The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-08-04
General Sherman Before the Committee
on Military Affairs.
HOW TO OBTAIN RECRUITS.
"The Highest Authority" Says No Troops Can
Be Spared from the South.
Crook and Terry'S Strength, Five
Thousand Men.


Military Affairs. in reference to the Senate oil now
before that Tor the OF tho cavalry
regiments for operations against the Sioux Indians
General sherman being asked to give his opinion on
tho subject said
GENERAL suERxAN's OPINION
think will be very prudent TO provide now in ad-
for at least 500 men, and cannot conceive OF
more economical or better method OF doing 1t than
The proposed by the Senate, which Is simply 10 In
the number OF private soldiers 10 that extent
By this plan reinforce the regiments in the
Geld, that each company OF cavalry will consist o.
100 men. An Increase OF =, 800 VIII enable to
40 that. and tho estimates prepared and sent TO tho
Senate will be amply suit Gent for the purpose
The CHARMAN-Have you any doubt TO the ability
pf army In front OF the Sioux to whip them 1?
General SHERMAN have not particle OF doubt but
hat If the Indians Will stick together Crook alone
whip them. or Terry alone can whip them. Jointly,
here is no doubt OF it, But the Indians may scatter
and probably will scatter and the mountainous charac-
ter OF the country VIII facilitate their conccang them
selves They Will divide up into small Iartes aud that
will probably necessitate increase Of force
Which would be necessary to whip them IN the aggre-
gate Ii the Indians scatter thcn will have divide
up iEto detachments, and each detachment is liable TO
encounter the whole OF these Indians If they should
assemble again
Mr. HURLgur-What is your view in regard 10 the
lateral out oil which this increase OF force should be
obtaneo?
General SHERNAN-We havo got to trust In great
measure to luck Tor that The pay OF soldiers Is very
small compared with that paid Tor labor therefore
matter Of course we have got TO take tue best
tcria we get Tor that pay, but those who IN
charge of the field Of operations against the Sioux
Terry, Crook, Sheridan and others-are wiling to risk
that branch OF the proposition They arc all IN favor
OF increasing the strength OF companies rather than
resortng TO IA call Tor volunteers.
Mr.. MAcDouGALL-Do you think that recruits can be
got IN timer
General SHgRMAN-Yes; think that recruits will be
collected pretty rapidly now
THE PRESENT LAW.
The CHAiRMAS-UEdcr u law passed by this Congress
Is PROVIDED that all cavalry regiments may be re-
eruited TO 100 Tor each company, and II further
provided that this shall the total aeg egate
Of the army TO more than 25 GOO enlisted men General
Sheridan by his letter appears to understand that this
Increase applies only 10 reg mens Oh tho Texas frontier
General SnERMAN-You Will rccoect that that was
Texas, General Mills l think That proposition ob-
famed good deal Of publicity, and General sheridan
was under the impression that The bill passed by
Congress was passed Oh that basis He was IN error
lhere The bill, as passed, enables US to put LOO nep
but IN trying to do that We would have to dcete the
Infantry aud artillery companies ia ali parts OF
United States SO low almost make them valuaess
When you get u company below thirty or forty men
ceases almost to DC military organization The
Sfcers lose interest In their profession, and the
kqueuce that you put the whole II, 900 into
cavalry regiments the infantry regiments and
artillery regiments would tall probably below twenty-
1--WE men TO The company. Any gentleman who has
the army knows that that takes the lite
OF any military organization would call the alien
ton Of the committee another branch oil The pIopo
u
them into ten regiments Of cavalry i've OF artillery and
twcnty OF infantry IN very fair proportion,
but we have other dctachments that
call non combatants unavailable meu. You all know
that in battle you only bring about twohIrds OF
the best organization TO the 'front.' and woui challenge
any member OF the committee say that he could
takc 10 600 men and bring 200 into line oil battle.
