River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1879-12-04
THE WAR DEPARTMENT.
Annual Report of the Secretary Of War
Statistics, Recommendations Etc.


In his annual report to the, president, Hon ego
w. McCrary, the secretary OF war, refers as fol-
lows 10 the various matters in his department.:
Concerning the Ute outbreak, he takes the
ground that the government should insist IN It's
demands for the surrender and punishment OF he
Indians responsible for the Meeker massacre and
the tIeachefons attack upon Major Thornourghs
He concurs in General sherman's recommended
lion That the army be hxed al 3oOo0 men, eNeia
siye of those on detached service, and counsels
lie sale of several military posts.
be reduced the engineers estimates for river
and harbor improvements during the ,,ext fiscal
yeaE rom Sl4, 100000 TO S5o0a000 and he has also
made reduction of over So go from estimates
(aggregating about Sl0,o00,000) which We're sub
mitled Tor all other public works under the war
The Judge Advocate General reports, among
other items of business, the receipt and review at
his bureau Of lob records Of general eourt-mar-
tial and the furnishing TO the secretary OF war OF
Ssl5 reports and opinions questions of law. He
reports the convictions for desertion increased
during the past year by twenty flour and expresses
the opinion that the two principal or most
spicious causes of deserton in the army are
First, drunkenness rather indulgence in intoxi
eating liquors. Second oppressive or in1udlcioas
treatment OF soldiers by n0n-commlssiuned ON
GERS, and especially first sergeants OF companies
+ invested with an excess Of authority.
The secretary advises In accordance with the
views OF the Judge advocate general, that some
certain term of amenability be fixed in the case OF
deserters. This term, however, ought not to be
TOO short, lest hope of speedy immunity should
be held out TO encourage crime already too pre-
valent; nor should the law 10 be enacted be com
plicated by any proyiso in reference 10 the often
uers having been within or without the territorial
domain OF the United States.
The cuartermaster general reports that the ex-
penditufes of the quartermaster's department
during the fiscal year have been SlO,75SOOlIli
that ST. 135 so was transferred from the appropr1a
ton for support of the military prison TO the com
missionary department on account OF subsistence
of prisoners; that S19S, 1926 has been covered
into the surplus fund in the treasury and that the
balance to credit of quartermaster's department
appropriation n treasury on the Sotn OF June
department have decreased. In 1874 they were
Sl4,55S, 3l7.11 in 1879 they were $40, 1885, OOl H.
The department moved during the year b9,
persons, 492l beasts and 40 tons OF supplies
from the settlements to the military posts, many
Of which are in the fur interior and at the end Of
Iong lines of communication. The cost OF this
transportation was S2,2i5, 96SU5.
The pacific railroads transported l0,4S6 persons,
l,766 beasts and 81 1852 pounds of supplies dar
Ing the year. At their regular tariff rates the value
of this service S72l $3.50 The total ualue OF
the military transportation over these roads TO
June 30, 1919, is Sit, 3ts5a 33l so.
The railroads which purchased material from
the quartermaster's department, under executive
orders of October, 1876, still owed the United
States, the LIST of July last, the sum Of e2,
9TH. OF this amount the Nashville and North
western railroad, which is insolvent, owes $685.
550.27, which amount ii is not supposed Will ever
be paid.
In the investigation and examination tor claims
for compensation for quartermasters stores taken
by the army, under the act OF July !, leol he sum
of $l22, e2952 has been expended during the year.
2,46O claims of nearly $2000Q00 have been nvest1-
gated, and on these the investigating agents rec
ommend allowance of one-tourth OF mlllloni
3,196 claims have been considered during the year
amounting to So 1856 sos So ,667 have been report
ed TO the treasury, with recommendation for al
lowance amounting TO Sl2l 800 g. Under this
law 4074S claims have been filed for $40 oo1 Ol4S9
1906 have been reported on ia Soraby for allow
ance of 81, 143 .a5 1874 have been rejected,
| amounting to l7432, $3.50, and 1879 remain,
asking for Sc, 523 1885.
New military posts have been under construc
on ha Npffoxy pna or Milk river the
northern boundary line, on the line of communi-
cation of the renegade Indians who fed into
British America; on Lake Chelan. in Northern
Washington Territory, and on the north fork OF
the Canadian river, in the Indian Territory; also,
on Bear Butte creek, in the Black Hills, Dakota.
Other military posts were authorized by law AT
Ell Paso, Tex, at Pagosa Springs Col, and on.the
Niobrara river, IN Nebraska.
The military cemeteries, eighty in number, are
in good order, and improve in beauty as culllva-
ton improves.
The commissary general recommends that the
appropriation for subsistence of the army be made
available from the passage OF the act making IL,
in which recommendation | concur.
