St. Landry democrat., 1881-11-19
TIE Annual Report OF the General Of
the Army.

General Sherman has submitted his an
nual report to the Secretary of War, lnclos-
ing the reports of Generals Drum and Sack
| EFT. and the reports Of the commanding
Generals Of the divisions and departments.
! The General says, referring to the reports
of tie latter. that they all show that our
companies are too small Tor c1lIc.cnt DIS
cipi, al for economical scrl ice. When
! the Treasury was poor and loaded with
! debt, the army eldeayored to gracefully
| submit to oVeI work, but now, says General
/ sherman, they appeal for relief. and it is
| recommended that Congress repeal that
clause Of the existing law which limits the
enlisted force CT the Amy to 1900 men.
/ Considerable space is devoted to he discus
sion CT the subject OF officers servants,
Genera! sherman maintaining that no SOL
| der should ever be compelled to do menlal
| labor without compensation. or without his
| consent. and he recommends that the exist
ing law be repealed or modified so as to Sc
cure this end.
Referring to West Point, he says it has
been, and must continue to be. the fountain
source Of military education in time of
peace. In his Judgment, the Military
Academy at West Point fulfiis its uses,
and can safely be inrusted to prepare boys
to become the soldiers OF the future.
s. Il here are in the army 4}0 companies,
necessarily widely scattered over our vast
domain, to guard the property and prevent,
as far as foresight can, complications ana
troubles Of every variety and kind; at one
time protecting settlers against Indians,
and again Indians against settlers. When
these occur it is always sudden, and rein
forcements have to be hurried forward
from great distances and always at IA heavy
cost for transportation OF men, horses,
wagons, amt supplies. This cost in the
aggregate will, in my judgment, be more
than sufficient to supply an increase OF
twenty per cent. of private solGiers-all
that | would ask for Mt this tIme-because
believe this increase will add little, II any,
TO the annual cost of the army, and yet
give great relief to our OvertaXed soldiers.
In the last ten years our frontiers have SD eN-
tended under The protec ion OF our small
army as to add at least s | 900 ,0n, 900 to the
taxable wealth Of The Nation. This has en-
abied emlgrants TO settle mp remote parts OF
the country, and is the principal cause OF the
great prosperity which is felt throughout all
parts Of the country. WheH the National
Treasury was poor and loaded with debt.
the army endeavored gracefully to submit
to oVerwork, but they now appeal for re-
lief; and do most earnestly ask the honor
able Secretary of War to apply to Congress
to repeal that clause of the existing law
which limits the enlisted force Of the army
to $4,000 men, and TO enact that each and
every company in the army may be
enlisted to at least fifty privates,, making
slXty-two enlisted men and three
officers to each of the $50 companies,
thus increasing the army proper to
26, 660 enlisted men, which number, il
practice. will probably never exceed $4,000.
This should form the combatant force; and,
as experience and universal practice have
demonstrated the necessity for another or
non -combatant force. | further urge that
sps cial provision be made by law for each
of the following separate and distinct pur-
1OseS-YiZ.:
Engineer battalion 600,
Permanentrecruting companies and par
Enlisted men detailed on general service
Ordnance Department laborers and me
chanics ...,............. .. 400.
West Point detachments Military Ac-
Prison euard at Fort Leavenworth 49,
tSpecial... ......... .............. 90
Ordnance Serg ants. Observation-Disclosures. liz
Sommissary Sergeants. Observation-Disclosures. $50
iiltildii SCOUTS. .Ght
Signal detachment. Observation-Disclosures. 500
Iotal, ........................31o 3
Which number, added to the 26, go be-
fore explained, will make the total enlisted
force OF every nature and kind 3n.449.'
General Sherman submits a statement Of
the actual number of enlisted men in the
regular army October 10:
Artillery. o4O}
Infantry II 52o
Total combatants .......l qS15
Non=combatantS engineer. battalion,
o!danGe department, recruiting sery-
ice. signal corps. ercD... ......,... S,1SI
iotai enlisted iorce OF army. q, 1876
Nearly every general officer command
ing troops on the frontier asks for a larger
increase than l have herein Indicated, but
tins may be better accomplished by giving
TO the President the right to increase at
his discretion, companies most exposed to
danger to any number Of privates not ex-
ceeding 100, limited always in practice bv
the actual appropriations of money rather
than by the fixed number of menu
The General asks for an increase of nine.
Majors in the Inspectors corps, and recon-
meRds that the whole question of coast de-
tense be submitted to board of high Off
GERS, while similar board should consider
the matter OF military posts and stations now
obsolete. These recommendations are with
a view to the safe and relief of thearmv from
the care OF useless forts, posts and stations.
Some old forts. General Sherman admits. are
worth retaining, and, in order that these
may be properly taken care of, he recon-
mends that s. the President be authorized
to transfer out OF the class of enlisted men
who have served for twenty-five wears or
more, number not to exceed 500, including
Ordinance sergeants (now 112), and establish
veteran corps to be stationed at these
old forts, with the rank and pay they held
at the close of their active career of army
service, to be subject to the rules and arti-
cles OF war, but only to be used for guard
my PUBIC property. One or two officers Of
the retired class and half dozen OF these
old soldiers would compose good garrison
1or an abandoned post or fort. BY granting
the retired officers thus detailed fuel and
quarters, we would provide homes for
worthy veterans, which would be most hon
ofabie and charitable to them and advan-
1nIrn