The Plymouth Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1869-1941, 1869-12-09
Report OF the Secretary of War.

officers employed, reporting to the bureau, is O53
Report OF the Secretary of War.
| The report of General Bcknap. Secretary of War
| opens with reference to Gen Rawins. of whom il
says:,' OF Gen. Rawlins it can with truth be said
that the virtues of true manhood characterized hi,
ne a. soldier. citizen. and stat esman while OF
the records of the department will ever remain tht
evidence of his high honor, his patriotism and hi.
| saSacious Judgment. The Secretary then explains
| that few recommendations will be made at length
a the duties of the Office assumed but a few
days prior 10 the date of this report November 20
| lie, however, refers TO the material matters of the
| reports presented TO him. Referring to the report
oil the General of the Army, he SAYS there are IL de
| partnents and districts. each under the command
of a general officer; and the several department.
are formed into military divisions commanded by
the four Generals next in rank the General of tho
| Army. The regular army consists of ) regiments q
artillery 10 OF cavalry % of nfa., the battalion
oil engineers and the corps OF cadets All the regi
| ments are on duty. The Secretary indorses recon-
| mendation of Gen Sherman that legislation be had
| enactng the rules and articles of war adopted by
the boards. convened in conformity with the act o.
| Congress, July 2S, 1866. and approving the new
| regulations compiled i'm june. 1865
The Secretary then continues. still referring tC
| Gen Shermans report After the consolidation
| made IN accordance with the act of March 3 1863
| There remained. on Nov. l. 500 unattached officers
All OF these have been assigned To duty excepting
| l6 who are awaiting orders Ii seems equitable
and just, should a reduction he made that officer,
awaiting orders by their own request and preerrine
| v, rt
| tenilon than those who applied for assignment O
| this class there are 139 officers. Some OF them
| however. had special reasons for asking 10 be
placed on the awaiting order list which the depart
| mcnt recognized, and which should he regarded
Ii Is certainly fair that the consequences of a re
duction of officers should fall prOpOrtiOnaely on
@ al al t..ici!, anu Ihiahly ahd snould COR
| Grafton should not be overlooked In reference to
the question of reduction. concur with the report
in recommending that authority be given to retire
1 Il
| allowed by law-seven per cent. of the officers
| OF the whole army. The present maximum of the
army is 52,23i enlisted men. Relying two-t birds
for actual service, the number of men il 81 S2 BY
| the plan of organization submitted in the report
| there would be Al 65O men, two-thrds for actual
| service would be 30, $50 men below which il would
not be prudent TO go. a. the necessities of the
try and the great of territory TO be protected
| will require every man of that number
| ''Section of the act of March, 1853. provides
that until otherwise directed by law there shall be
no new appointments and no promotions in the Ad-
jutant Generals department in the Inspector Gen
erals department. in the Quartermaster's depart
| ment, in the Commissary department. in the Ord
nance department in the Engineers department and
| the Medical department | recommend that the
staff corps be retained at the standard fixed by the
act of Jnly %, 1866, and that the clause prohibiting
| appointments and promotions be repealed. in order
| that vacancies may be filed. the practice
prior to the passage of the act of March 3. 1863. AL
though the army may be smaller than heretofore
experience has shown these officers necessary
for the smaller as the larger force lie indorse.
the recommendation ofthe Adjutant General of the
Army for the repeal of much of section t. of the
act of March 3. 1859, as prohibits further appoint
ments promotion, leaving the organization of tho
Adjutant Generals department as il was fixed by
section 10 of the act OF July 2S, 1866.
An increase of the number of Assistant Inspector
General is recommended.
With regard to the Bureau of Military Justice
the Secretary says the Judge Advocate General re
ports the number of records of military courts re
ccived, reviewed and registered 10 be 1S.4ii; mum
Der of special reports made. ,352. The Bureau. il
addition TO its regular duties, has been charged
with the duty OF systematically arranging and in
| office of the late Col. L. &. Turner. Judge Advo
cate and Brig. Gen. l.. C. Baker. Provost Marshal
and the work is steadily progressing.
The expenses of the Quartermastcr's department
during the fiscal year ending June 30 1863, wer,
$2l 9fS. .4S40S. a reduction of $14,500,O00 below
those of the preceding fiscal year. In February
1859 the number of civilians hired by this depart
| ment exceeded 10000, which has since been re
| duced to 800. Nine officers have done duty il
the Ouartermasters department, in addition to tn,
| officers of the establishment, 81 in number.
