The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1879-12-11
Report Of the Secretary Of War.

Report Of the Secretary ef War.
The following is a SYNOPSIS of the IN.
nual report of Secretary-cf-War Nc
Crary:
,, The Secretary. in referring to the Ute out.
nreak; takes the ground that the Government
snnuid ins(st on its demands for the surrender
anu puefSnnient of the Indians responsible
NOT .nS Meeker massacre, and the treachcrOus
I've Secretary recommends the sale and aban.
Honment Of certain military posts, and concure
IN General sherman.s Recommendation that
those on detached service He has reduced
the Engineers estimates for river and harbor
impro ,os during the next fisca! year from
reduction Of over 100000 from estimates
iaggregating about $l0,Ol0,OoW which were sub
United for all other public works under the
BUREAU or MILITARY JUSTICE.
The Judge Advocate General reports,
among other items of business, the receipt and
eral courts-martial. and the furnishing to the
secretary of War Of SIS reports and opinions
on questions OF law.
He reports the convictions for desertion -
hncreased during the past year by twenty-four,
and expresses the opinion that the two prin.
clpal or most conspicuous causes of desertiOn
III the army are: !. Drunkness, or rather in
dulgence in intoxicating liquors; & Cypress
I'VE or injudicious treatment of soldiers by
non-commisSioned officers, and especially
First Scrgeants of companies invested with an
HE also recommends that the legislation
heretofore initiated in the Senate for making
gambling in the army punishable offense be
Tor the purpose, or some similar provision, be
enacted by Congress.
- In view of the standing reward offered for
- nf Oy,A tho 6,,tvz
incumbent by law upon public officers to effect
their arrest when practicable, courts-martial
are usually inclined to consider. in the absence
of evidence that a desertere Whereabouts
were known to the military authorities, that
while absent he was not amenable to justice.
NEVERTHELESS. the controversy that is contin-
ued on this subject cannot fail to injuriOuSly
affect the discipline of the military service,
by tending to extenuate in the minds of en-
sis,ed men the responsibility for this grave
to believe that by hiding for two years they
may escape punishment. Nor is the question
confined to deserters alone. since it might
offender against the articles of war, who might
escape and evade arrest by secreting himself
for more than tive years.
upon a satisfactory basis, l would advise, in
conformity with the views of the Judge Adj
voolte General. that some certain term OF
amenabilty be fixed in the case of deserters.
This term. however, ought not. in my opinion,
to be too short lest q hope of speedy immu-
nifty should be held out to encourage crime
be enacted be complicated by any proviso in
reference TO the offenders having been within
or without the territorial domain of the
United States. which. as rule, it would be
wholly impossible for the Government to as
certain or prove.
oUARTERMAsrER's DEPARTMENT..
The Quartermaster General reports that
the expenditures of the Quartermaster's De-
partment during the fiscal year have been
Slo,.5s.Nl.1l: that S!2, la5: 50 was transferred
from the appropriation for support of the
military prison to the .Commissary Depart
mcnt on account of subsistence, OF prison.
erS: that $laS l0S.26 has been covered into the
surplus fund in the Treasury, and that the
ment appropriation in Treasury on 3Oth Of
June. ls,9. was Sl,2l9.10l.l5.
The expenditures of the Department have
decreased. In 1S.4 they were $A,55S,3l7.11; in
Asp they were Sl0,.5S,OOl.11.
He recommends the enlistment of Post
'euartermaster's Sergcents. much needed to
and preserve knowledge of business affairs and
condition of buildings and property at posts,
now lost by frequent changes of station of
the lieutenants who act throughout the army
as Post Quartermasters, and who, being at
tached to companies. are replaced every time
a company is detached and ordered to a new
post He also recommends that these lieuten-
ants, when their detail as 4. A. q. NJ. hse been
approved by the Secretary of War. be allowed
Slu per month extra pay as compensation for
responsibility and risk of loss involved in the
mendations | fully concur.
