Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1879-11-08
sneRmAEs REPORT.

SHERMANS REPORT.
Abstract Of the Annual Document Which
the General Of tho Army Sends 20 the
President of the United States.
Gen. Sherman's annual report to the sec.
Rotary of war has been completed. 1t is
prefaced with the usual tabular statements
and returns, compiled by the adjutant gen.
eral, commenting on which Gen. Sherman
says:
The IL generals, 1859 officers,
20.566 men. aud 233 Indian scspta,
together with such officers of staff
as are assigned BY the war depart
ment to duty with troops, constitute the
army proper or the ''combative force" All
other parts of the military establishment
are provided BY law for special service more
or less connected with the army or militia,
but are not available for frontier de!enses.
Thus for instance, the S97 enlisted men of
the ordinance are in fact workmen at arse.
malls the 1872 men Of the engineer corps are
At Willet'e point undergoing instruction in
torpedo practice, and a.e not subject to the
division commander the 456 men Of the
signal corps are employed in observing the
weather or in working telegraphs; the 140
AN10oS oSA6SuuSo uoV0 Su0tkC VI ~ lOIu
or fixed magazines; the $50 commisaary
sergeants are in charge of stores /; lS7 men
are stewards Of hospitals the West Point
detachment 1856 in number, is localized at
the Military academy the prison guard at
Fort L~eavenworth comprises 70 men, and
recruiting detachments absorb 1907 men at
Davis Island, Columbus O., and Jefferson
barracks, Missouri. These various detach.
ments aggregating 3,463 enlisted men Of
the highest grades, compose about one-sixth
part of the enlisted men provided by law
for the whole army, leaving but 20, 799 for
actual service. ] mention these figures in
some detail because l know that it is a pop
ular belief, shared by many members of
congress, that We have $4,000 men on duty.
l have done all in my power toreduce these
detachments TO the lowest number possible,
80 as to afford more men to our skeleton
companies, but have found it impossible Z;
and l notice that similar attachments are
reported on all army returns for fifty years
back. There are four hundred and thirty
companies in the regular army 25,OCO men
would give So 10 each, which is as small as
any company should be; and / earnestly
recommend that you ask congress to 80 leg
isla,e that the $4,000 men provided nv law
may be allowed exclusive for regiments
OF the line, and that special provision be
made for these several detachments. as has
already been done for the signal service.
The army cannot, with justice, be held re-
sponsible for the work Of $4,000 when so
large a traction is necessarily diverted to
other uses perhaps OF equal national i'm.
portance.
The tables above referred to show that
the grand aggregate of the army roll is 3,lS7
officers and 24,262 men in service and 1888
officers retired.
Gen. Sherman devotes a large portion Of
his report to
THE UTE TROUBLES.
He introduces the subject with . history of
the tribe. These Indians, he says. are of
the worst class, and occupy the toughest
part Of our country for farming, grazing, or
for military operations. Their management
is complicated oy the fact that their Country
il known to possess mineral deposits, which
attracts 4. bold and adventurous class of
white men: They are very warlike. and
nave no difficulty in procuring in exchange
Tor their deer-skins, horses and sheep, any
amount ofthe best rifles and ammunition. Al
long a. game lasts they will not work or at.
tempt farming, except in the smallest and
most ridiculous, way, and that only by com.
pulsion.
The report details at some length the
history of the well.known events LEADING nm
to the movement of Msj. T~hornbureh's COM
msnd. and the killing of the detachment
officers, and continues:
with a knowledge of the result. and N
throw a. much light on the immediate canse
Of this war az possible, l give The last Letters
which passed between Mai. Thornhnrab
and Mr.. Meeker, and 1 will here record %.
aagmen that Maj. Thornburgh was an Of.
ucet ana gentleman Of whom the army has
ieason to be proud. He was young, ardent,
ambitious, Of good judgment, and no man
couio have done better in life nor met death
With more heroism."
, Headquarters White River Expedition.
camp on Fertilization Creek, Sept. 25. 1879
MEEK ER, Indian Agent, White River
Agency-Sr: In obedience to instruction,
rom the general ofthe army, 1 am en- route
20 your agency, and expect to arrive on The
1stn inst, for the purpose of rendering Won
say assistance in my power, and to make
sl:ests ~ your suggestion and to hold as
prisoners such Of your Indians as YOU des;re
unul Investigations are made by Won do.
: : eslsment l have heard nothing de6nit.
= Lo n@ your agency for ten days, and do not
= 1nS;. VIVA! state Of affairs exist, whether the
: lndians will leave at my approach ~ sho.
: noshl!tes. l send this letter bv NJ Io.."
: one OF my guides, and desire Won To con'
municate with me as soon as possible. ei.;ns
! me all the information 10 your nos.r Is
oluer mat l may know what coursa n nm.
:ae' ltpracticable, meet me on The road a.
inc earliest moment. Very respectiullv'
, your obedient servant,
To this Agent Meeker replies nndsr d..
; Of Sept. q, as follows: 1''' 'Sss
: SIR Understanding you are on tba ~,
= hlther with United States troops. T .en %a. !,
: Messenger, Mr.. Eskridge, and t.o Indian:
! henry ~linterpreter), and John Aver,lv :,
! = INFORM you that the Indians are ors.tiv .. y
cited and wish you 70 stop a. 81. .on 1t.e eon, en.
tsnt camping place, and then that Won .nd
) I'VE soldiers Of your command com: ~ n.. ~. ha
= agency, when . talk and . bettsr nnd..s..s ny
nas can Be had. This l assss to. .AI Ba. I a.
= no. propose TO order you movement. -, - !;
seem. for the best. The Ind;srs oos :
'consider the advance Of The troon. :. :.