Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-11-04
Annual Report of Gen. sherman.

In his annual report submitted to the Secre-
tary of Wal, Gen. Sherman gives the total avail
able force of the army at II generals, ,559 other
officers, 20,566 enlisted men and 233 Indian
scouts. Nearly 1000 are employed about store
houses arsenalS, in the signal service and in
experimenting, leaving an effective army for
protecting the frontier of less than 10000.
Much space is devoted to a history Of the Ute
Indian troubles The correspondence between
Major Thornburgh and the late Indian Agent
Meeker is given and the former is commended as
having been most exemplary officer. Gen.
Sherman says: 81 give these letters because l
believe Major Thornburgh acted from beginning
exactly right; so did Mr. Meeker, and the crimes
afterwards committed rest wholly on the In
dians. Gen. Charles Adams, acting under orders
OF the Interior department, Is now supposed to
be with the hostiles negotiating for the sur
render OF the hOStiles who participated in the
White river massacre and until he reports mill
tary operations must necessarily be suspended.
Our loss in the Ute war has been II citizens,
soldiers wounded, while the UteS acknoWl-
edge a loss of thirty-nine killed. About
the same time of the Ute outbreak some
agency, near Fort Stanton, New Mexico, more
than 600 miles south of White River, began a
raid upon the ranches and settlements in south
eIn New Mexico. Major MORROW, of the ninth
cavalry, is now in pursuit of these Indians, and
has subject TO his orders about $50 men, but is
beyond the reach OF the telegraph, so l am una
BILE to give anything definite from him, but these
UreS. They have always been restless and mis-
chievous, and only resort to agencies to rest, re-
cuperate and make ready for the next war.
infer that as soon as winter comes they will re-
turn to their agency and be good" The general
recommends that Congress be asked to appro-
pirate 100000 to complete Fort Assnibone and
$20O,GC0 to build new post near Wood noun
tain, at some point near the 107th parallel west
OF Greenwich, the exact spot to be afterward
determined by careful exploration, and that the
appropriation be available for two years. He
also recommends appropriations for the con-
struction of military posts on the New Mexican
thor1ty be granted by Congress to sell all super
fiuouS military posts, under such restrictions as
it may impose. The general is Of opinion that
at least 80 might be sold to great advantage.
Attention is invited to the remarks of Gen. SchO-
field about the selection of cadets by members
of Congress by competitive examination. This
method is highly beneficial, but the moral char
acterS of the young men chosen are sometimes
bad. Gen. SchOtield recommends legislation but
Gen. Sherman doubts II 1t is necessary, for every
member of Congress can instruct the committee
appointed by himself to include ''moraI and
manly character into the scale of excellence for
his own guidance" The report in conclusion
refers to the artillery school at Fortress Monroe
and the academy at West Point, and says SINH
lar schools should be established and maintained
for the cavalry and infantry. The General earn
eStly recommends that each Of the thirty militia
ry colleges, now equitably distributed and pro-
yided by law with an army officer as professor
of the military art" be permitted to nominate
one cadet each year. He says he is convinced
that such boon would stimulate these colleges
and provide some of the very best POSSIBLE can
d1dates for the national military academy.