, 1879-06-28
TIE WAN DEPARTMENT..

A history OF thu WAR Department, with bio
graphical sketches ot tho Secretaries, has been
isaued from tho prcss OF Frnncis b. hiohup,
Washington, D. G, Tho author Is L. D, 1ngcr-
soil, Who has becn employed In the Department
Library Tor somo years, Hc has had arrcss to
the records OF tic Department a,ul tho advice
and nssistancc Of many persons connected with
It. But ho alono Is responsible for tic words OF
the narFnttVe and tile form It has assumed.
The War Department mas naturally the first
10 rccolvo tho attention OF tho Continental Con.
gress, and far many ycars mas tho most i'm
,portant.' Aftcr tho adoption Of tho Constitu-
tLon, It was oycrshadowed by tho Treas
ury, Under Hamilton anl tho Dc
partmcnt .of Foreign Affairs, under
Jcferson. Tile rough work OF war was done.
Tie i'nanccr ana tho dlplo,pattst wrro calico
on TO mnkc lta results moro certain and nbun-
tant. Ono Ind 10 repair the losses It hn caused
st home, anl 'l'c other to ,soo!he, tug angry
was ii progress Inc War Department wus neg
!eetc1. 1te puEposc wus thought TO knye been
tnlhE'cd. In view OF the exhausted condition OF
the country now wars seemed tmrossiblc Who
could mediate further expenditures for var
so,Irso to pay pRss Of the Revolutionary
ssStme9t % ofsasiss;i. id' Wi'1''ont i" "" form s
ra,,, oi sue g. ., Dsoattmsnt t!'a Government Re
wero very limited, AMI Its duties too general to
admit Of my gtcnt efficiency. Tic lrst sccre-
tary. Mai. .Gcn Knox, had control nf the army
and navy, bountS-lnnds, md Indian Affairs, his
three members Of thu Cabinet as Mt prcscut. A
Navy Department was created In 17I8, but tic
Wur Department VAS still uvcsluadcd. In n
speech In CONGRESS as late as April: 16l9 George
hns to perform, hss!des tl,a duties belonging to
tho head OF tho War Department. the duties OF
thu quartcrmasscr-fi General, CosnnIssnry-t1en-
Gral 9', ai, Mnstcs o. osnAnss tho business 81
Ssi yaId }a nsn''on. s,: % Dsac'snt 81 w. .,a
yeais S Of '' iii. III" century s WIS sus nfss IL
still worse plight. Though tho act Of 1909,
putting tho army On peace footing, provided
entire army consfsted Of ., 739 officers aud mcn;
In 1907, ot less than $500; In 1909, Of ind
On June Q, 1872, almost cnnteTporancously Will,
Of the staff"
Tile consequences Of starving the nrmy were
seen In l6l3, when the country was obliged to
t'ay many times over for, the parsttnony Of prc:
caused tic future OF our troops in nearly al tie
1irst engagements Of the war. The pcrniclous
contract sSBtetn aud a bad conmtssariat kept
our SOLDIERS ill-fcd, dfsp1rttel, and muttnous,
mud distracted the attention oi tho olliccrs from
War Of 1879 wns lost for the want Of ngootl Sub
slstencc Department. Tile lcssoua which 1t
taught, however wero almost wortl, tho price
patd tor them. Our armies have been eSer since
vol fed. Tie Mexican War and tl!o War Of tho
Rebellion could not haye Geen carried to q Sue
cessful end IL tho Subsistence Department fnd
not ntded tile armies In tho field So powerfully
IS II did bT prompt, md snttlclcnt supplies.
Some OF tho fcnts Of this Department in tho last
War, Us related by Mr. Iugersoll, were Won
dcrful. -,
Tho War Department owes much to the, soc-
rotarlcs who have directed its aiIn!rs. 1t is a
long and, on thu wlolct M illustrous limo.
There arc 4 few names that blur the record.
hal; Eatpu, ono OF JackBon's Secretaries, added
no lustrc to the office. Secretary Dayls was an
excellent OtllcoE, and did tuucll for tho Depart
ment, hut WIS nftcrEnrd the head Of conspra-
cy to destroy 1t. Secretary Floyd was traitor
while iu oce. The elder Cnu,uron did not In
crease tho fAtna Of tic Department.. Secretary
lSelkuap resigned under cloud. On tic other
and brighter tldo OF the record ulcTc arc such
nnmes rs Knox, Dearborn, Armstrong, Morroo,
Crawford, Calhoun, Cnss, poInsc.t, Marcy, Holt,
Stanton, and Taft Mi. lngtrsoll lls written
oil the Biographies In good eptrlt; only that OF
McCraEy would bo botter II It wero less full
some. Tllu narrative Is rather tlrr, showing no
marked ability rs writer on tho purt OF tho
author. 1tta. however, calculated to servo n
useful purpose bF Offering ytcw Of American
history from new point OF observation. f. A
History OF the War Department Ut tho United
Htates with Biographical Sltochca OF. tho Hecre-
tnrcs." Dy l.. u. 1nGcrsoll. Washington, DC. |:
Francis D. Aohun. Hyp.. G13 pages. S860.)