OF tho various forts with whose construction
alteration and repair his department has been ell
gagged. Nearly all the seacoast forts were planned
at time when the eight-inch gun was the heaviest
anoat and before rincd guns came into use. Now,
however, tnat ordnance OF the fifteen aud twenty
inch callpres, throwing shot over 1000 pounds In
weight win ve.oclty of 1900 feet per second have
come into general use tue problem or resistance Is
entirely changed. IL IS believed tnat casemate fOrts
matter how reinforced with iron, are not able TO
resist these shot, and changes must be made 10 meet
tins change OF facts. The engineer officers have
carefully studied this subject and have made many
most valuable experiments; and In connection with
the officers OF ordnance and artliery, they should
continue these experiments The Board Of Engi-
neers in New York has laid down five general progo-
siHons Tor application to all notifications OF the sea-
coast folts, whIce heartiy approve, Wiz
Fa'st.1he use Of barbette batteries OF earth, with
deep parapet, and q liberal number Of bomDproof
and magazine traverses.
seco,sd.The use Of the heavicst guns practicable,
with carriages admitting OF the gun beng depressed
below tho parapet Tor loading.
qntrd.-An abundant supply Of heavy mortars.
FD,l'0h.-The use OF torpedoes.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES TO hold fleet long enough
FOR destruction
Taking the new "Fort Winthrop in Boston har-
boz as sample, l am satisfied tnat these proposi-
tions fulfil all the conditions Oh the problem. No
foreign army Will be likely to attempt laudlng on
tempt will be TO run by the forts and lay the
cities Under contribution On firm land we can han
die guns OF heavier callbre and with more accuracy
OF ann than any enemy can his aAoat; apd In my
Judgment no arnored ship as yet built can long exist
within the range OF our twenty.inch guns, or even
OF the ntteen-lnch guns II skifuly handled there
fcre recommend tnat the forts covering the cities Of
Portland, Boston, New York, Phiiadeiphia Batl-
more New Orleans and San Francisco, should be
nusned TO completion as soon as practicable All
other poinrs might be neglected for the present
Heretofore In tue. construction OF onr sea coast
tvrs me quarters Tor men and 0facsrs have mostly
yson a..-4~ :. " as seiilaies, and IN marT nsia"e's
these have been hnisnsa at cost exceeding
win be q At abode iof pep, aud with
every care they can hardly ba made dry
visions. In time of war soldiers can and viii
endure anything, but In time OF peace thoy should
not bo doomed 10 the damp, cold, PRISON ike case
mate. Tue quarters for the garrison u fort are az
much a part OF the fort Us the emorasure5 for the
guns, and should be built by the Engineer Depart
ment, permanent when the site Will permit, or lem
porary, 10 be destroyed when the occasion arises.
These quarters should be constructed In advance OF
The completion Of the fort when needed, and paid
Tor out OF ue appropriations for the Engineer De-
partment instead OF the quarter funds. The
former are usually liberal, whereas the latter are
always taxed beyond their means by the unforeseen
demand OF the inland forts ana military stations
which present stronger claims for immediate assist
ance
the report OF General Dyer, Cnief OF Ordnance,
contains much that IL OF the greatest interest the
army All our troops are now supplied with breech.
loading small arms OF the best kind, fully equal to
In by lnreiQu armiea. Yet nc