West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1877-12-15
The War Uepariment.

The annual report of the Secretary of War
opens with an account Of the working of
the act oi Agustl 10, 1876, by which the army
was reduced 10 n maximum OF 10000 men
As the cavalry was specially excluded from
reduction, the diminution i'm the other
branches OF the service was large The mnx.
lmum OF engineers was reduced To 200 men
tLat OF ordinance men TO 800; ordnance ser.
geants ut posts TO III ; commissary sergennts
at posts, l4S hospital stewards 300 West
Point detachments, 200; recruiting pnrtios
3O0i Indian scouts, GOO; guard mt military
prison, seyenty-four; sixty-fve enlisted men
per battery for five batteries OF artillery
iOrty'eight men per battery for fl We batteries
~ the Artillery SCHOOL, thirty-eight enlisted
men per battery for fifty batteries of artiI.
leryi ana i've enlisted men for non-comInis-
stoned stan, ut each Of FIVE regimental head
quart rs OF artillery; thirly-seven enlisted
men per company for $50 companies of in
iantry, and five for non-commissioned staff
at each OF twenty-five regimental headquar,
ters OF infantry. This made total OF 1916
infantry and ,926 artillery men in the field.
In oder to effect these reductions recruit-
ing Was suspended, and all soldiers whose
terms would expire before October 81 1877
were discharged. Recruiting on n limited
scale mas been recommended, but the mum.
Ders stlIl IN service are much below what
they would seem from the above figures
The Secretary dwclls on the fact that the
force at his command is so small that when
ri0ts IKE those at PittsbuTg occur troops
have to be transported from long distances
nj great expense, while the militia are not
to be depended on. Then, too, the army il
700 small Tor the defense of the frontier and
war-likc operations against hostile Indians.
The army is TO the United States what n no.
lice force is to city. IL has now enough
regiments, companies, and officers hut All
companies Of infantry should be recruited
20 20 nlly men each, and batteries 10 seventy
fYe men, with power TO increase the former
20 one hundred in cases Of emergency. and
the latter 10 one hundred and TWENTY-FIVE.
Attention is called to the weak ening Of the
force below the figures given in tables bv
sickness and special details
RETIRED LIsT--wEsT POINT.
The renewal 81 the restriction Of the
number Of the retired Offices to three huo.
dred IS urged. There are now hny.seysu
officers waiting retirement and their NAV
would be reduced % per cent were tbey 70.
tired. Improvements aLd ebmrge,ncrifs 4 Of
the buildings ~ Wet Point aud the reetors
ton Of the baLd 10 its former number. forty
members, are recommended The coat
would be $2lS, 57S "a. A revision Of the
couue OF study snd the possibility Of abol
isning Sunday pa~ades are also mentioned
~ subjects worthy of Consideration. ID, .
tails are given Of tie July riots y, a the part
taken by the army IN their suppression Of
tie Mexican border troubles, and Of Gen.
Ho"ard's campaign against The Indians
MISCELLANEOUS RECOMMENDATIONS
The Payma ter General Tenews the re.
cOmmendftiOu for csta lshifR an annuity
scbeIne Tor the heirs oi u ceased officers
aud 20 prevent frauds SO contracts, sugReatg
thi bios he made absolutely bindinV on the
bidder go hiafuretiCa forai ltaet sixty davs.
unIe tooDer rejected. The bidder sbo1Id
be made 10 accompany sb,d .ifb n bond
pie 'gng him 10 keep bis engagement good
for sixty days
The work 81 the publication Of war
records, both national AID CDnleferste. has
been steadily prosecuted. The amount Of
printed matter il very considerable already.
AZ present the volumes aggrrRate f0fty.seyen
ltmota ing upward 81 $4,000 pages), Of
which thirty.sevtn relate o. the Unite8
a'e' and ten 10 the Confederate states
The var record ~ tie Con fedsrate States
nave been publphed up TO the end II Oh
year 1861 The ua n material yet ou
hand Tor publication is very large.
The appropriations for The Quattsrma,.
teTs Department for The lest fiscal year
we're = 10000 lees than ia TIE ire,iou.
/ year, notwithstanding the increase Of the ca .
alfy arm. Yet me expenditure AID labiI.
| ities have been kept within the appropria.
tioDs, t1cept in The item OF trtnsro taiiOu,
Tor which deficiency estimate of 81 1000 d
has been submitted. Exigtncies have eau. t,l
thehUmerous mOveme o. 81 bodies Of Or. .ul o.
sni great expenditure has been incurred, ~,
theifc ncentration a. critical points
The courts having decided In favor Of the
claims Of land grant railroads 10 pay for
transporting men and material, the depart