The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1880-11-25
GEN. sHsRMAN's REPORT.

The annual report of General Sherman to
the Secretary of War is given to the public.
After calling attention to the various subordi-
nate reports, General Sherman SAYS: --.--
agree with General Sheridan, that the army
Is too small in enlisted men to fulfill the heavy
duties now imposed on it, and is overworked.
1 therefore renew my recommendation of Inst
year, that Congress be asked to give 25, 900
enlisted men specifically to troops of the line Of
the army, and to make separate provision for
detachments Of =" advance men," "engineer
battalion" hospital stewards, !" " "commissary
sergeants, "West Point detachments," "de-
tailed clerks, &C., in the same manner as has
already been done for the Signal Corps.
In this connection will venture to call your
attention to the fact that the Revised Statutes,
edition Of 1878, Section /, lis, defining the or
ganization Of the army, limits the strength to
" not more than &c, 900 enlisted men," but sub
sequent appropriation bills by provisos have
limited the expenditures to 25, 600 enlisted men.
Still the legal strength is 80, 900 enlisted men,
and that number is the least possible at which
We can maintain the present organization of
forty regiments In anything like good order,
discipline and economy, and / infer this end
can be reached by simply omitting the provisos
In the next appropriation bill.
General Sherman specifies posts in Kansas
New Mexiuo and Arizona and also Forts Keogh
and Custer, on the Yellowstone, built only four
years ago, and expresses the opinion that in
very short time they will become commercial
towns rather than military posts
'1n my judgment the time has now come
for the military authorities to select suitable
strategic points for permanent occupation and
Improvement, whence detaehments can be sent
out for special service. As long as we possess
and must care for these small posts it is impos-
slble to abandon them to waste, and we are
forced to hold on to them; but if Congress will
delegate to the President, the Secretary of War
and the Board Of Officers the right to sell these
posts and appropriate the proceeds Of the sale
to strategic points, am certain it will result in
great economy and enable rs to maintain
large garrison with increased discipline aud bet
ter service. For similar reasons and because the
commerce Of the world is carried on in shps of
3,OO0tons and over, and because Of the heavy
oraftof war vessels the most of our sea cost de-
ftnses are superiuous. Wen have fifty million
people, and the idea Of any hostile force land
ing on our coast is preposterous; yet our great
commercial ports should be made 30 safe that
even an apprehension of danger would not be
felt. Portland, Boston, Newport, New York.
Philadelphia, Hampton Roads, Port Royal
Key West, Pensacola, New Orleans, San Diego
San francisco, and Port Townsend should ali
be eproperly fortified and garrisoned All minor
forts should be sold or abandoned. An annual
appropriation Of 81 200, 900 would, in ten years,
put these forts in good order, and another mil
hon year would properly arm them, and the
Secretary Of War and President should have
discretion in the, disbursement OF this money
Artillery officers should also be associated with
the engineers in constructing, altering, and
repairing sea-coast defenses, because men who
have to light these batteries should have some
thing TO 40 In their construction"