American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1879-11-15
Army Report of General Sherman.

ts1e Secretary of War was completed
to-day. 1t is prefaced with the usual
tabular statements and returns COM
piled by the Adjutant-General, conf
menting on which General Sherman
says:
"The eleven Generals, 1859 officers, 20,s68
Officers of the staff assigned by the War
department to duty with the troops, constitute
Toe army proper, or the 'combative force.
All other parts of the military establishment
are provided by law for special service more
or less connected with the army or militia, but
are not available for frontier defenses.
Thus, for instance, the 3g7 enlisted men
arsenals; the It2 men Of the Engineer Corps
are at WiHets Point undergoing instruction
in torpedo practice, and are not subject to the
nal Corps are employed in observing the wealth.
sr or in working telegraphs. The ia Ordnance
hxed magazines. The ISL Commissary
sergeants are in charge of stores; 1871 men
Point detachment. iss in number, is localized
at the Military Academy. The prison guard
aad recruiting detachmcnts absorb 400 men
ut Davis Island, Columbus, o., and jefferson
aegresating s.4s5 enlisted mem of the bi@,est
grades compose about one,sixth part of the
army eavny t N 7s nr w oca sne seryic
mention these figures in some detail, be-
cause l know that it is the popular belief
shared by many members of Congress, that
we have %, 900 men duty. 1 have done all
in my power to reduce these detachments to
more men to skeleton companies, but
have found it impossible, and L notice that
similar detachments are reported ON all army
returns for fifty years back. There are
~ companies in the regular army;
which is as small any company should
be, and earnestly recommend that you ask
Congress to SO legislate that the 25, coo men
provided by law may be allowed exclusively
for regiments of the line, and that special pro-
vision be made for these several detachmcnts,
as has already been done for the Signal Serv-
ice. The army cannot, with Justice, be held
responsible for the work of 5000, when SO
large fraction is necessarily diverted to other
uses, perhaps of equal National Importance"
The tables above referred to show that the
grand aggregate of the army roll is 2,1s7 Of
hccrS and "A, .,i2 men in service, and 3SS officers
retired.
General Sherman devotes a large portion of
his report to the Ute troubles. He introduces
the subject with history of the tribe. These
Indians, he says, of the worst class, and oc-
cupy the toughest part of our country for farm
ing, grazing military operations. Their man
agemcnt is complicated by the fact that their
country is known to possess mineral deposits.
which attracts Il bold and adventurous class of
white men. They are very warlike, and have
no difficulty in procuring in exchange for their
teer-skins, horses and sheep any amount of
thc best rifles and ammunition. AS long as
tae game lasts they will not work attempt
Ridiculous way, and that only by compulsion.
The report details at some length the history
OF the wellknown events leading up to the
movement by Major Thornburgh's command,
aI;d continues:
IT,
throw as much light on the immediate cause
of this war as possible. give the last letters
whicn piisseu petWecii MAYOR Ih"riburSn anu
Mr.. Meekcr, and will here record my judg-
mont that Major Thornburgh was an officer
and gentleman of whom the army has reason
to be proud He WAS young, ardent, ambi-
tiuus, Of good judgment, and man could
have done better in life nor met death with
more hcroism.
THORNBURGH TO MEEiSER.
"'I.EADQ RS WHITE RIVER EXPEDITION. J
CAMP ON FoHT1FICATIoN CREEK,
September 25, 1879. ,
- Mr.. Mceker, Indian Agent, White River
ssSIR:-In obedience to instructions from the
General of the Army, L route to your
Agency and expect to arrive the 18th inst,
for the purpose of anording you any assist
ancc in my power, and to make arrests Mt
your suggestion, and to hold as prisoners
such of your Indians as you desire. until
made By r
Agency for ten days, and do not know what
state of affairs exists, whether the Indians will
send this letter by Mr.. Lowry, one of my
guides, and desire you to communicate with
metio s in ya n IN nTdnr c that n1 NAV
know what course am to pursue. If practi-
cable meet me on the road at the earliest mo
livery respectfully Eo% n 9bedient servant
AN the world now knows that specialAgent
General Charles Adams, of Colorado, appoint-
ed by the Secretary of the Interior to conduct
these negotiations with the hostile Utes, has
partially succeeded in his mission, has OBJ
tanned TIE surrender of Mrs. and Miss Meek
ready safe with their friends. He is now sup
posed to be again with the hostiles on Grand
River, endeayori f to effect the other condi.
Secretary of the Interior, who is primarily re-
sponsible for the entire management of the
ergy thus far displayed by General Adams,
and hope he will fully and completely succeed
that prudence demands that the military prep
arations and precautions shall not slacken.
anal tWeV sodiees ked and
wounded. The Ineiians admit a loss of thirty
nine warriors killed. that they have not
much reason to boast"
Tue report next treats of the Apache raid,
and states that troops are in pursuit. but moth
ing definite can be given as yet. The Apaches,
the General says, only resort to the Agency to
rest, recuperate and make ready for the next
war. He 1nfers that as soon as winter comes
they will return to their agencies and be good.
General Sherman refers ut some length to
last summers incurs1ons of Indians from Sit
ting Bulls camp, and kindred subjects, and re-
marks that some more permanent security
must be found than results from the good will Of
our neighbors. Hetherefore recommends that
Congress be asked to appropriate SlOO,O0 to
complete Fort Assiniboine, and 5000 to
says: .In this connection also beg to sub
init my conviction that very soon the progress
of events will make it absolutely necessary to
move all the Indians now located on the Up
per Missouri-viz.: The Arickarees, Gros
Sioux reservation below Cannon Ball Creek,
and to open to actual settlers all the land in
the region north and west of that reservi-
ton"
General Sherman reports a highly satisfac..
tory condition of affairs in the Departing of
Texas, especially along the Rio Grnnde from
tier. The large immigration which has pour
ed into Texas having now extended to what
were formerly her waste lands, the removal of
some of the frontier posts further west is neces-
sary, and General Sherman therefore indorses
the recommendation made to him by General
Ord for Congressional appropriations to con-
struct military posts on the new western
frontier
Referring to the troubles caused during the
past year by the attempted emigration To the
Indian Territory from the southern border or
Kansas, General Sherman says: The delicate
duty imposed on the military was admirably
performed by the troops under the order OF
General Pope. The opinion is expressed that
ut least thirty supertuous military posts might
be sold to great advantage
The report in conclusion treats of the sub
ject of military education, and after referring
to the artillery school at Fortress Monroe and
academy at West Point, says: "Similar
schools should be established and MAIN
tanned for cavalry and infantry. These
have repeatedly been attempted mt Forts
have they been begun than some Indian
outbreak has imperatively called away the
troops, that at this time we have nothing OF
the kind But the day must come when schools
for infantry and cavalry will be established in
the nature of postgraduate course, and II
possible for instruction i'll the use OF the rifle
and horse, before your officers and recruits are
pushed into battle and danger.
MEEKER TO THORNBURGH.
"To this Agent Meeker replies, under date
September q, as follows:
.s'SIR: Understanding you are on the way
hither with United States troops, send mes
senger, Mr. Eskrdge, and two Indians, Henry
(nterprctcr) and John Ayersly, to inform you
that the Indians are greatly excited and wish
you to stop ut some convenient camping place,
and then that you and five soldiers of your com
mand come into the Agency, when Il talk and
n better understanding can be had. This L
agree to- | do not propose to order Your
movements; but il seems for the best. The
Indians seem to consider the advance of the