The report of the Quartermaster General state
that the clerical force OF this Office has been reduced
so low by the late legislation seriously retarC
the public business; and 10 provide for the settle
ment of accounts some increase in the force Is ne
| cesssary.
bureaus of the War department, fire-proof AM
secure is much needed. Military records of grea
value are exposed to destruction, and are so seat
tered as to impede and delay the public business
The monthly rental OF buildings, and lots occupied
by buildings owned by the United States amounted
TO 81 ,264 Is, being yearly rental of sJ095i.2s.
The railway companies TO which the military rail
road material in the Quartermaster's department
was sold on credit nj the end of the war, incurred
debt originally of 1881 100. Interest has increased
| this amount TO S9,O00.ot0 about one-half of whic
has been paid but some railroads being in default
and showing no disposition to meet their obliga
tions suit has been lately ordered 10 BE- brough
| against them. But few vessels have been ownc'
| by the department during the year.
| The railroads of the companies, having decline'
to adhere TO the war rates OF transportation, hav
thaaF
tariffs with classification of military supplies set
tied in conference at convention of general frcigh
agents There have been paid @ for water transports
| portation 81 252 304 30. OF this amount <!r3, Il
| 2i was paid to the Pacific railroads one half ben,
paid in cash, and the other half retained IN TN
treasury TO meet the interest on the bonds guaran
| teed by the United States. During the year $500
| persons 3700 animals and $1,000 tons of store
have been moved by water, and $1,000 persons IL
600 animals. and 10000 tons OF stores by railroad
1000 tons of stores have been moved by contract
ors for wagon transportation. The Pacific RailrOa
has occupied some of the principal routes OF forme
| wagon transportation. and has saved the govern
| ment much money in supplying the posts along tn
line BY arranging between the departments G
War and the Interior supplies for the Indians ar
ON routes in the Indian Territory, the actual cos
under the contracts being refunded TO the War de
| partment out of the appropriation of S2,00oOO 70
| pacjfication of the Indians granted April To- 1863
Although the amount OF clothing and equpag
on hand at the end of the war has been reduced b
| u
at over $ia, ,O0O,OoO The general dcpots have bee
| reduced to four, and at only two of them is ther
any large collection of material, viz. AT tn
| Schuylkill arsenal On the Delaware, and at Jefei
| sonville on the Ohio. This latter is being draw
upon constantly, hut II still contains over $li0O0
900 worth of war material.
There are ~ national cemeteries, and 3l3 loca
| post or private cemeteries in which soldiers Ii
buried The titles of IL OF the national cemetere
have been approved perfect. by the Attorne
General. There s22, ,60s interments reported, &
which a, ,9i6 have been identified. The expenditur
| on the work has been nearly <3,0O0,000.
During the year 5,S55 animals were purchased
| and 3,49a were sold. These latter produced th
| sum of 223, ,3SS %.
Subsistence supplies for the army have bee
mainly procured in 10 large market cities. The aver
age cost of the ration at these markets has bee
about 23 cents Salt meats on the Pacific coast 10
troops stationed there have been obtained at ayora
, | BILE prices Tobacco. at an average monthly valu
| of $Ig0 OO0 has been furnished to troops at cos
prices. and the Freedmens Bureau has been SUP
| nlied with stores TO the value OF nearly $3.50 00(
| most of which has already been paid for. and tn
remainder Is in process orefunding at the treasury
The issues to the Indians at the various points hav
Amounted 10 more than $50 0O0 and at the reques
! of the Interior department stores valued
$37 500 issued to destitute Osages and other
| TO prevent starvation during the winter. Under a
. arrangement between the War department and tn
. Department of the Interior, the Indian departmeu
is being furnished with food for the Indians In
several reservations on the Missouri river and l
the Indian Territory. The raiions furnished II pr
| scribed. approved, by the Interior department
| and its value is To be repaid from appropriation
made by section 4, of the act of April 10, lSd.
: There have been paid t27, 26l 75 ss Communication
Claims for supplies furnished the army during th
war; amounting TO "a 500 SO6 10, have been received
] of which f2sS 033.S7 have been allowed, and ~