The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1879-12-05
WAR DEPARTMENT.
Synopsis OF Secretary McCr.ry's Report.

Synopsis Of Secretary McCrary's Report.
Hon. George W. Mcorary, Secretary Of War,
IN his annual report, Gays that the scsuai 81
penditures Of the War Department for the e.
cal year ending June 90, 1873, we're az e6s,-
72363. The approximations available for the
service Of the fiscal year ending June 30, 1875,
aggregated s45. 076. 7O2 %; those for 1879 we're
e5S, 9i6, 90 81, and those for the current Asesd
year amounted to 90, 269, 81 o. The est
mates for the service Of the fiscal year ending
jane 80, 1881, are go $50, 4288, to which
amount they have been reduced from 81, &c.,
G43l4
The Estimates for public works, a. reduced.
are y, ISL. 034 AZ, which smount b $4,000
less than the estimates for 1879, ell3, 68s
less than those for 1880, and %, 257, 46Ofs iess
than the appropriations for 1880, winch wers
sl0, ~, 4946l. The views expressed under
this head IN the last annual report are renewed
- best explanatory to the reduction Of thees
About seVenteen-twentisths Of this amount aEs
for the continuation Of works once com
menced under legal authority, and remaining
un6ni he'd for want Of funde."
The Secretary joins in the accommodates
Of Gen Sherman that the army Be increased %
says it IL undeniable that most II not all the dis
asters attending Indian hostilities are The result
Of inadeouacy Of force on our part The re-
cords Of the War Department show thai siDcs
the close Of the war Of the Rebellion nfty-dve
officers of the army have been killed n Indian
warfare, and . corresponding number wounded,
beside . proportlonate number Of men Killed
and wounded. Among the list Of killed wild
be found such valuable officers - Candy, Gus
ter, and TLornburgh.
The Secretary concurs In Gen sherman's
accommodation regarding the sale Of sbGn-
a FgsS1 Tbsl1 fo.4a and
The following extracts from the Secretsrys
report will be found Of interest:
1.-The Judge Advocate General reports the
convictions for desertiOn from the army as In
creased during the past year, by twenry-feur,
and expresses the opinion that the two prind-
pal, or most conspicuous, Causes Of de-er1on in
the army are: !. Drunkenness, or rather IN
du gence in intoxicating liquors; 2 Oppressive
or injudieious treatment Of soldiers by non
commissioned officers, and especially the First
Sergeauts Of companies invested with an excess
of authority.
sNew military posts have been under con-
struction on the Y lloRstone or Milk river, near
the nor hern b undary lue, on the iine of cor-
munica'inn Of the renegade indians who fed
into British America; on Lake Chelsn, In
Northern Washington Territory, and on the
north fork of the Canadian river in the Iadaan
Territory; also on Bear Butte creek, In the
B ack Hill, DakOta Other mill ary posts
were authorized by law ST FL Psso, Texas, Of
PsgOsa Springs. Col, and on the Eiobrars
river, in Nsbraska
SThe military cemeteries, eight IN number,
are in good order, and improve in beauty 80
cultivation imp; owes 1t Is suggested BY the
Quartermaster General that Ar ing'on Gene
terry affords ample space, without encrosehing
on the ground occupied by tho cold ers Of the
war, to be used as q national G. Tyernmsnt
cemetery for the interment of members Of Con-
g1ess and officers of all services OF tie United
States who may die at the capiral or whose
friends msy d,siIe for them such Q piscs Of
TIE work Of marking the graves In military
cemeteries with marble and granite head-stones
Is practically completed Contracts have been
let for placing marble head-siones on the
graves Of sold ers who died during the war,
and were buried in private village and city
cemeteries, q d whose friends have not beeo
able to do this honor to their memory. TIE
work can hardly he begun before next ring
The Lis DRY Of the Eads j-tties work at the
mcu # the Mississippi river lie given 81
len III, and the Secretary states that the Attor-
LEY General has been requested TO render IN
opinion on several questions 80 10 the proper
construction of cettzin pzoyisiGns Of the law
materislly bearing upon the claim Of MAJ.
ER1s for paw nenL
The Secretary, in referring 10 the Ute out
break, takes tne ground that the Govern
ment should insist in its demands for the sur
render and punishment Of the Indians respon-
sible for the Meeker massacre and the
treacherous stack upon Maj. Thornbursh's
and