The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1875-12-09

, ouo, hundred rounds, with b@atterinp
, charges. and still remains sound and service
, mile. our large number OF smooth'bort
yuns ouplt 10 be converted into rifles, as II
Il entirely practicable TO give requisite
strength and consequent endurance by the
insertion Of II wrOught.irOn tube. The ex'
pcrimcnts that have been conducted, already
have been so successful and satisfactory IN
their results that they have awakened an in
tcrcst among military men abroad, aud to n
surprising degree, when we realize our
pigIny efforts at clecting results with insuili'
| ricnt means, and compare them with the
! extensive and elaborate trials, seemingly re-
| garJleSs Of expense, that have been and ARE
being prosecuted from year 10 ycNr by almost
every European natiOn We cannot stand
with folded hands and permit other
nations to get far in advance in I'M
| provcmcnts which the United States not
many years ago knew no superior, The
| successful manufacture and preliminary trial
Of the cighty.Onc.ton in England il only nm
other move in the great contest between
| guns and iron.clads for the hurting Of rifle
! shots Of 1850 pounds with u velocity OF 1907
| 900 feet per second. This cannot be consid'
| cred ~ the extreme limit to the development
Of artillery power nnd yet for want OF
necessary appropriations thi. country is
| forced to depend on the smooth.bore system
and Il few small rifles carrying shot OF $50 to
80 pounds weight, which cannot possibly
fulfill the important and varying conditions Of
| modern warfare. We are even now depend
cnt for much Of our information ia these
matters, 80 vital to our national defense on
results Of experiments abroad, at Il tlille, 100,
when had We means ~ We have skin ana
ability, We could undoubtedly keep up sue
ccsslully with the advances made by other
nations, AIjilcd.guns Of II size, endurance
and power to enable ls 10 meet on fair and
equal terms II foreign foe must be provided
while we have the time, and II is certainly
not the part Of wisdom to delay making such
provisions until the enemy inyadrS our
shores"
GENERAL ]sIIEEWNN's ANNUAL REPORT.
The annual report Of Gen. sherman, after
stating the geographical limits Of the various
commands, says the aggregate strength OF
the army, according to the last reports re.
| cciyrd, Is l,jlO officers and 2l,O3l enlisted
men, made up u5 follows: } regiments OF ar
tiIlcry, @7O officers, 1904 men 10 regiment,
Of cavalry, ~ officers, 7,2OG men 20 req.
mcnts Of infantry, SiS officers, ll,OOO men;
available recruits, hospitaEstcwardS, ord
nanrr-.cr@runt-, etc, 3,32l. During the past
winter the troops in the departments OF MS
souri, aud Texas were employed in M ardu'
Gus and severe winters campaign against the
Kiowa, Cheyenne and Comanrhc Indians, on
the border OF Stakcd plains, that have for
ycurs been engaged in dcprcdations on the
Texas and Kansas frontiers, resulting in their
disarmament and subsection to authority. II
military commanders can have control over
supplies needed by these Indians, rs they
now have over their persons, am convinced,
by II recent visit, that II condition OF peace
can be- maintained. The Sioux Indians have
recently made incursiOns into northern Ne
braska, mostly to steal cattle aud horses from
the farms along the Pacific railroad and north
Of it.. Gen. Crook is of opinion that the
whole army, acting dcfcnsivcly, cannot pre-
vent these incurSiOnH, and suggests that
troops be stationed in the midst Of the In
dinns, so as to watch and prevent them lcav'
ing ON the p]rctcusc Of hunting. This is i'm.
practicable, unless the army can have the
supervision Of the necessary supplies OF
these tribes within the reservation, which II
now not the ease. The reports Of several
commissions, which have, under military
escort, recently been engaged in exploring
the country, and in negotiating with these
Indians, will throw much light on this sub.
jcct. Generally speaking, the damage to lie
and property by the Indians is bclivcd to be
less during the past year than IN any former
year, and the prospect is that ~ the country
settles up, it will be less and less each year,
until all the Indians are established on small
reservations; but until they acquire habits
Of industry in farming, or in stock raising,
they will need food from the general govern
,,aI I..n,,1, tI. ,n,,, nm NIhinI thnN huVp
hitherto subsistcd has diminished very rap
idly. In compliance with the order Of the
president directing that appropriate military
and naval houors be rendered to the memory
Of Nicc-Prcsidcnt Wilson, the following order
was issued by the secretary of war this after.
noon: "On the day succeeding the receipt
of this order ut cnch military post, troops
will be parulcd ut ten o'clock in the morn
ing and the order read to them. The ma.
tional flag will be displayed ut half staii, ut
dawn Of day thirteen guns will be fired, com
mcncing ut twelve o'clock, noon, seventeen
minutc.guns will be fired, and ut the close Of
day II national salute Of thirty.scvcn guns.
The usual badge Of mourning will be worn
by the officers Of the army, and the colOrs of
the several regiments will be put in mourn
ing for II period of three MONTHS An ap.
propriutc order will be issued by the sccrc-
tary Of the navy tomorrow.
ANNUAL REPORT o%FpIRECrOE or THE MIN
The annual report of the director of the
mint shows coinage Of gold, f33, jj3, 900; sill.
yer, fl0,U9O,3iS; minor pieces, t23O,375;
total Si3,Sji, 7OS. The deposits were: gold,
f3S, 5j6, 293; silver, &l6,O7O,t2G. Additional
vaults nrc required in the treasury offices in
the various purts of the country for the stor'
age Of silver coin. In view Of the contcm-
plated resumption of specie payment, an ad-
ditiOn to the a~Ssjtying facilities of the New
Orleans mint, is suggested. The director
says; "lhc two years yield of the mines
will, it is probable, furnish sufficient sill
yer to manufacture all the fractional cur
rcncy coin that can be adyantagcously used in
the country. After the redemption Of frac.
ti0nal notes hv the trade, dollar coinage
should be- continued, if for no other purpose
than to make Il local market for silver. The
purchase OF silver bullion from January II to
October 81, 1879, amounted to $500, "a, at
an average price, with the refining charge
added for lone bullion of one dollar, eleven
cents and four mills per ounce; standard
coinage rate Of fractional silver coins being
one dollar, twcntv-fOur cents and iuurmills per
standard ounce. The scigniurHgc or gain ON
its coinage will be thirteen cents per vi or
about twelve per cent. Total expenditure
attending the mnnut Icturc of the coinage of
the last fiscal year lSl3,S ji, los was SSS9,31O, |
or about 10 per cent. Of the expense OF main.
taing the fractional currency. In this est.
mate the scignioracc realized IN the silver
and minor coinage tSJ}G, lOj) has not been
The propricty Of increasing the
Of tcn.dollar gold pieces is suggested
for the consideration Of the secretary of the
treasury. The director speaks ut length of
the courts Of gold and silver during the last
years, saying that monetary trouble.
have not been caused by insufficient supplies
ol gold, hut 10y its having been withheld in
large sums from circulation, and the dimin.
ished use Of silver rs money. The new coin.
age system of Germany in mentioned rs one