The Department moved during the year
5al., persons, t,ssl beasts. and Eso. 40 tons Of
posts, many of which are in the far interior
and at the end of long lines of comm,nics-
zion; The cost Of this transportation was
The embarrassment and expenditure aris-
ing IN the legislation against the land-grant
railroads still continue. and the repeal of this
special legislation. which would leave these
questions and claims to be settled on the prin-
ciples of law and equity decided to be ap
plicahle by the Supreme Court, is again recon-
uended by the Quartermaster General and
in by me.
1.-The Pacific Railroads transported l0,4ss
persons, .16i beasts and 52,14,.5S. pounds Of
supplies during the year. At their regular
tariff tar, Z, rates the value of this service was
sI2l9 10 The total value of the military
over these roads to June 10,
1879. is sl0.362.33l. SO.
The railroads who purchased material
from the QuartcrnaStc"'S Department. under |
executive orders of October. 1865. still owed
the United states. on the lst of July last, the |
sum of 81 ,>!fs.6,,.ll. OF This amount the Nash
vile Nortnwes' arn Railroad which is insolv- |
ent, owes sos. 5l.2.. which amount it is not |
Will ever be paid.
CLAIMS UNDER ACT OF JULY 4, 1854.
" In the investigation and examination for |
claims for compensation for Quartermasters !
stores taken by the army. under the act Of |
July 4. Is 1. the sum of S2 Ss' ~ has been ex-
pended during the wear; D ttil claims for near. |
iy two millions of dollars have been investi- |
gated, and on these the Investigating agents |
allowance of one-fourth of |
million; 3,'1 claims have been considered
during the year, amounting TO So, Isl, 1855;
l ct. have been reported to the Treasury, with |
for allowances amounting to
5 l2l 56s.a6 Under this law 4,,is claims have
been filed for so 50, ,Oi4y9: 9.sO5 have been re-
ported on favorably for allowance of S4,143,-
2a5: 1874 have been rejected, amounting |
to slI,;s2 1850: 1l,649 remain, asking for So,
NEW MILITARY POSTS
have been under construction on the Yellow |
stone or Milk River, near the northern bound |
renegade Indians who fed into British Amer
lea; on Lake Chelan in Northern Washington
Territory, and On the north fork of the Cana
dian River. in the Indian Territory: also on
Bear Butte Creek. in the Black Hills, Da-
kota. Other military posts were authorized
by law at Ell Paso. Texas: at PagOsa Springs,
COL, and on the NiObrara River, in Nebraska. |
MILITARY CEMETERIES.
The military cemeteries, eighty in num-
Der, are in good order, and improve in beauty |
as as eult u improves: l caused the mate
rails of the ancient porticO of the old War De- |
parunent, on its demolition to make room for |
the new building, to be transferred to the Ar |
lington Cemetery, where the old columns |
and entablature have been used in construct |
ing two handsome and appropriate entrances |
to that cemetery. 1t is suggested by the |
Quartermaster General that the cemetery af |
ground occupied by the soldiers of the war, to |
be used as a National Government cemetery |
for the interment of members of Congress and |
officers Of all services of the United States who |
may die at the Capital Or whose friends may |
desire for them such place of sepulture.
SUBSISTENCE DEPARTMENT.
The Commissary General recommends that |
the appropriation for subsistence of the army !
be made available from the passage Of the act |
making it. in which recommendation concur. |
"Supplies. as rule, are purchased from pro- |
ducers and manufacturers or importers near
est points of consumption, when consistent |
with due regard to economy and the pro- |
of stores of q proper quality.
The enactment of q law authorizing the |
General to detail such officers Of |
the Subsistence Department as may be neces. |
sary to investigate claims not already decided |
upon by the COmmissary General, or which, |
having been decided, may be reopened on &C |
count of new evidence submitted, is recon-
MEDICAL DEPARTMENT.
The total number of deaths from all causes |
reported among the white troops was 1885, or |
twelve per LOCO of mean strength. Of these,
162 or seven per 1000 of strength, died of dis
ease, and lOl, or five per 1000 of strength, Of
accidents and injuries The propor-
orx h. a1l<