The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-08-30
The Overworked Army.

| uoWn the army, tine washington Military
Ring raises the cry that the army is so small
already as TO be overworked, and thus re-
| trenchment Is STAYED of from year to year.
| Pointing to innumerable army poste, and So
cure in the belief that not one person In ton
outside of their own circle knows anything
about the condition and whereabouts OF any
OF these posts, which they declare to be
necessary to the safety OF tho country,
these men have for long time succeed
cd In bluflng of investigation. But
we, believing that the question OF saw
ing thirty millions q year is one OF in
tcrest to every citizen who pays taxes.
| directly or in the shape OF increased prices,
havo lately examined the condition OF the
army, especially as to the amount OF work
IL performs In order to lay the result before
the public. That there may be no doubt as
to tho correctness Of our figures, we have
taken them from the official rosters Of the
different departments and the official reports
OF post commanders and Secretaries Of War
rs to the condition Of the different posts.
| The results are somewhat startling to those
who have been accustomed to pity the poor
| ovcrworked army officers; and we are COM
PEELED to say that they give much coun-
tcnance TO the irrevcrent idea propoundod
by a Western gentleman, who was quite
familiar with frontier posts, that "army
life is nothing but a long picnic, alternating
with sprecs."
One ugly fact stares us in tho face when
ever we come to Investigate the state OF the
army, as revealed by its post garrisons. So
far from being overworkcd, the present reg
ular army Of the United States does little
or no work. and even that little is accom-
plished by less than onc-third thereof. the
rest Of the army spending its time in idle
ness and dissipation. This seems bold
assertion, and yet the facts support it,
These facts are as follows:
There are two hundred and thrty-cight
posts in the United States army at present,
whereof some seventy-one are abandoned or
In charge Of Ordnance Sergeants. watch
men, and others. This leaves one hundred
and sixty-scven posts occupied by troops.
1t will hardly be believed that out Of this
number, allowing the most liberal computa-
tion FOR possibly useful posts only forty-nilte
can be said TO be Of tho slightest service TO
the people of the United States or any part
thereof, and that nearly one-third OF this
number are In Texas. We have been care
full in making this computation to assume
|
every man and fort are necessary. Yet we
find only sixteen forts and some fifty odd
companies Of troops stationed in Texas
while there are four hundred and thirty
four companies in the United States army.
OF absolutely useless posts or PERM
cious establishments, such as were used
to seat KELLOGG and CHAMBERLAIN,
there are one hundred and eighteen which
| al. ham ,s..It a.
panes Of troops, leaving only one hundred
and forty-eght companies to do the real
work. Thus we see that less than 5000
men are more than sufficient to do the work
OF the army at tho most liberal computation (;
while the other II 900 that still cucumber the
pay rolls Of the force are neither more nor
less than moths, consuming the earnings Of
the country, and giving absolutely no return
for the money spent on them. That this is
not strained conclusion we now propose to
show.
The Military Division Of the Atlantic nat
urally comes first on the list 1t comprises
the great and populous States OF the sea-
board and the lake frontier up to Chicago,
where the Military Division Of the Mis-
souri, meets 1t, while 1t includes the whole OF
Virginia in its precincts. This great divi-
sion contains seventy-one posts, OF which
twenty-seven are occupied by sixty
companies Of troops, while the rest arc
turned over TO the Ordnance Sergeants. A
careful examination Of all the ground shows
that the keeping open Of what are occupied
is a matter of the most complete waste and
extravaganza, and that caprice alone die
tates the choice of the posts occupied. AS a
rule, the seacoast forts are entirely defence
less against modern ordnance, being stone
classmates with oldfashioned smooth bore
guns. The garrisons are UNHEALTHY from
living In the classmates, but the officers are
able 10 enjoy their gentcel leisure at such
places as Newport, whore Fort Adams main
tains n handsome band, while Fort Schuyler
which might be OF some use to protect New
York harbor, Is turned over 10 Ordnance
Sergeants, because the neighborhood is moi
fashionable. What forts are occupied are
kept in vile sanitary state, as witness Fort
Brady Michigan, whore the sewage Is car.
red through an open ditch only two feet
deep In rear Of the hospital down toward
the Sauto Ste. Marie. Tho "overworked D
garrison has been there for some half cen.
tury, but has been too lazy to drain 'he
post. What forts are needed 10 p-'vect the
great harbors Of the coast arc capriclously
occupied or turned over 20 watchmen as 1t
happens. Were oNery one shut up and used
once II year for the troining and exercise OF
the State militias In the duties Of seacoast
Notifications they would be of some use. At
present they are worse than useless, being
not strongly enough garrisoned to protect
tho ports from any serious attack, but Just
enough to make constant drain on Uncle
/ SANS pocket
Next comes the Military Division OF tho
South, including the Department OF the
Gulf. VIII it be believed that OF the fifty
odd companies in this division only eight
are employed In defending seacoast forts,
and that all the forts in Charleston and Sa-
vannah harbors are left empty, while the
troops are quartcred in the cities ? Yet this
is a fact. Forty-four companies are scat
tered throughout the Interior mostly gath
cred at rceimcntal depots, with bands an
nexed, so that the soldiers can bully the
Legislatures. Not a man in Sumter, Moul-
trie, or Pickens but hundreds in Charleston.