The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1869-12-02
REPORT r
OF The
OF THE
SECRET4RT OF VAR.
YYAsH1yeroy. peesmbeE 8.

the memoFg OF General Rswlins.
The SeeretarF then explains that fsw
recommendation viii be made al length,
as the dnties OF the Office were assumed
but few days prior 10 the dafe Of this
report--NOyember %. He, however, +
refers 10 the material matters Of the re- L
pOrfs presented 20 him. Referring TO 1
Ire report of the General OF the Army, I
he says:
There are twelve departments and /
three districts, each under the command |
OF a general officer, and the departments 1
are formed into four military divisions, |
commanded by the four generals next |
in rank TO the General OF the Army. |
The regular army consists of Eve regi-
menis of artillery, ten Of cavalry, TWEEN
| ty-live Of infantry, the battalion II engI- |
neers, and the corps of cadets. All the /
I regiments are on duty.
I The Secretary endorses q recommends
I ton Of General Sherman, that legislation
/ be had enaeting the rules and articles OF
/ war adopted by the board convened in
conformity with the act of Congress OF
! July IS, 1866. ana approving the new
| regulations complied in June, 1865. The
4 Secretary then continues, still referring
/ 10 General Sherman's report:
4 he indorses the recommendations OF
the Adiutant General Of the army for
i the repeal Of so much OF section OF the
/ act of March 3, 1869, as prohibits further
/ appointments or promotions sleaFing the
( organization Of the Adjutant Generals
department as il was fixed by section 10
Of the act Of July ., 1868. An increase
/ 10 the number Of Assistant Inspector
/ Generals Is recommended. With regard
/ to the Bureau Of Military Justice, the
I Secretary says:
The Judge Advocate General reports
! the Dun1 Der Of records Of military courts
| received, renewed, and registered 10 be
1883.
Of the Qnarterrnaster General, the re-
/ p0rt states that the clerical force OF tLis
/ office has been reduced so low, by Iate
| legislation, as to seriously retard Inc
\ n1blie business: and to provide for the
/ settlement Of accounts some increase IN
the iorce is necessary. \ building capa-
bic of accommodating all the bureaus Of
| the War Department, ire proof and Sc
| eure. is much needed. Military records
| Of great value are exposed TO destruc-
ton, and are so scattered as 70 impede
and delay the public business. The
monthly rental OF buildings and
| lots oceupied by buildings owned By
| the United States amounted to s4,264 l9,
being a yearly rental Of $685. y.
| The railway companies TO which
| the military railroad material Of the
! Ouartermaster's Department was sold
| on credit AT the end Of the war, incurred
/ a debt originally Of g ,591, ,403. Interest
has increased this amonnt 10 y, 900, 600
! about one haifof which has been paid
but soma railroads being in default. and
| showing no disposition to meet their OBJ
Iiestions. suit has been iately 2 ordered to
be brought against them. Bat few ves-
sells have been owned by this depart
| p1eRt during the year. The railroads OF
1 the country having declined toadhere TO
the war rates Of transportation, have
been paid during the fiscal year theirf
! general tariffs, with classification
| military supplies settled in conference
| at convention OF general freight
! agents. There have been paid
| for water transportation during the
| year. 81, ,424 ID g. and for railroad
transportation, 81 253, ,3G4 80. OF this
| amount, 1893, I6G q was paid to the Pa
/ cific railroads, one-haf being paid in
cash and the other half retained in the
treasury to meet the interest on the
bonds guaranteed by the United States.
During the year 81, 900 persons, {, 500 an
imals, and 81, 600 tons OF stores have been
| moved bv water, and G9,000 persons,
IA, 600 animals, and 1000 tons Of stores
by railroad; q 600 tons Of stores have
been moved by contractors for wagon
| transportation. The Pacific railroad has
i occupied some Of the principal routes Of
/ former wagon transportation, and has
! saved the government much money ia
| supplying the posts along its line. BY
/ arrangements between the departments
! of War and the Interior supplies for the
4 Indian service are now transported by
/ the Quartermaster' Department on
/ routes in the Indian Territory, the actual
i cost under the contract being refunded
| to the War Department out of the appro-
/ priatfsn of g, ,000, ,0G0 for the paciflcatiOn
| Of the Indians, granted April 10, 1860
/ Although the amount OF clothing and
/ edufpage on hand al the end of the war
/ has been reduced by sales and issues,
/ there still remainsa stock valued at over
| $42 o00, ,0e0. The general depots have
! been reduced to four, and at only two of
/ them is there any large collection Of mg-
| terlaI, viz: at the SchnylkiIl arsenal, on
tbe Delaware, and at Jeffersonville. on
| the Ohio. the latter is being drawn
! urJJn constantly, but it still con-
/ tains over Sl4,000,0 GOO worth of war
material There are - national
! cemeteries, and 313 local post or private
/ cemeteries in which soldiers lie buried.
/ The titles of II Of the national cemeteries
| have been approved as perfect by the
Attorney General; SD 607 intermenis are
/ reported, of which III, ,o46 have been
identified. The expenditure on this
work has been nearly s.. 600 900 during
| the year; 1856 animals were purchased,
1 and 3, 492 were sold. These latter pro-
| daced the sum of s223 ,3SS. Subsistence
| supplies TOR the army have been mainly
procured in the large market cities OF
| The country. The average cost of the
ration at these markets has been abo ut
| 23e. Efforts TO procure salt meats on
/ tho pacffir ruaSf for troOnz gtati0nad