The Portland daily press., 1877-11-03
THE ARMY.

Gen. sherman,s Views-He Thinks the
Army Altogether Too Small for Safety.
NEW York, Nov. 2.-Gen. Sherman is re-
ported as saying:
There has been no recruiting since last June,
as there was no money to pay expenses. Ihe
enlisted men of every kind in every branch
numbered 22,331. There are by law ten regl-
ments of cavalry, ar 120 companies, five regi-
ments of artillery, or 60 companies, and TWEEN
ty-fve regiments of infantry, or go companies.
An average cavalry regiment has 800 men, ar
tilery 45O and infantry $50. If all the regi-
ments were full there would be about 1900
men. There is a large number of enlisted men
who do not carry muskets. 1t is a fact that
they are enlisted to save money. You see them
all around the headquarters. They are per-
forming the duties of clerks who in the civil
departments receive for the same class OF work
from 500 to $175 per month. At Gen. Sheri-
dams headquarters and at all the headquarters
in the army, the soldiers detailed for clerks.
They are better disciplined and they save
great deal of money to the government The
work has to be done, and the army is not allow
ed to employ clerks, but the practice neverthe-
less takes many men from.the field. Here is
list of enlisted men who, though non-combat-
ants. go to make up the $4,000 maximum allow
ed by law: Engineers of battalions, 1913 men, re-
cruiting parties, 527 men; general service men,
clerks employed at headquarters, 1916; ordnance
department of enlisted workmeD, $40; West
Point detachment, 178 men; prison guards at
Leavenwortb, "a men; hospital stewards, 1872;
ordnance sergeants, ia; commissary sergeants,
146. Total 2101 men.
Besides there are $50 Indian scouts, and 405
men composing the signal CORPS making
grand total of 1898 enlisted men who are nom
combatants. This leaves 10, 243 men for actual
service. There are very few soldiers in tho
South, and as there is peace everywhere, there
are only two regiments in all the Southern
states, of not more than 600 men; and they are
employed in guarding the public property.
Congress ought to pass an army bill at once
without any special legislation. The army
needs the money, and nothing should be added
to the appropriation bill that can occasion de-
bate. While was before the Appropriation
Committee was asked if could not get along
with the present force of the army. an
swered unhestatingly, no. The factis, we are
not getting on at all. The safety of the people,
the safety OF the government and government
property demands more men. Before the war
there was only one. grand line to guard from
Lake Superior to Puget Sound. Now there are
dozen lines running through Wyoming,
Arizona, Montana, Utah, and other states and
territories of the great West These all have
to be protected.
The army is the nucleus of civilization 1t
is the pioneer to the wealth of the West. With
out its protection there would be West
without population or development There is a
long and dangerous Mexican frontier, with
condition of affairs that may any day involve
US IN q war WIFI MEXICO. NOInlDS DuG judi
cious conduct of the army officers there can
prevent war. Many inhabitants along the
border want it now, but it is not the interest of
the government to engage in war lat this time
with Mexico.
The regiments ought to be recruited up to the
full standard, SO that we might have $4,000
effective men, with so privates and 10 nom
commissioned officers in each company, and
the clerks and all n0n-combatants called by
their proper names and not charged to the
actual force of the army. The President
should be given the right to take from one
regiment in an unexposed position any plumber
of enlisted men, and to add to another regi-.
ment in an exposed position in case of
emergency.
The fact is as told the House committee the
army is not getting on at all. Why, in the
West, where have been this summer, the off,
GERS had to carry muskets and thus do duty as
both officers and privates Gen. Gibbon car
that the frontiersmen, the pioneers and the set
tiers on the border are the best Indian fighters,
and can take care of themselves, How was it
during the summer? When Gen. Gibbon
went to Fort Shaw to the Big Horn last Aug
ust he could rake and scrape scarcely 135 men
zens, and went into battle. -Four citizens were
killed and five or six wounded Now what be-
comes of the wounded citizens, and what will
the families of the dead ones do? They cannot
get pension, and they are thus cut off from
support The settlers are beginning to under
stand that there is no fun in getting killed for
a government that will let their families starve
afterwards.
The General said that the money spent for the
transportation of the army during the labor ri
OTIS last summer, would increase the army to
its required strength. Thirty million dollars
should be appropriated for the army, There
are 10000 postmasters and less than 10000 SOL
diara