Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1873-12-10
Department Reports.

Department Reports.
o WAR.-The annual report of the Sccreial
;. OF War shows that the estimates for militar
}, purposes for the year ending June 80, 1877
: were S33,S26,37S 70. The estimates for tt
o same purpose for the year ending June 81
1879, are $34, 40, 722 80, the excess of ne1
year over the current one being 1884, L
e The appropriations for military purposes fc
j., the year ending June 80, 1874, were S32
Il 9l7, 97l 81.
: The report is mainly taken up with di,
cussion of the details of various question
and enterprises belonging to the departmen
mat are not of great public interest.
zen. Sherman writes as follows to th
Secretary of War,
have the honor herewith to submit
statement showing the organization an
actual strength of the enlisted men in til
army, compiled from the official returns VI
to the latest date, showing %, 535 cavalry
! artillery and infantry, and 1870 non-com
batants, the whole aggregating %. sos. O
4o9 less than the number, 80 900, limited b,
law. In the active regiments the number o
men sick and On necessary details about th,
forts will fully equal 25 per cent so tina
the actual strength for military service doe,
not exceed 1862 men. In order that the
regular army should fulfill it's arduous du
ties on the frontier, as also TO form q mode
on which to shape the volunteer and militia
force of the United States, l earnestly rec.
ommend Congress be asked to fix the limit oil
enlisted force at such figure as will give
$1,000 Tor regiments of the line, to provide
specifically for non-com batants, detachments
such as the Engineer Battalion, the Ord
nance DhnaFtmppt Most Ioto oh
Signal Department, and ordnance and com
mlssary sergeants, in the same manner as
has been done for hospital stewards. Artll-
lery regiments have an organization different
from infantry, viz: II batteries to regi-
mcnt, but of these only one is equipped and
instructed as battery, the other l | compa-
MES being armed with muskets and instruct
ed as infantry. Ia order to simplify the
organization and apply the new tactics, now
approaching completion, to all arms OF SER
wee alike, with your approval. have or
dered that the word " battery apply tech
nlcauy to such only as are provided with
horses and guns, and all others to be called
g companies Some of the artillery officers
think that the act OF July Is, 1866, entities
them to the name & battery" whether they
have guns or NOT, and it might be well to ask
a modification of the law so as to read
$ Battery or company" for artillery regi-
or company used for cavalry, in the same
act. The number of regmental commits
stoned officers on duty or belonging to the
several departments and divisions number in
the aggregate 1882 present for duty, ,234
absent, and on leave or detached, 29S The
foregoing does not include 81 second lieuten-
ants recently apr ointed from civil life, now
under orders to join regiments.
NAvY.-The Secretary of the Navy in his
report says there are now in the navy los
vessels, carrying exclusive of howltzers,
l,ZoJ gus, a reduction since the las: annual |
report by sale and otherwise of thirteen YES
sells. y general enumeration of these vessels |
presents % steamers, other than iron-clads, |
and tugs, carrying 926 guns; % sailing YES
sells, 322 guns; II iron-c!ad vessels, I2l |
guns, and IS tugs used for navy yard and
reight purposes. Of this number there are |
It present IN commission for sea service
distributed on the several foreign stations
md on our own coast, 46 vessels, CARRYING
I07 guns
Many of our ships are not seaworthy, but
whenever possible repairs are being made
nd the force put on serviceable basis.
The eight slOops of war authorized by Con-
,ress are all in process of building one
ait at the various navy yards, three under
ontract IN private yards, and the remaining
ne under private contract in the navy yard
t hlttery. The building of these ships,
nth their engines and machinery, is pro
resing rapidly.
An account OF the PolarIs expedition is
wen and statement made as to the posi-
ION OF our fleets. 1t is shown that force
concentrating near Cuban waters, but
apply, we are not likely to need their guns.
TRgAsURY.-The Comptroller Of the Cur
ency in his report attributes the Panic to
ne influence Wall Street spectators have
otained. Their motto being make
Ioney they do not hesitate to use any
leans however disastrous to The legitimate
lsness interests of the country in order to
0 it.
The following statement has been pre-
AIRED, showing the whole amount of nation
bank currency, legal tender notes. and
actlonal currency issued up to Oct Is and
ov. |, 1873; National bank currency, Oct.
), S5o0,O49,O56; Nov. l, $3.50. 332 ,SS4 /,
gal tender notes Oct. -. $3.50 800 .SSS
oV. l, $36O,952 POO fractional currency.
ct. 10. S46,699, l9l Nov. I, Sal SIG. l49:
tails, Oct. ID, 500, 3I5 l35 Nov. l, S759.
} 80 deduct amounts held by the treas ,
~ and by banks Oct. Is, Sll6, 1876 997: t
Ov. l, SIPS, 40, 729; which will leave un- c
for, Oct. IS, $639, SlS,l3S: Nov. ,
S63l 020, 572