Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1879-11-07
Report of General Sherman to the SEQ
retary of War.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 8

WASHINGTON, Nov. 3.
General Sherman's annual report
to the Secretary of War was completed
to-day. 1t is prefaced with the usual
tabular statements and returns COM
piled by the Adjutant- General, COM
menting on which General Sherman
says:
The eleven Generals, 1859 officers, 20, 566
men and 233 Indian scouts, together with such
officers of staff as are assigned by the War
Department to duty with the troops constitute
the 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 397 enlisted men of ordnance
are in fact workmen at the arsenals. The 1872
men of the Engineer Corps are at Willet's
Point undergoing instructions in torpedo
practice and are not subject to the division
commander The 456 men of the Signal Corps
are employed in observing the weather or in
working telegraphs. The ia ordnance ser
geants have charge of old forts or fixed maya
zines The ISL commissary sergeants are
in charge of stores, and 1877 men are
stewards in hospitals. The West Point de-
tachment, 1856 In number, is localized at the
military academy The prison guard at Fort
Leavenworth comprises seventy men, and the
recruiting detachments absorb LILO men at
Davis Island, Columbus, Ohio, and jefferson
Barracks, Missouri. These various detach-
ments, aggregating ,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 2o,199 for actual
service.
mention these figures in some detail be-
cause | know it is tine popular belief, shared
by many members OF Congress, that we have
25,O0O men on duty. 1 have done all in my
power to reduce these detachments to the
lowest number possible, SO as to afford more
men to our skeleton companies, but nave found
it impossible, and notice that similar detach-
ments are reported on all the army returns
Tor nifty years back. There are 4S0 companies
in the regular army, and 5000 men would
give fifty eight to each, which is as small as
any company should be, and l earnestly
recommend that you ask Congress TO solegls-
late that the $4,000 now provided by law may
be allowed exclusively for regiments of the
line and that special provision be made for
these several detachments as has already been
done for the Signal Service. The army can
not, with justice, be held responsible for the
work OF 5000 when 80 large fraction is
necessarily diverted to other uses, perhaps Of
equal importance.
The tables above referred to show that the
grand aggregate of the army roll is 2, 1877 Off
GERS and 24,26l men In the service and 3SS Off
GERS retired.
General sherman refers at some length to
last summers incursions 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 n6ighbors. He therefore recommends
that Congress be asked to appropriate $780, :
600 to complete Fort AssinniBione and $780,
900 to build a new post near Wood Mountain,
and says: "In this connection also beg to
submit my conviction that very soon the
progress of events win make it absolutely
necessary to move all Indians on the Upper
Missouri, viz: Arickarees, Gros Ventres,
Piegans, Bloods and Crows to the Sioux reser
walton below Cannon Ball Creek, and to open
up for actual settlers all the land In the region
north and west Of that reservation"
General Sherman reports a highly salts
| factory condition of affairs In the Department
of Texas, and especially along the Rio Grande
frontier. The large immigration which has
| poured into Texas having extended to what
were formerly her waste lands, the removal of
some Of the frontier posts further west is
necessary, and General Sherman therefore
earnestly indorsed the recommendations 10
him by General Ord for Congressional appro
priations TO construct military posts on the
new Western frontier.
Referring to the troubles caused during the
past year by attempted emigration into Indian
Territory from the southern border OF Kansas,
| General Sherman says the delicate duii s i'm
posed upon the military were admirably per
| formed by the troops under orders OF General
Pope. The opinion is expressed that at least
thirty superhuous military posts might be sold
TO great advantage.
The report, In conclusion, treats of the
subject OF military education, and after re,
| ferring TO the artillery school at Fortress
Monroe and the academy at West Point, says