Evening star., 1869-12-06
REPORT OF GENERAL w. r. sHER.
MAN.

OF the Armies OF the United States, opens his
report with a reference to the time that lie
entered urcn the discharge Of his duties, March
$. 1859. and his assignment TO duty as Secretary
of War at the death Of Secretary RaYlins. The
course of events having been affected by these
changes. he explains, takes a wider view of the
history and condition of the Army and Its ad-
mnistration than is customary for the Com
mander-in-C hief to do.
The United States is divided into twelve
departments and three districts, each under the
command OF an experienced general officer, who
by law is invested with all the powers of the
commanding General of an army in the field.
and is held responsible for the discipline and
maintenance of the troops, the preservation Of
good order 20 far as the military authority ex-
tends, and for the care OF all public property
that belongs to the army. In order to prompt
action in case of need and to place similar terri
tory and similar interests under a common COM
mande-. these departments are again grouped
into four military divisions, which are com
manded by the four generals next in rank TO the
commaIider-in-chief.
The regular army now consists of five regi-
ments of artillery, ten of cavalry, Twenty-Five
of infantry. battalion of engineers, and the
cadets of tie Military Academy. After giving
the location of the various reg mcnts, lie refers
to the fact that We have not single regiment
that may be said to be in reserve. All are on
duty, and he has constant calls for more troops,
which cannot he granted He therefore begs
the earnest attention to this matter, that Con-
gress may be appealed TO not to diminish the
military establishment any further, because OF
the great extent of our country, the unsettled
character of region measured north and south,
east and west. by thousands of miles. the no.
madic character OF the Indians who inhabit this
region, and the growing necessity to afford
greater protection to the roads that traverse this
region, and the mining and agricultural inter
ests therein.
While the nation at large is at peace, state
of quasi war has existed, and continues to exist,
onehalf of its extent, and the troops therein
are exposed to labOrs, marches, fights and dan
gers that amount to war. Were the troops
withdrawn or largely diminished in Texas. the
Indian country in Arizona, New Mexico, Mon
tana, Idaho or Alaska, as well as in some parts
of our Southern States, believe condition of
things would result amounting to anarchy.
He hopes the officers and men composing the
army will receive the assurance of the country
that their services are appreciated. He says
" In my whole army experience L have never
known the army officers SO poor, and vet be-
this state of the facts il they can see in the fu
ture any hope of improvement. / do not un-
dcrstand they expect more pay, but they live in
hopes that our money will approach the value
of gold in its purchasing capacity, and believe
any diminutiOn of pay would turn the thoughts
OF every officer to change Of profession.
which won!d be extremely damaging to the
army ITSELF
General Sherman next refers to the code of
laws by which the army Is governed as being
antiquated and obscure, based on the old Eng
lisA mutiny act And the army regulations have
been modified by numerous orders and circulars,
so that at this moment no officer can, from the
most careful study, be certain OF his rights and
duties. and is liable, at any time to suffer in his
accounts, or incur personal liability for acts
done in pardOnable ignorance. In view of this
condition of affairs General Sherman recon-
mends the adoption of new articles of war and
regulations heretofore agreed upon by boards
appointed to consider the matter.
In regard to the consolidation Of regiments
and the reduction of the army, he says it has
been effected at little cost possible, and on
principles as fair and just as the case admitted.
BY the consolidation 62l officer were rendered
supernumerary. Only 1J6, are, however, await
ing orders, the others being ASH gned 10 various
duties. If disbandment must come, General
Sherman thinks it but fair that those awaiting
orders should be first dismissed, for he says with
regard TO the others that they arc-''-Among our
very best, who have in battle earned their com
mission. and who are lily qualified to be thrown
out of their chosen profession to begin life anew.
Their claims are entitled to the generous con-
sidcraton of the Government, and / feel assured
they Will receive it, and TO this end VIII endeaEor
TO submit all the facts of the case. with such sIg
gestions as seem appropriate. and likely to facil-
ita,c their rotsnti"n i'm the military service"
The number Of officers 10 be retired j. limited
by the siNteceth section OF the act approved May
), 1s4, to seven per cent. Of the officers Of the
whole army. This limit Of seven per cent. of
officers i'm service was fixed when the army was
very large; ard now that il is reduced the num-
Der that can be retired by reason Of age or in
trinity, or by reason OF wounds, is compare
lively small. lie earnestly recommends that this
limit be removed, and that the President be
allow ed to- retire any number for cause, viz:
for wounds in battle or age; or IL it be deemed
prudent, to fix n limit, that il be fixed at some
specified numbcr-Say two hundred and fifty.
The number now retired is one hundred and
seventy-seVen.
81 am satisfied that all regiments should have
the same organization, viz: one colonel one
lieutenant colonel, two majors, and twelve com
panies; for this organization admits of a subdi
vision into three battaliOns OF four companies
each, commanded by q lieutenant colonel or
major. Moreover the artillery companies have
each two first ieutenants, whereas the cavalry
and infantry have but one. All companies should
have the same organization, viz: one captain.
two first lieutenants, and one second lieute1ant.
III all the officers could be kept with their COM
panies, one captain and two lieutcnants would
be sufficient; but the army organization never
did provide for detachments and details which
are inevitable from the nature Of our service
such as for recruiting service, for the Indian
service, for duty at West Point, and civil col
leges, for detail aides to general officers, &c,
Sc. 1t Is for this reason, especially, that ask
for an extra lieutenant to the companies Of cav
airy and infantry. the same As already exist in
the artillery. The extra lieutenants now al
lowed by law as regmental adjutants, quarter
masters, and commissaries could be omitted, aud
detailed from the list OF first leutenants."
He submits a table showing the organization
as proposed, and SAYS: "Assuming the number
of regiments to remain unchanged, wiz: forty,)
and allowing a maximum Of scvcnty-iive pri-
Yates to each company, il would give us for the
line of the army two thousand one hundred and
thirty-fvc (2,l35) commissioned officers and
az 490) men. 1t is well known that no army
can be kept up to its legal standard and that
twO-thirds Il as large proportion as can be re-
lied Oh for actual service. Applying this ratio,
We will have for actual service about twenty
nine thousand seven hundred and fifty (:s,,,59l
officers and men-a number no one acquainted
with the subject can decide to be above
the necessities Of the country. Ii also seems
unjust TO permit the whole blow OF reduction
upon the infantry arm OF service alone. The
cavalry and artillery should share in the
consequences, aud therefore recommend, after
Congress has enacted the necessary laws, that
the President assemble board OF disinterestcd
whole matter OF reduction and reorganization,
with authority to transfer unattached infantry
officers to vacancies that exist or may be created
in the regiments of cavalry, artillery. and infan-
try alike; after which. to recommend for actual
disbandment the officers found I'm excess Of the
new organization. In spite of whatever may be
done, there will be cases Of hardship aud SEEM
ing injustice, but it is all important that the rule
that cuts OF all promotions should be removed
as soon as possible, for no army can be efficient
without holding out to Junior officers the hope
OF promotion"
7 He recommends that chief staff officers be
hereafter required to make their annual reports
to the Adjutant General Of the Army TOR peru
sal Of the General, who shall then lay them
before the secretary Of War. He endorses the
report made by General Garfield OF the House
Military Committee, of February 26, 1869, and
says IL Congress will enact the new articles Of
war, all hurtful distinctions heretofore existing
be put on the same honorable footing.
He then refers to the marked distinction that
has been made with reference to officers OF engi
ncerx. and continues If forms n mart fI,a