We have $50 men Unassigned TO any regiment
organization engaged IN the recruiting service That
may be in excess OF propriey, but 1t seems " be tho
result Of experience, anu certainly have sirIven by
all means my power, reduce that number. Then
5 Ser
who employed at the War Depar ment, ut
the headquarters oil the army aud IN the different mill
tary and departments who fact clerks,
and nothing else. linen the Ordnance Department,
which never sends man into the held matter Of
course has 355 enrolled and charged against tho
aggregate oi %, 90 men. Then have 30
West Point to aid the young there their
tons, 10 take care o taeir horses do police work. &c.
Ever suce the Revolutionary war We have always kept
rom 100 to 200 men at West Point Therefore
iherc 23O men, number which is not regarded by
thc AUTHORITIES as excessive III could would re-
luce 1t somewhat Then have 226 hospital
I,ewards You all know what they mean. They do
rot take muskets. Then We have IL ordnance
ergoants scattered along the scaboard mostly. or
they be brought into the field in the In
alan or aay other wax. Then have l5l comm,ssary
agents. 66 prison guard Tor Fort Leavenworth
aud 2s3 recruits who nre available and may DO
sent forward THIS makes nearly 1900 men
put OF your 25.0O0 Ihe remainder has not
pnly to engage Indian wars. but has to
lake OF immense amount OF property.
probably hundreds OF millions OF dollars WORTH all of
which would be exposed to punder and all the
dents OF common property not these stationed
they Indeed hno artillery q
mostly engaged IN guarding pubic property, but re-
sen,y under the pressure, we have taken nearly
hall Of them leaving the rest to take OF the guns
magazines and property OF the most valuable kind,
which Congress has expended hundreds OF millions of
dollars and which if no, watched would run to decay
10 carried oil probably by people round about /
account tor every man IN the army.
SIGNAL CORPS
Nr. HURLBur-Do you include in that LIST the Signal
rorpss
General SnxRMAN-No, sir; they arc not charged
against the u, 700 men, The numuer OF men in the
Ing to keep within the Ii, 900 have, matter Of
course. got 10 keep well within the standard. In the
alton oil service or OF sickness, deaths &c, 30 that
doubt whether We have to-day 10 90 men who are,
properly speaking soldiers IN tie line OF battle.
INDIANS AND IAIIIoADs
There Is another consideration We cannot send the
~hos OF available force into the Indian country,
because the Indians occupy central position with refer
to four very important Territories, vz;-Montana,
Dakota, wyoming and Nebraska The SIOUX Indians
have for years ana wears been upon these
Territories. Then the Pacific Railroad passes through
Wyoming and Nebraska, which have invited
travel from al parts OF the civilized globe, any
accident were TO happen 10 one OF their from
Indian hosttes and /! people murdered IN them
IL would be national disgrace and shame Therefore
compelled, while engaged away up ON
the Yellowstone IN lighting sitting Bull and his indians,
guard against the chances Cctachueuts sriNiug
either the Pacific Railroad the scattered settlements
around about Then, again, have through the cvil
branch Of the government TO provide toe friendly
amounting To about 900 people ali told, OF whom
probably G,0O0 warriors. Although these
friendly and Christian Indians in one sense, they
suspicious Indians IN another sense, and We
have watch them TO that they
do not 20 themselves to JON and reinforce the
hostile Indians, and that they do send OUT
provisions and stores, aud that such come back
wounded who desire to shake hands, or, as they
term II, making peace again, shall be arrested aud
punished by the Law OF the land. Therefore We have
10 keep good mauy men along tho Missouri River.
IL was only yesterday that ALI Indian agent away
IN Montana called for zoo men, whom could
give HIM because did not have them We feared
that the Nez perces, the Bloods anu the Bacsiect
Indians would break out and eommence hostliIlcs
against the northern and borders OF Montana
Nherc they have soldiers at all. ana where could
get them without abandoning other country quite
ls valuable and quite "a much exposed
The CHAiRNAN-With the authority under the law
Il now stands, III up The cavalry regiments. you
not II necessary tor defence against the Sioux, take
ucn from tue infantry aud artillery a, different points,
Is IL Is proposed to take thcn from the iS!antry 10 M
40 the cavalry regiments ON the Texas .rontiery
General SnERMAx--I DO not know that We have
proposed to do that We have proposed TO scnd all
that w those regiments the