The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1877-11-29
The Strength Of the Present Army.

The annual report of General Sherman
shows, October 12, the regular army was
composed of: ., General officers, II general
staff officers, 566; hospital stewards, 1856;
men, 346; enlisted men. of staff corps, ,731 /;
ten regiments of cavalry, officers, 439;
enlisted men, 1911; cavalry, $50; five regi-
ments artillery, officers, 2S4; enlisted men,
1921 artillery, 5, sos. Twenty-Five regiments
infantry-oficers, S77; enlisted men, S,77S;
infantry, '9,655; besides which there are
reported as non-commissioned staff, unat-
tached to regiments, military academy, re-
eruits unassigned, Indian scouts and prison
guards, amounting to men, 1877; Signal
Corps, 4O4; retired officers, SOL;
and captain United States Army
by act of Congress; aggregating officers
and men, 24,501; of which the force,
artillery and infantry regiments, amounting
to 20, ,6O1 officers and men, to which should
be added the II general officers and officers
of the general staff serving with them,
together with $40 Indian scouts.
The General details the operations of the
army during the year, referring especially,
and in high terms of praise, to the conduct
of officers and men during the Indian war,
and at the time of the recent riots. 1t ap-
pears that General Sheridan, in recon-
mending an increase of every company in
the service to one hundred men, expressed
time ago the Indian troubles would have
been settled promptly, with strong proba-
bility that they would not have occurred at
all l." General Sheridan adds: "The In
dian troubles; in this division are over for
the present. l can not say that they are
finally ended. Complications are still liza
BILE to arise, and our experience should
teach US to be better prepared than we have
hitherto been" General Sherman agrees
with Sheridan's Recommendation, which
would raise the army to nearly 50,OOS men,
but despairs of success in such appli-
cation to Congress, and therefore urges
such legislation as will give us 25,0O0
men for regiments of the line. This
would make for the present 430 companies,
of an average of fifty-eight men to a com
pany. "I believe it to be wrong and dam
aging to increase the cavalry at the expense
of artillery and infantry. The latter do as
much good service as cavalry, are as neces-
sary, and cost much less for maintenance.
| All are equally necessary, and should be on
| right to increase the companies stationed at
exposed points at the loss of others not
| similarly situated"
The concluding portion of the report is
| devoted to an account of General Howards s
movements in pursuit of the Nez Perces,
and the final capture by Col. Miles. General
| Sherman saws, of course Col. Miles and his
| officers and men are entitled to all honor and
praise for their prompt, skillful, and sue
cessful work, while the others, by their long,
| toilsome pursuit, are entitled to correspond
| ing credit, because they made that success
possible. The General hopes these Indians
will be provided with homes in the spring,
! on the Indian reservation near the Modocs:
| where, by moderate labor, they can soon be
able to support themselves in peace. They
should never again be allowed to return to
Oregon or to Lapwai.