New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-11-02
ALVEY TALK WITH SHERMAN.
THE GENERAL DEFENDS THE ARMY WITH SPIRIT,
AND DESCRIBES THE NEED OF ENLARGING 1T.
lBY TELEGRAPH To THE TEIBUSEl


treated generously by the House of Representatives
it will not be because its cause has not been ably
presented by the Secretary and the General Of the
Army.
Few people in private station, and fewmemoers
of Congress- said General sherman to-day, under
stand the actual condition of the army and what IS
expected of it, In the FIRST place" he continued
the army is limited by law to 25OOO enlisted men,
Let us see how many of that number we have In the
field You must first understand that no recruiting
has been carried on since last June. VI course we
could not recruit men unless we had the money to
pay them, and so enlistments have ceased, and the
recruiting parties withdrawn. My last report shows
that the whole American army, being enlisted men
of every kind, in every branch OF the service
numbered %, 33l There are, by law, ten regiments
Of cavalry, or 100 companies; five regiments OF ar
tillery, or sixty companies; and twenty-five regi-
ments Of infantry, or go companies. The average
cavalry regiment has 500 men, artillery 49, and in
fantry $50. If all the regiments were full there
would be about % 900 men. Now, what is the efiec-
tive force in the field You must remember that all
the enlisted men are not in the field carrying mus
kets.n
Then why are they enlisted if they do not carry
musketsp
"They are enlisted to save money. You see them
all around you here at headquarters They are per
forming the duties of clerks who, in the Civil De-
partments, receive for the same class of work from
500 to II Is per month At General Sherdans head
quarters and at all the headquarters in the army,
soldiers are detailed for clerks. They are better
disciplined, and they save a great deal OF money
to the Government. The work has to be done
and the army is not allowed to employ
clerks but the practice nevertheless takes
many men from the field. Here continued Cen
era Sherman, unrolling report, SIS a list Of en-
listed men who, though non-combatants, go to make
up the - 600 maximum allowed by law Engineer
battalion, 1913 men recruiting parties, 121 men;
general service men clerks employed at headquar-
tiers, 1856 ordnance department, enlisted wofkmen,
$40; West Point detachment, Us men prison guard
at LeavenwOrth, ~ men; hospital stewards,
1s2; ordnance sergeants, III; commlssary ser
Ceants, 146; total of 2,1O1 men. Add to that
numb jS2 Indian scouts, and 400 men composing
the signal corps, and you will have grand total OF
3.OSS enlisted men who are non-combatants This
leaves out of the 22,311 enlisted men in the army
only 9,2f3 for actual service the field. pretty
small army, my friends" added the General, with
animation.
The question was asked, where are these 10000
men ~
They are scattered all over our beloved country,
from Florida across to Puget Sound and from
Mexico TO Maine.'
How has the Presidents Southern policy affected
the troops in the South ? Have you many soldiers
in the Southern States =
"No" answered the General, " there are very few
soldiers in the South and as you know there Is
peace everywhere there. There are only two regi-
ments in the whole Southern States, not more than
600 men, and they are employed IN guarding public
property
What is it that you want7 What ought Con-
gress TO do J"
Congress ought, in my Judgment to pass the
Army Bill at once withoutanY special legislation on
il. The Army needs the money, and nothing should
be added to the Appropriation Bill that occasion
debate While was before the Appropriations Com
mttee Yesterday was asked if | could not get
along with the present force Of the Army.
| answered unhestatingy Mo- The fact Is
we are not getting at all. The safety Of the peo-
pie, the safety of the Government, and the general
government property, demands more men. Before
the war there was only one grand line to guard,
that extended from Lake Superior to Puget Sound.
Now there are dozen lines running through
Wyoming, Arizona, Montana, Utah aud the other
States and Territories of the great West. These
all haze to be protected. The Army is
the nucleus Of civilization. 1t is the pioneer To the
wealth Of the West. Without its protection there
would be West without population or develop
frontier with a condition of affairs that may any
day involve us in a war with Mexico Nothing but
the judcious conduct of the army officers there can
prevent war. There many Of the inhabitants
along the border who want war but il is not TO
the interests of the Government to engage in a
at this time with Mexico"
"What do you propose as a remedyi"
"The Army must have more men. The regiments
ought to be recruited up the full standard so that
we might have $4,000 effective men; fifty prvates
and ten non-commssiOned officers in each company.
The clerks aud all non-combatants should be
called by their right names, and should not be
charged 10 the actual force Of the army. The
President should be given tho right to take
from one regiment in an uneXpOsed position
any number of enlisted men, and add to
another regiment in exposed position IN case Of
emergency. The fact is, my friend, as | told the
House committee to-day, the Army is not getting on
at all. Why. in the West where have been this
Summer the officers had to carry muskets, and thus
do duty both as officers and priyates. General Glib
bon carried gun all Summer long. Ii is said by
some that the frOntiersmen, the pioneers, and the
settlers the border are the best Indian fighters
and can take care OF themselves. How was 1t
during the SUMMER When General Gibbon
went from Fort Shaw to the Big Horn last August
he could rake and scrape barely l3j men 10 fight
400 warriors. He joined by thlrty-ive citizens
and went into battle. Four of the citizens were
killed and five or six wounded. Now what becomes
of the wounded citizens, and what will the families
of the dead ones dot They cannot get a pension,
and they are thus cut on from support The settlers
are beginning to understand that there is no fun
in getting killed for the Government that will let
their families staTye afterward."
In answer to a question. the General Of the Army
said: There is another point upon which ask
your attention. Where army is small, there is
no reserve. Every soldier is employed, and in
of emergency the Army is almost Dowerless. You
must judge as 10 the degrees of its usefulness
Forces taken from point where they are