Attention is invited to the fact that the subsis-
tence department. has not been reimbursed Tor the
value Of large quantity of supplies issued TO In
dams and transferred to Indian agents. and the
commissary general states that in his estimates
for prisoners of for the next fiscal year he has
included only Indians for the subsistence OF whom
no other appropriation is made,
The enactment OF law authorizing the com
mssary general to detail such officers Of the sub
sistence department as may be necessary to inyes
tigate claims not already decided upon by the
cUmmissary general, or which, having been decid-
cd, may be reopened on account OF new evidence
submitted, is recommended.
The total number of deaths from all causes re-
ported among the white troops was zoo, or II men
per 1000 of mean strength OF these, 1872 or
per 1000 strength, died of disease and l0l or 5pef
1000 of strength, of wounds, accidents and inJu
ries. The proportion of deaths from all causes to
cases treated was to 142. The total number OF
white soldiers reported 10 have been discharged
from the service surgeons certificate o. dlsa
lfftyi7 AZ y klgAfn uEfrn
The total number of deaths of colored soldiers
reported, from all causes, 20. or IA per 900 OF
mean strength. OF these, 10, or per 1,000 OF
strength, died of disease and IS, or per l,VO OF
strength, of wounds, accidents and injuries, The
proportion of deaths from all causes to cases
treated was 2 to 140. The total number of colorec
soldiers reported to have been discharged ON 'sur
geons certificate of disability" was AZ, or - pen
1000 of mean strength -
The paymaster general states that the freed
mems bureau, foi payment of bounties, etc, 10
colored soldiers, organized in 1867 and transferred
IN 1872 to the adjutant general, is now in opera
tion in the pay department, underline act OF March
3, 1879.
The report of the chief of engineers shows that
work upon our sea-coast dcfenses have been limit
ed, in accordance with the terms of the act OF
March %, 1873, to their protection, preservation
and repair. For the reason that these works are
subject, than any other national structures,
with the exception, perhaps, o. lighthouses, TO
the destructive and detcriOrating effects Of the
sea- the amount heretofore appropriated for these
objects has proved insufficient, many necessary
works of repair and protection remaining unexi-
cued at the close of the last fiscal year for want
of funds
The Construction, repair, preservation, and COM
plction of certain public works on rivers and mar
bors, and the surveys and examinations connect
cd Herewith, have been prosecuted during the
fiscal year ending June 50, 1879, with the means
provided by the riNe and harbor act, approved
June Is, 1873, and the balance Of previous appro-
pTiations remaining unexpended on July /, 1873.
The execution of all works provided for IN the
river and harbor act, app loved March 3, 1879, Tor
which the plans and projects have been approved,
works unavoidable delays have il, some instances
| arisen from the necessity of &C nsidering legal
questions touching the occupancy VI their sites.
On the survey of the northern ana northwestern
| lakes, the main tIiangulation connecting Lake
| Erie with Lake Michigan has been nearly COM
| plcted Coast charts Nos. 3, and s. of Lake On
tarlo, and Nos. 2, and y OF Lake Erie nave been
finished.
meridian has been continued in the states of Col.
orado, Texas, Nevada, California and Oregon, and
| in the territories of Arizona, New Mexico, Utah
| and Washington, and in connection with this
work special survey Of Great Salt Lake has been
| completed.
| The construction of the new buildings at Rock
| Island arsenal has progressed in a satisfactory
| manner and, with the aid of the new approprla-
lions asked for, the workshops will soon be in
! condition TO receive their machinery and com
| mcnce manufacturing 10 meet the future wants OF
! During the last fiscal wear there were manufac-
| tured at the national armory 5000 Springfield
rifles, and, under the law authorizing ii, 10 . OF
| the experimental Hotchkiss magazine rifles
lHeTS were III htOEe, On guy j, 1893 OhIg ~~ot9
rifles and ), 400 carbines at the armory and arsen
| ais, wrctchedly small number, considering the
wants of the present and the calls that may be
made in the future.
The Hotchkiss arms are now in the hands Of
the regular army for trial in active service, and
| upon the reports, to be made by-monthly, Will de-
! pend any recommendations for the supply TO be
| hereafter manufactured. Bnt whether this maya
zine gun il be the of the future not ii is
not safe to delay providing an ample supply Of
| the Springfield rifles.
The issue for publication of the official deduc-
| tions forecasts had at the office of the chief
signal officer, and known as the synopsis and III
! dications, has continued during the year. There
has been no failure of the delivery of any report
| to the press during that period. The total mum
Der of the reports thus furnished at the hours OF
a. m, 1850 q. m, and $50 p M, daily, has been
| 1905.
| By an arrangement with the postofiice depart
ment, 6142 printed Farmers Bulletins, on
which appear daily the forecasts of this office,
have been distributed and displayed in frames
daily at many different postoffices in different
cities, villages and hamlets in different states, for
the use of the agricultural population throughout
the United States.
weather Case, or Farmers Weather Indca-
tor. an instrument arranged to exhibit together