The Portland daily press., 1878-11-30
THE Army.

Annual Report of ihe Secretary of War.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 29.-The annual report
of the SECRETARY of War to the President, gives
the total strength of the several arms of the
service at "a ,761 men. OF this number there
arr II ,295 Infantry, 1929 cavalry, and 2630
artillery. The report OF Quarter % as Gene al
and Commissary General of subsistence, as
we'll as those OF the department and division
commanders show that the army has been we'll
and economically subsisted and clothed, while
the character of the rauk and file has been ma.
terially improved. The number of assertions
has been considerably reduced, the whole num-
Der for the year being 1878.
Indian hostilities have occurred in various
localities, and been suppressed by the army,
but not without serious loss of life, both among
solo iers and citizens. The policy recommended
towards the Indians, the Secretary says, should
be designed to enforce these two proposit ons,
viz:
Fair and Just treatment including the
faithful performance on our part of every
2-The prompt and effectusl punishment of
all acts of war on their part, and to this end
the employm of q sufficient military force in
the Indian country to act with vigor and sue
cess.
rne Secretary speaks approvingly of the law
providing for the establishment of schools at
all posts, garrisons and permanent camps as
many of the troops sadly need instruction and
recommends that authority of Congress be
Abk6Q 10 lnCr6Heo tu6 extra per Ul6Q Oh SOlQlerE,
from 30 to 30 cents, and also that liberal
appropriation be made for the erection of
buildings for schools and libraries at the differ
ent posts.
The increase of our force in the vicinity of
the Rio Grande and the vigorous policy pursued
been productive of good results. The Incur
sions have been fewer in number than during
anv year for a long time.
Thr Secretary refers to the report of the Com
missary General for details concerning the issue
by his order of rations and tents to yellow fever
Sufferers. There were preCedents but no law
for his action In the emergency, but $50 terrible
were the suIeriLgs, so alarming the destitu-
ton occasi0ned by the cessation of business,
that it became the duty of both government
and people, made imperative by the law of
humanity, to extend all possible relief" He
suggests that Congress should carefully consid-
or whether in the future such emergencies may
not be provided for by law, giving the Presi-
dent authority to act
The expenditures under the War Department
for the fiscal year ending June 80, 1877, were
$2618, 1888 less than those for the previous year,
and the expenditures for the year ending June
30, 1878, were 81 324,7 less than those for
1877. The estimates for the fiscal year ending
June 30, 1880, as presented by chiefs of bu-
reaus, were $53,S32, 954, which the Secretary
says he has reduced to $40,387,7 18, making
them less than any annual estimates rendered
to Congress from his department for a period
of II years.
The report of the chief of engineers states
that work upon our seaboard defences has, ow-
ing to lack of appropriations, been limited to
the care and preservation of work already be-
gun. The work of river and harbor improva-
ments provided for IN the act of Aug, IA, 1876,
were carried on during the fiscal year with sat
isfactory progress, and the details are given in
the report of that chief
The report of the chief of ordnance gives q
full history of the operations of the year. At
tention is called to the great importance of in
creasng the appropriations for the manufac-
ture of small arms.
The Inspector General reports that the mill
tary prison at Fort LeaveDwort, Kansas, estab
lished in 1874 by act of Congress, is 10 success
ful operation. and that the national cemeteries
ha e all been inspected during the year By the
officers of his department and found in excel
lent order.
The Surgeon General reports total number of
deaths IN the army during the year at 256,
about II in 1000. OF these 121 died Of
disease and 1876 of wounds, sccid snts aud
injuries. The Union and Confederate war
records are being prepared for publication un-
der the direction Of Col RobertN Scott of the
United States Army, aud the department. is
ready to transmit to Congress considerable
amount of matter systematically arranged 40
soon as specific action by that body will enable
him to do so.
Ths chief signal officer reports that the
cee1hSheu Ooutco uTlll duu luStfuCtlOQ IN
military signalling, telegraph, meteorolt gy and
the signal service duties at the stations of
observation has continued at the school of in
struction at Fort Whippe, Va. 147 stations
OF the hrst class have been maintained during
the year. A careful analysis of the indica-
tons, with the actual weather changes shows
that about IS per cent have been varified. The
display of cautionary day and night signals
has been maintained at 50 different sea and
lake ports, and the regular daily publication of
the reports by the PRESS is consioeIed as an
evidence of the usefulness of the service
The report concludes with a brief notice of
West Point military academy, in which the
secretary says: "The gratifying opinion ex-
pressed by the board of visitors as general
result of investigation that there Is at least
one public institution in the United States of
which 1t can be truly aft rmed that the more
1t is investigated the better it appears, and for
the direct administration and control of which
no person is believed to have been selected for
any other reason than fitness to discharge the
trust confided to him."