The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1871-12-28
REPORT OF ThE SECRETARY OF
WAR.

The following is ~ abstract q Secretary
Brlknap's report:
The renrganizt ION of 'he army re
CURED by the act 81 July IS 1870, has
been acc, mp ished The emf r.cm nj Of
that portion relating To rednCt "n uf
commissioned ofi>cr~ de,uandc.! strict in.
vest lgatIou Of the records OF the military
conduct AMI service al supernnmernrF
officers, and forced upon tHe Ctpar ment
an unpleasant du'y. L; Is believed, how
ever, that the decisions faally reached
were tair, lmparual, amt for the good Of
the service In accordance with lie same
act the number IT enitsef men was on
July / reduced t. 10000 ind ff.renf
soldiers were discharged, and the standard
Uf recruits was raised vtth v'e'F 10 m
proving the character 'f The rank and
file The staff IF general officers WAS
a.so reduced Ia tue Simple requirements
Of The army in time at peace,ard the line
officers thus relieved from detached duty
were ordered to their regiments, where
they could be oil more benefit to the
sGrvIce.
TIE total ex, end turs for the fiscal wear
eniing Junc 80, 1869. were $751;, ga. 042 :
rs he expenditures far the wear ending
June 80. 1870, we're $57 G55 .575 40, winch
sum Includes S ,697 50O,iof river lmpro e
ments. The Expenditures for the year
ending June so, 1870, were about $40 000,-
O00 in luding FIR river aud barn,r i'm
provemeut< So 945 900 THUS during the
year l8G0-70 the reduction in expenses of
thp War Department amounted t. $22
988367 SO, ana ,iurng the wear 1921 Il
further rrductIou of ST. 655 675 40 was
maze. For the mex f~c8 wear, 1912.
there is appropriated $36 $50, 776, Iuclud
ing Tor river and harU.r IMPROVEMENTS
$4407,50
Lit ~ with great embarrassment and
difficulty hat the appropriations ma"~
al tirr last session OF Congress --redueed
as they were below the e-EmateS oil the
Gvparlnent-c eau be so ecnn"miZed as to
answer the pres sing reqnIt emcntS of the
service. The operations 81 active war
fare In ArlzOna.iu connection with IndIan
difficulties there, are. such az necessarily
require large expenditures, and the
causes which have produced This necessity
were not anticipated by Congress when
the appropriations were made.
Des, rtlons during the past few mon lis
have largely Increased. The reports re-
CeIved at the department Indicate that
the rrduc ION OF the pay OF soldiers from
$16 To $l3 per month has contributed
grtatey t. this result
The re5ire1 list IF the army is now
limited t. 800. The endeavor has been
10 eq0aiize the selections for that list
from both the higher aud lowcr grades
OF the officers entitled 10 be Iaced upon
it, 50 that it may not be flied t. an un
reasonable extent by officers on high rank
and COnst quently greater compensation.
The number of graves in national GENE,
teries il 3l7,850, including 1895 added
during the year The cemeteries cover
an area, in the aggregate, of about 1900
acres of land, acquired at a cost Of $170,
O00
The corps Of engineers during the past
year has been actively engaged upon the
works for the defence OF our seacoasls ,on
river and harbor improvements, and IN
surveys and "Reminiscences and con-
Btructlon OF light houses. With tile ap.
preparations granted for Notifications Is
our principal harbors, these works along
the Nor, hern Allan ic and Pacific coast
have been pushed forward IN their mod
ificatons as rapidly as tho circumstances
would permit, and already the batteries
are beginning to assume the character
needed 10y the requirements Of modern
warfare. The notifications referred To
look to the strengthening of our worksby
the introduction OF heavy earthen
batteries Tor the largest guns and NOR
tarS.
During the fiscal year small arms and
ordnance stores to The amount of $40,
100000 have been sold, and the entire
proceeds, except 3 small sum retained t.
meet expense of preparing other stores
for sale, have passed into the Treasury
beyond the control Of this department.
Tie operations aC the arsenals have been
confined 10 the manufacture of supplies
required by the troops, to the care oi
stores on hand, and to the manufacture
OF one Or two experimental gun carriages
It Is hoped that Congress will grant the
appropriat ,ons asked Tor to carry out the
plans FOR the continuance of the work al
the great arsenal or construction for the
Mississippi Valley at Rock Hand
Several kinds Of experimental rifles and
carbines, are recommended by the st
Louis board, have been manufactured al
Springfield armcry for the comparative
trial in the field. An inspection of the
armory, not long since, satisfied me ofthe
necessity for continuing the appropria
lions for its maintenance and support
Sufficient information will doubtless
be derived from the use of the expert.