The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1880-11-26
GENERAL sHERMAN's REPORT.
He Advises the Abandonment OF Unimportant
Posts and Concentration at Strategic
Points.

He Advises the Abandonment Vi o"i'HPo'sN
Posts and Concentration at Strategic
Points.
The following are Geographic extracts from
General Sherman's report, given to the press
recently
STRENGTH OF THE ARMY.
agree with Sheridan that the army Is 700
s,naI1 in enlisted men to fulfill the heavy dn-
tias now imposed on 10, and 1t IL Is oVerwork-
al I therefore renew my recommendation
of last wear that Congress be asked TO give
% 600 enlisted men specihcaliy 10 the troops
in tbe line of the army and to make speclal
nrovision fer detachmentS OF advance men,
hospital stewards, ccmmissary sergeants'
West Point detachments, detailed clerks'etc',
in the same manner as mas ALREADY oeen nU'I
for the Signal Corps. In tins conneGtlo ~ .
win venture to call your attention to the fact
that the revised statutes, edition OF 1870 sec
ton 1l15, defining the organization oi Inv, vi"
| army, limits its strength 10 not mort l.nh
! % 900 enlisted men, but subsequent appropii-
| alton bills by proviSo have limited tne tA-
penditures to y, 800 enlisted men. SUM- me
| legal strength is 10000 enlisted men ana that
number is the least possible a, Whleh 70 fort,
| maintain the present organization Oh iorly
| regiments in anything like good order, uiHcl-
mine and economy, and infer that TINS enn
can be reached by emitting the PtoVlSoS IN
| the next appropriation bill. prosperous
times and the easy financial condition OF the
treasury NAV now enable Congress to pro
cure suitable ornaments FOR the lorts "h'ch
guard the chief harborS OF the country
WANTS STRATEGIC POSITIONS iELECTED'
| Snnakinp of the Northern Pacific, Union
Pacific and Southern Pacific railroads, Shcr-
man saws: ,,..i
lied the country in the past few years and i'm
nosed on the military an entire chane' OF
: policv Hitherto we have been compelled TO
maintain small posts along the wagon anu
stage routes of travel these are II" ,I' ,.nd
the settlements which grow up speedily
along new railroads afford the security neceS-
sarv and the regular stations built storage
at convenient distances afford shelter lor IN;
itarv stores and for men when operating in
s | the neiphborhood We should now absolute
G ~ abandon many of the smaller posts mthGr.o
| necessary and concentrate at strategic po'hIS
! generally near the national frontier or where
+ railroads intersect, rs to send out detach-
ments promptly to districts where needed.
Congress alone has power to dispose OF the
property of the United States, ara we lthc
military find ourselves possessed OF LAMBS
/, and houses obtained in early times when de-
10 mand occupation for preservation, ana ear
IS nestly recommend that provision be ma ie by
" law for the sale OF such aoahuoheu III ~
,, POSTS and outbuildings as are found to he
al necessary, with the right to apply the pro
10 ceeds of such sales to other places: Ga.
a Among the property OF the United state
III Sherman specifies posts in Kansas, New
re Mexico and Arizona, and also Forts hrogl
/, and Custer on the Yellowstone, built onl,
Il four years ago, and expresses the opinion
Mt that in very short time they Will becom
Of towns rather than military posts.
Inmy Judgment the time has now com
OF when the military authorities ought toselec
lit suitable strategic points for permanent occL
| nation and Improvement, whence uetaCI
III ments could be sent out Tor special servt &C
ch AS long as we possess and must care 10
h. these small posts, it is Impossible to aDand0
ho them to waste, and we are forced to hol
ty them: but if Congress will delegate to IN
n | President the Secretary OF War and III
>, board Of officers the right to sell these posi-
TIC and appropriate the proceeds OF the saie
be strategic points l am certain 1t viii result
-, great economy and enable US TO mhhtal
ia large garriSOnS with Increased dlsclp4lhe al
al better service.
Ia SEA COAST DEFENsEs.
'N For similar reasons and because the con
as merce of the world is carried on i'll ships
its 5000 tons and over, and because OF the heaN
| draft of war vessels, most OF our coast q
lenses are supertiuous. We have now M
mi ons of people, and the idea OF any nc
tile force landing on our coasts Is prepoSte
-, Gus. Yet our great cominerclai PotIs slEu
Var sion of danger need be felt Portland, Bt
T. ton. Newport, New York, Philadelphia, 70
III ROYAL, Hampton Roads, Key West, Pensac
on la, New Orleans, San Diego; oah franciS
=, and Port Townsend should all be proper
fortified and garrisoned. All minor tol
fes- should be sold or abandoned An annual a
hat preparation of S1,0OO,OOO would in ten yea
ia put these forts in good Order, anu ahotn
AID mlllien year would properly arm them, al
,m- the Secretary of War and the Preside
- should have discretion in the disburSeme
pa of the money. Artillery officers should al
lses be associated with the engineers in conStru
,ots | ing altering and repairing sea coast uetelN
because the men who have to hghtirom tht
! IN batteries should have something to do wi
ork their construction.
PROMIsCUoUs DIsCoLoRATION.
Also The education and manly training impa
,all | de to Young men ut West Point has reps
g., United States thousand times its co
i'a' d has more than verified the predictions
his eneral Washington. From time to time
IN odical complaints have arisen to its pre-
dice such ~ occurred last year in regard
the colored cadet, Whitaker. a thorout
en- patient, close investigation in the midst OF
-, tumult of abuse, resulted in q perfect vim
SOL cation of the authorities of that acaden
The Every cadet mt West Point is an appointee
Congress, each member having cadet OF
own nomi nation, with only ten appointed
the President-at-large The corps OF cad
~ therefore a youthful counterpart OF
National House of Representatives,. /
- same regulations, the same lnstructlo
books, clothing and food are common TO
and and a more Democratic body never exist
. on earth than is the corps of cadets. Pre-
lhoo dice is alleged against the colored cade
hief Prejudice of race is the most difficult to CO
nds tend against OF any In ote Wast pout th
In in the country ut large, and the practice
who equality ut West Point is in advance of
,o. country at large. The authorities ut the aci
ieht emy ha We no voice in the selection of can
hip. dates and must receive, Grain and educ;
du- such as are sent there, regardless of nation
W. ity, coloror previous condition. To diScri
ank mate in favor of a colored bow by reason
ives his color il rs much violation of the /
amendment to the Constitution as to d
an criminate against him, perfect impartial
six being the rule, and that believe the auth
!. tiles at West Point have endeavored to
. " low, In this connection desire to state IL
re- in nv Judgment the requirement that all I
4 IN enlisted men of the 9th and 10th cavalry a
of the oath and 18th infantry shall be color
OK, men, whilst the officers are white, is not CO
will sistent with the amendment to the Const
:. ton referred to. All men should be enlist
III who are qualified and assigned to regimen
regardless Of color or previous conditi,
Such has been Tie law and usage In our ma
for years and the army would soon grow
customed to it. No body of men on ear
mes has more reverence for the Constitution Il
-. laws than the army, and pledge my o.
'ho and the good faith of all in the service to
cor force faithfully every part of the Const
tho ton of the United States and every law ma
'No in pursuance thereof. General SchOtfeld
Tere | nh dan able 1uf forge the laws and re