American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1880-11-27
Report OF General Sherman,
WASHINGTON, November Is.

The annual report OF General Sher-
man To the Secretary of War is given to
the public to day. After calling atten-
ton To various subordinate reports, the
General says:
al agree with Gcnerai Sheridan that the army
is to- small in enlisted m ~ to fuliill the heavy
duties now imposed on it. and Is ovcrworked.
/, therefore, renew my recomm cndatiou of
u { year that Congress- be Gsxcl to- give 5000
enlisted men specifically to the Troops of the
line OF the army, III to max Il separate pro-
vision for dctachneuts of advance men,
engineer BATTALION hospital Stewards
comm issary sergeants,' West Point dctach-
mcnts,' detailed clerks etc, in the same
manner rs has already been done for the
Signal Corps. In this connection will VEN
ture to call your atte:lti0n to the fact that the
Revised Statutes, edition of 1873, Sec. l,1l5,
defining the organization Of the army, limits
the strength to not more IN an S0.OJJ enlisted
mon,' but subsequent appropriation bills by.
p1pvisos have limited tbs. expenditures ta@2el
0oG enlisted men. Still the legal strength -
p,0o0 eplisted men, and that number fst tn.
lecst pJssibie at which We can maintain the
present Organization of forty regiments in
anything like good order, discipline and coon
omy, aud infer this end can be reached by
simply emitting the proviso5 in the next ap-
preparation bill.
1.-The pros porous times and easy financial
condition of the Treasury may now enable
Congress to provide suitable ornaments for
the forts which guard the chief harbors of the
country
Speaking of the Northern Pacific, Union Pa
cifc and Southern Pacific Railroads, General
Sherman says:
'These railroads have completely revolu-
tionized our country i'll the past few years,
and impose on the military entire change
of policy. Hitherto we have been compelled
to maintain small posts along wagon and stage
routes of tIavel These are no longer needed,
because no longer used, aud thu settlements
which grow up speedily along the new rail-
roads afford the security necessary, and the
regular stations built for storage at conve-
nient distances afford the necessary shelter
forstorcs, and for the men when operating in
the neighbour BOD. We should now absolutely
abandon many of the smaller posts hitherto
necessary, AMI concentrate ut strategic points,
generally near the National frontier or where
railroads interect, SO as to send out de-
tachments promptly to districts where need
ed.
"In my Judgment the time has now come
for the military authorities to select a sulta-
BILE strategic point for permanent occupation
and improvement, whence attachments can
be sent out for special service. As long
possess and must care for these small posts it
is i'm possible to abandon them to waste, and
we AZ Forced to hold them but If Congress will
designate to the President, the Secretary of
War and Board of Officers the right to sell
these posts and appropriate the proceeds of
sale to strategic points, am certain it will re-
suit in great economy AMI enable us to main
tain Large garris )as with increased discipline
and better service For similar reasons and
because the commerce of the world is carried
on In snips of 800 tons and over, and because
of the heavy draft of war vessels, most Of our
sea-coast detenses are superiluouS- We now
have 5).90J0J0 people, and the idea Of any
hostile force landing on our ennst ID
prcposterous; yet our great comneeuf0 ports
should be made So safe that even annpprehen-
sion of danger would not be felt. Portland,
Boston. Newport. New York, Philadelphia,
Hampton Roads, Port Royal, Key West, Pen
saco.a, Now Orleans, San Diego, San Francis
CO and Port Townsend should all be properly
fortified and gagrisoned. Ali minor forts
should be sold or abandoned. An annual up
preparation OF $l.O0o.oOO would in ten years put
these forts in good order, and another million
year would properly arm them, and the Sec
rotary of War and President should have dis
erection in the disbursement OF this money,
Artillery officers should also be associated
with engineers in constructing, altering and
repairing sca-coast dcfcnscs, because the men
who have TO fight these batteries should have
something to do in their construction.
referring to the reports of G enorLi Schoficld
and Colonel Gctty relative to West Point and
the artillery school ut Fortress Monroe, Gcu-
eral Sherman says:
"In my Judgment both these institutions are
in as good order as possible, and both are an
honor to tn, country. Education must always
be the surest basis of National security and
honor. The education and manly training i'm
parted to young men at West Point have II paid
the United States n thousand times their cost,
and have more than verified the predictions OF
General Washington From time to time
periodical complaints have arisen to its preju-
dice, such rs occurred last year in regard TO
tI,. lot ~
patient, close investigation in tho midst of a
tumuit of abuse resulted in the perfect vindi-
cation of the authorities Of that Academy.
Every cadet Mt West Point is an appointee of
n member of Congress, elch member having a
cadet of his own nomination there, with
only ten appointed by the President at
large The corps of cadets IL there-
fo:e a youthful counterpart of our
National House of Representatives. The
same laws. the same regulations, the same In
struction books, clothing and food are COM
mon to all, and Il more democratic body never
existed on earth than is the corps of cadets.
Prejudice IL alleged az AIMS. oolorod cadets.
Prejudice of race Is the most difficult to con-
tend against of any in this world. There is no
more such prejudice at West Point than in the
country ut largo, and the practice Of equality
at West Point is In advance of the rest of tn 6
country. The authorities at tho Academy
have no voice In the selection Of candidates
are there, regardless of nationality. color. or
previous condition. To discriminate in favor
of a colored boy by reason Of his color IL as
much II violation of the Fourteenth Amend
ment TO the Constitution rs to discriminate
against him, perfect impa-tiality being the
rule, and that, believe, the authorities at West
Point have cndeavored to follow. In this CON
nection desire to state that in my judgment
the requirement that all enlisted men of the
Ninth and Tenth Cavalry and of the Twenty
fourth and Twenty-ffth Infantry shall be co.
ored men, while the officers white, is not |
with the amendment Of the Consti- |
tuition referred TO. ALI men should be enlisted
who qualified, and assigned to regiments |
of color or previous condition. |
Such has boon the law and usage in the avy |
for years, and the army would soon grow 40 |
more reverence for the Constitution and laws |
than the army. and pledge my own and the |
good faith of all in the service enforce faith
fully every part of the Constitution of the |
United States, and every law made in pursu- |
ance thereof. General Schofield is Abundant |
ly able to enforce the laws and regulations of |
the academy.
:" The education mt Fort Monroe, under the |
supervision of Colonel Getty, is purely profess |
.iOnal, and limited chiefly to the artillery arm
IF the service. This education cannot be
found In another college In America, and is |
because the use of artillery is limited |
10 war on large scale, and cannot be learned |
N our Indian wars or in common life When |
he necessity arises for artillery officers as In |
,ur Mexican war and also our civil war, it Is
sudden and Immediate. This school costs
lothing but the ordinary garrison expenses.
still desire to establish a similar school for
infantry and cavalry at Leavenworth as soon
Is the condition of Indian affairs will admit Of |
he sure release OF some good infantry rcgi-