The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-11-05

Army--And Recommendation for an In.
crease of Its Fighting Strength History OF
the Ute Outbreak, and Explanation of the
New Frontier Posts and the Care of In.
dams West of the Missouri River-Su.
preme Court Observation-Disclosures
Cen. Sherntan's Report.
WASHINGTON, Nov. S.-Gen. Sherman's an
nual report to the secretary of war was com
pleted to day. It is prefaced with the usua
tabular statements and returns compiled by
adiutant generals commanding, on which Gen.
Sherman says: The II generals, 1869 officers
2O,566 men and 239 Indian scouts, together
with such officers of the staff as are assigned by
the war department. to duty with troops, con.
stitute the army proper, or the combative
force. All other parts of the military estab.
lshment are provided by law fol
special service which is more or less con.
nected with the army or militia. but are
net available for frontier duties. Thus for in.
stance the 1877 enlisted men of the ordnance
department are fast workmen at the arsenals
The 1872 men of the engineers corps are at Viii.
let's Point undergoing instructions in the tor
pedo practice. and are not subject to the di.
vision commander. The 456 men of the signal
corps are employed in observing the weathe,
or in working the telegraphs. The liz
ordnance sergeants have charge of old
commissary sergeants are in charge of stores.
One hundred and eighty. seven men
are stewards of hospitals. The West
Point detachment 1856 in number, is
localized at the military academy. The prison
yard at Fort Leavenworth comprises 70 men,
I~A~
men at Davis Island, Columbus, O., and in
Jefferson barracks, New. 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 ser
vice.
I mention these figures in some detail, be-
cause 1 know that It is a populae opinion
shared by many members of Congress, that we
have twenty five thousand men on duty. I
have done all in my power to reduce these de-
tachments to the lowest number possible, so a.
to afford more men to run skeleton COM
panies, and have found it impossible. Inotice
that similar detachments are reported on all
army returns for fifty years back. There
are four hundred and thirty companies in the
regular army. Twenty-Five thousand men
would give fifty-eight to each, which is
as small as any company should be,
and I earnestly recommend that you
men provided by law may be allowed exclus-
lively for regiments of the line and that spe-
eial provision be made for these several de-
tachments as has already been done for the
signal service. The army cannot with justice
be held responsible for the work of $4,000
men, when SO large fraction is necessarily
diverted to other uses, perhaps of equal ma
tional Importance.
The tables above referred to show that the
grand aggregate of the army roll is 2,187 Off
GERS and A,262 men in service and 1888 officers
retired.
Gen. Sherman devotes a large portion of his
report to the Ute Troubles. BE Introduces the
Indians, he says, are of the worst class and oc-
cupy the toughest part of our country for
military operations. Their management is
complicated by the fact that their country is
known to possess mineral deposits
which attract bold and adventurous
warlike and have no difficulty in procuring, in
exchange for their deerskins, horses and sheep,
any amount of the best rifles and ammunition.
As long as game lasts they will not work OF 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 we'll known event leading up to the
movement by Major Thornburgh's command
and continues: With knowledge of the re-
suit, and to throw as much light on the i'm
mediate cause of this war as possible, I give
the last letters which passed between Major
Thornburgh and Mr.. Meeker, and will here
record my judgment that Major Thornburgh
was an officer and gentleman of whom any one
has reason to be proud. He was young, ardent,
ambitious, of good judgment, and no man
could have done better in life, nor met death
with more herOism.
HEADQUARTERS WHITE RIVER EXPEDITION,
CAMP ON FoRT1F1oAT1oN CREEK, Sept. rs, 1879.
Mr.. Meeker, Indian Agent, White River
Agency-Sir: In obedience to instructions
from the general of the army, am en- route to
yonr agency, and expect to arrive on the Goth
inst, for the purpose of affording you any as
sistance in my power, and to make arrests at
your suggestion, and to hold as prisoners such
of your Indians as you desire, until investiga-
lions are made by your department. have
heard nothing definite from your agency for
ten days, and do not know what state of af-
fairs exist-whether the Indians will leave at
my approach or show hostilities. I send this
sire you to communicate with me as soon as
possible giving me all the information in your
power, in order that may know what course I
am to pursue. If practicable. meet me on the
road at the earliest moment. Very respect
fully, your obedient servant,
To this Agent Meeker replies, under date of
Sept. H. as follows: &c..
notwithstanding that you are on your
way hither with United States troops, send a
messenger, Mr.. Eskredge, and two Indians,
Henry, Interpreter. and John Byersly, to in
form you that the Indians are greatly excited,
and wish you to stop at some convenient camp
ing place and then that you and five soldiers
of your command come into the agency, when
talk and a better understanding can be had.
This agree to, but do not propose your
movements, but it seems to be best. The In
dams seem to consider the advance of troops
as declaration of real war. In this am la
boring to undeceive them, and al the same
time to convince them that they cannot do
whatever they please. The first object is to
allay apprehensians. Respectfully,
N. @. MEEKER, Indian Agent,
Under date Of Sept. %. Maj. Thornburgh
writes to Agent Meeker as follows:
ES1R: shall move with my entire command
to some convenient camp, near and within
striking distance of your agency, reaching
such point during the 29th Shall then halt
and eneamp my troops and proceed to the
agency with my guide and five soldiers, az
communicated IN your letter of the 9th inst,
and then and there will be ready to have a
conference with you and the Indians, so that
NJ v1nNoraf~r1inu ho