The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1881-11-11
THE ARMY.


Gen Sherman has submitted his annual re.
port to the Secretary of War, inclosing the |
reports Of Gems. Drum and Sackett, and the |
reports Of the commanding Generals of the |
divisions and departments. The General says
referring to the reports Of the latter that they
all show that our companies are too small for
efficient discipline ana for economical service
When the treasury was poor and loaded with
debt, the army endeavored to gracefully submit
to overwork, but now, says Gen. Sherman
they appeal for relief, and it is recommended
that Congress repeal that clause of the existing
law which limits the enlisted force of the army
to rs, 900 men.
Considerable space is devoted to the discus
sion of the subject of officers servants, Gen.
Sherman maintaining that no soldier should
ever be compelled to do mental labor without
compensation, or without his CONSENT; and he
recommends that the existing law be repealed
or modified so as to secure 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
fulflls its uses, and can safely be intrusted to
prepare boys to become the soldiers of the
future.
There are in the army 43O companies, neces-
to guard the property and prevent, as far as
foresight can; complications and 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 reinforcements hare to be hurried
forward from great distances and always at
heavy cost for transportation of men, horses,
wagons and supplies. This cost in the aggre-
gate will, in my judgment, be more that sufi-
cient to supply an increase of 20 per cent. of
private soldiers-all that I would ask for this
time-because believe this increase will add
little, if any, to the annual cost of the army, and
yet give great relief to our oyertaxed soldiers.
In the last ten years our frontiers have so ex-
tended under the protection of our small army
as to add at least 81 ,000 000 600 to the taxable
wealth of the nation. This has enabled emil
grants to settle up remote parts of the
country, and is the principal cause of the great
prosperity which is felt throughout all parts of
the country. When the national treasury was
poor and loaded with debt, the army en-
deavored gracefully to submit to overwork,
but they now appeal for relief and
I do most earnestly ask the honorable
Secretary of War to apply to Congress
to repeal that clause of the existing
law which limits the enlisted force of the army
to Il, 600 men, and to enact that each and every
company in the army may be enlisted to at least
fifty privates, making siXty-two enlisted men
and three officers to each 430 companies, thus
increasing the army proper to $3.50 enlisted
men, which number, in practice, will probably
never exceed 25, 000. This should form the COM
Blatant force and, as experience and universal
practice have demonstrated the necessity for an
other or non-combatant force 1 further urge
that special provision be made by law for each
OF the following separate and distinct purpo-
| ses-viz;
Engineer battalion. 200
Permanent recruiting companies and parties. $50
/r1nr
| Ordnance Department aborers and mechanic) 400
west Point detachments (military academy. -. 49,
! Prison guard at Fort Leavenworth (speci -. 81
Hospital stewards ........ l95
| Ordnance Sergeants III
Commissary Sergeants ............ !....... $50
Indian scouts ......'.......,,. 80
Total. .............. 8, 7S9
Which number, added to the 26,66O before
| explained, will nuke the total enlisted force of
every nature and kind 3d., 449.
Gen. Sherman submits q statement Of the
actual number of enlisted men in the regular
army Oct. ISL
Artllery. 240i
infantry 1870 ''..'.''....'.......... I5
/ Total comoatants -. 1855
| Non-combatants engineer battalion, ordnance
! department, recruiting service, signal corps
etc.) s.....!.... observation-disclosures. 1871
Tota! enlisted force Of army ..............23,9 80
"Nearly every general officer commanding
troops on the 'front.', r asks for larger increase
than havo herein indicated. but this may be
better accomplished by giving to the President
the right to increase, at his discretion, COM
| panies most exposed to danger to any number
| of priVates not exceeding 100, limited always in
| practice by the actual appropriations of money
rather than by the fixed numb r of men,"
The General asks for an increase of nine
Majors in the Inspectors corps, and recon-
do khn4t no. .lxx,l.,
| be Submitted to board Of high officers, while
a similar board should consider the matter of
military posts and stations now obsolete. These
recommendations are with a view to the sale
and relief of the army from the care of useless
forts, posts and stations. Some old forts, Gen.
Sherman admits, are worth retaining, and, in
order that these may be properly taken care Of
he recommends that the President he au-
thorized to transfer out of the class of eu-
listed jnen who have served for twenty
| i've years or more. a number not
to exceed 500, including Ordnance Sergeants
| (now 112), and es; ablish 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 articles of war, but only to be used
for guarding public property. One or two
officers of the retired class and half dozen of
these old soldiers would compose good garri.
son for an abandoned post or fort. BY grant
| ing the retired officers thus detailed fuel and
quarters, we would provide homes for worthy
| veterans, which would be most honorable and
charitable to them and advantageous to the
| Government"
Gen. Sherman, in his remarks on West Point,
says: "The Board Of Visitors substantially
recommended that the Superintendent Of the
Military Academy should be Colonel of En-
gineers. 1 viii eoncede to the engineers all
they ask, but when war comes the engineer
naturally takes to maneuvering and parapets,
whereas the infantry, cavalry and artillery must
go in and dothe fighting. It was SO in 1872 and
1916, and 1861-65. West Point is intended to
make soldiers, and not professional epgi-
neers, and the word soldier embraces everything
in war. If the engineer be better soldier than
the infantry officer then let him in war and
peace have all the honor and emoluments. But
our recent experience does not fulfill this asser-
ton"
Gen. Sherman takes direct issue also with
other recommendations of the Board of Visi-
f0ro