The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1877-12-15
The War Department.

War opens with an account OF the work
ing of the act of August Is, 1876, by
which the army was reduced TO a max
imum of 5000 men. AS the cavalry
was specially excluded from reduction,
the diminution in the other branches OF
the service was large. The maximum
of engineers was reduced to 2O0 men
that of ordnance men to $50; ordnance
sergeants at posts to Ia; commissary
sergeants at posts, las; hospital stew
ards, . o; West Point attachments,
200; recruiting parties, 3 o.; Indian
scouts, coo; guard at military prison,
seventy-four; sixty-fiye enlisted men per
battery for five batteries of artillery
forty-eight men per battery for five bat
teries at the Artillery School; thirty
eight enlisted men per battery for fifty
batteries of artillery and five enlisted
men for non-commissioned staff, at each
of five regimental headquarters of artil-
lery; thirty-seven enlisted men per COM
pany for $50 companies of infantry, and
five for non-commissioned staff, at each
of twenty-five regimental headquarters
of infantry. This made total of $3.50
infantry and 1925 artillery men in the
field In order to effect these reductions
recruiting was suspended, and all the
soldiers whose terms would expire be-
forr October 81, 1877, were discharged.
Recruiting on a. limited scale has been
recommended, but the numbers still in
service are much below what they would
seem from the above figures.
The Secretary dwells on the fact that
the force of his command is so small
that when riots like those at Pittsburg
occur, troops have to be transported
from long distances at great expense,
while the militia are not to be depended
on. Then, too, the army is too small
for the defense of the frontier and war
like operations against hostile Indians.
The army is to the United States what a
police force is to a city. 1t has now
enough regiments, companies, and Off
GERS, but all companies of infantry
should be recruited to fifty men each,
and batteries TO seventy-five men, with
power to increase the former to one
hundred in cases of emergency, and the
latter to one hundred and twenty-five.
Attention is called to the weakening of
the force below the figures given in
tables by sickness and special details.
RETIRED IIsT-wEsT POINT.
The renewal of the restriction of the
number of the retired offices to three
hundred is urged. There are now fifty
seven officers waiting retirement, and
their pay would be reduced % per cent
were they retired. Improvements and
engagements of the buildings at West
Point and the restoration of the band
TO its former number, forty members,
are recommended. The cost would be
$21S,578.37. A reverson of the course
of study and the possibility of abolish
ing Sunday parades are also mentioned
as subjects worthy of consideration.
Details are given of the July riots and
the part taken by the army in their sup
preston, of the Mexican border troubles
and Gen. Towards campaign against the
Indians.
MISCELLANEOUS RECOMMENDATIONS.
The Paymaster General renews the re-
commentator for establishing an an
nuity scheme for the heirs of deceased
officers, and to prevent frauds in CON
tracts, suggests that bids be made abb
solutely binding on the bidder and his
sureties for at least sixty days, unless
sooner rejected The bidder should be
made to accompany his bid with bond
pledging him to keep his engagement
for sixty days.
The work of the publication of war
records, both National and Confederate,
has been steadily prosecuted. The
amount of printed matter is very con-
siderable already. At present the vol
umes aggregate forty-seven embracing
upward of $4,000 pages), of which
thirty-seyen relating to the United States
and ten to the Confederate States have
been published up to the end of the year
1864. The mass OF material yet on hand
for the publication is very large.
The appropriations for the Quarter
masters Department for the last fiscal
year were 81 100000 less than in the
previous year, Notwithstanding the in
crease of the cavalry arm. Yet the expen-
ditures and liabilities have been kept
within the appropriations, except in the
item of transportation, for which de-
ficiency estimate at 81, 200, 900 has been
submitted. Exigencies have caused the
numerous movements of bodies OF troops,
and great expenditure has been incurred
in their concentration at critical points
The courts having decided in favor Of
the claims of land grant railroads t.
pay for transporting men and material
/ the department asks the repeal of the
act of March 3, 1875, prohibiting sucl
payment. There will remain 1856
claims, aggregating 1891 1850 fol-
Quartermaster' stores furnished to thu
army in States not in rebellion. 1t il
recommended that these claims be trans
ferred to the Commissioners of Southern
Claims or some other tribunal. Tw'
new posts have been located, one OF
Tongue River, and one on Little BIZ
Horn, at an expense of 100000. TIL
establishment of a ntw post at Hell
Gate Pass, of the Rocky Mountains il
Montana, has been begun.
The Judge Advocate General earnestl.
recommends additional legislation whicl
shall fix beyond question specific pc
riod of limitation to prosecution in case
of desertion.
ENGINEERING.
| The report of the Chief of Engineer
states that work upon seacoast defense
has been practically limited to thei
care, preservation and partial repair
but he again urges the adoption of som
reasonable system of annual expendituI
upon our harbor defenses. Experiment
and practice on the general system {
torpedo defense have been continued {
Willett's Point. An appropriation {
100000 for the coming year is recon
mended for this purpose, and for tt
v,,,rchoea and etoraOn Of such NORTON