The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-12-13
Suggestions for It's Increase and
Reorganization.
FORTY THOUSAND MEN.
Necessity for Field and De-
partment Stats.
RETIRED LIST.
PLAINS, Nov. 81, 1877.


To TIM EDITOR or THE HERALD
II will be the duty OF Congress At its regular
session 10 iegisate for the army, again hx the
military peace establishment OF the United States
beg leave, whose profession 10 that OF arms
express opinion what should constitute armed
force for the proper protection OF country While
claiming no great wisdom Tor my views they have
been drawn from experience taught by years Of
active service the field during the late war;
years campaigning tho Palms. and they will THERE
iore trust, be found not altogether without
1t will not do any longer for people merely toll
crate the army az y nuisance and support
II as a useless burden; for, unpleasant ms the
fact may be, they must soon look to It
the only secure means Of public and private safety
Alter The OF 1912 had a sufficient army been kept
in service both the Florida and the contest with
Mexico might have been avoided. the cost OF
wsgng these wars, which tar greater than the
pense Of an army to prevent them, would have been
saved Again. In 1861 for the consideration OF saving
few MILLIONS oil dollars nearly lost liberties
and preclpitated tho nation into that cost us
S. 0c0 600 O0O sti later for the Want OF regular
troops stationed ut the proper places, $40 900
worth of property was destroyed, whole city Tor
days lett at the mercy Of mob and Tho labor and
peace OF the entire country disturbed. II
learn anything from The experience OF the past 10
guide our feet in the paths OF tho future surely these
ces ought TO teach all the wisdom OF
old max ms that ian ounce Of prevention is better
than pound of cure' ana TIN tme OF peace to
prepare for war" l not Of those
who would willingly the governments OF
the United States put TO dollar OF unnecessary
expense but when am convinced, asin tho of the
army, that penny expended in time will save nine,
it would be worse than FOLLY to advocate cheap and
inadequate military establishment i Our country
is iull OF adventurers and idle men who WILL at tho
first opportunity band together destroy tho peace
and lay waste the properly OF the citizens.
Wchavo thousands Of Indians still unwhipped who
just beginning to understand their strength
ability to plumber the border and retard settle
ments. Hundreds OF Mexican thieves and their saw
age allies yearly Texas frontier and Great
Britain has recently given shelter just beyond the
line, 10 thousands OF our most savage foes These
enemies can. in single week, strike, not only
settlements, but cities and towns, and murder hun
dreds Of innocent men, women and children Every
government owes It's citizens protection and this duty
devolves upon its soldiers and laws. They cannot
at present adequately protect the Inhabitants
Of border from murder and piage Tor
want OF sufficient force, and to remedy
this defect s not only the province OF Congress, but
its boundcn duty. II any Congressman believes the
army sufficiently large he Is ignorant OF the duties
1t is required to perform, tho extent OF his country,
form himself do not believe any considerable
Der OF the members OF Congress regard our regular
force large large enough but they per-
init question Of and reduction be made
political Test without any thought OF the INJURY they
doing the army. We are not political hacks and
have nothing TO do with politics, and for one beg
that Senators and Representatives will subordi
party spirit to questions of practical importance
and bring themselves to look At things as they are
and mat tnrrh inf In IN " n
they oughtto do since the day OF good feeling
and restored nationality conceded TO have arrived
the Southern members have been dissatisfied aud
thought their people ought to be represented IN
civil departments Of the governments II 10 CHI argcd
they have policy oil their own, which Is 10 reduce the
army low possible with view Of soou alter In
creasng and bringing In Their people under the re-
organ izatI0n. To obtain share OF the army commits
sous Tor Southern men, . y Is sa,S, some Of .ss
Northern men forced out OF tho service and ex.
rebels put IN their places l cannot bel'eye that
u policy like that will ever succeed, or that
any number Of Southern members can be brought
to It's support Such course would not only
be dangerous but grossly unjust to hundreds Of de-
serving mon VIC have served their country long and
well through evil as well as good report Let the ex-
them and bid the m welcome but the time has not YET
quite come wc hope when Northern officer can be
IL then the Southern members so Congress really
wish representation IN the army let them IN.
crease it and let them claim for their peo-
only The army officers but the people OF tho North
aud the President will recoRnize Their cam as just.
In determining what shall be the numerical strength
future army the lrst question which presents
itself consideration nat duty Will likely be
required OF III The proper garrsonng OF large cities
ms protection against MODS, the suppression
merous tribes OF hostile Indians, still capable Of
the Texas frontier w require army OF not less than
forty fifty thousand men, Tire army, think,
should be expansive and contractve according 10 the
necessities oil the occasion. II should be habituay
Kept say 10000. 900 armed men to every mil
lion civilian innabunts ID the Republic; but u should
be capable oil being increased 10 nifty, eighty or
one hundred thousand at the shortest possible
notice. We recently witnessed the Illuminating
spectacle Of u single band OF Neg Perez Indians
rading across over Two thousand miles OF territory
aud taxing the entire strength OF the military cstab-
Ii.hment IN two dapartmeuts. These Indians killed
aud wounded soldiers and citizens tnan there
IN the band and generally whipped the
troops not because the soldiers were not brave but
because there could not be got together ut any one
place many soldiers there were Indian warriors.
The cost OF suppressipg this little Indian see VIII
to the government over So O0u, 900, moro than
sufficient to have troops to these In
dams Tor twenty years, when they would have become
poweTiess Tor evil by surrounding population. Tho
expense OF moving troops point OF danger 70
another Is very great, aud, General Sherman
Gently observed me yearly Hem OF transportation VIII
sending small boaies OF soldiers into the Indian coun-
Try be Dutchered by hordes OF savages should at
| tract the attention OF all puplic men. There
| Is no greater inhumanty than putting an inferior
force OF white soldiers against superior force OF
Indians yet 10 aone every year; huDdreds poor
fellows sent their graves yond recogni.
ton, and humanitarians have not word say
In savage to be defeated 10 certain death, aud
1 even when victorious but lew OF The wounded long
survive The battle generally takes place Tar IN the
INTERIOR hundreds oil miles from the nearest forts
settlements, and in conveying the wounded how many
| OF them die IRON exhaustion.
Our legislators forget fact that thers Is
no such things as field hospitals IN Indian warfare,
and that the poor wounded fellows, who VI they could
have rest for a lew days would get well, must be
dragged over o country without roads until death
their sulierIngs IL Is shameful IL is outrageous
to ask solders to hight savsges with the ODDS always
| against them, and tho death OF Custer and his
men, Gibbons brave fellows who fell at Big Hole aud
many others really lays at the doors OF Congress more
| than any whero else. To put the matter little more
! plainly and In form, Congress at It's next session
should be asked 10 pass an act hxing the military
peace establishment the United states, and author
| izing me President within SIX months after the pas
sage oil The act TO organize army OF 90 0OO men, 10
be constituted as fo0ws:38 regiments oil infantry,
each 800 strong; 10 regiments Of cavalry, each 500
strong; regiments OIL artillery, each ooo, ana Dat
| talon OF engineers 400 strong.
Tho President should be authorised by and with the
advice and oil the Senate, 10 appoint two adj
/ major generals four briKadterR This