Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1883-12-06
WAR DEPARTMENT.

tor of telegraph lines and operate them by
its officers and agents.
WAR DEPA ARTMENT.
The expenditures of the department dur
| ing the last fiscal year (ended June so, 1889
amounted to $40 79l, 055. The sum of 81, ,663,-
1870 was credited under the act of March
| g. 1879 to the subsidized Pacific railroads. for
transportation services rendered the War de-
partment during the fiscal year 1888, and
prior years.
The distribution of the official records of
the rebellion, devolved upon the secretary's
| Office by the act of August I, 1882, has greatly
| increased the labor of the office, particularly
of the librarian, who has been charged with
the work. During the past year he has re-
| ceiyed 10000 volumes of these records, and
| Ras mailed to separate addresses over &c, ,0OS
Volumes keeping record of each volume so
sent.
| The appropriations for the support of the
| Signal service for the fiscal year ending June
| 80, 1888 have been found insufficient, and
estimates will be submitted to supply de-
| hciencies.
| Attention is called TO the recommendation
| Of General Sherman, that new organization
be adopted for the regiments of infantry so
| that each shall be composed of twelve COM
| panies, making three battalions of four COM
| panies each, each company having one hun
| dred men; and that in time of peace two of
these battaions shall be maintained on a
| perfect war footing, while the other battal-
| ion may be mere skeleton with its compile
! ment of officers, and be used as a nucleus for
| recruits. The great advantage of this change,
! as suggested by the general, is the important
| one of being able to put large and effective
| force in the field upon short notice, by
| merely enlisting sufficient number of addi-
| tional private soldiers, the officers and Or
pp0IZltlOD bpInu ALWAYS rpo1y n rapaiva
| them.
During the past year an additional COM
| pany in each of the regiments of artillery
| has been mounted and equipped as a light
| battery, so that there are now in service ten
| light batteries, stationed in different parts
of the United States.
The history of the army during the past
| year has been one of almost unbroken quiet
| during which the troops have been engaged
| in no more active duties than those of guard
| ing the Indian reservations, and in keeping
| themselves prepared for any service upon
| which they might be called. The only ex-
| ceptlon to this record occurred in Arizona
| where in March last small party of Indians
| made raid from Mexico, and, after killing
| nine persons, escaped back to the difficult
country from which they had come. Briga-
| dier General Crook made vigorous pursuit.
| going many miles into Mexico and after
penetrating into an almost inaccessible part
of the Sierra Madre mountains, had fight
| with the Indians, and returned with large
| number of prisoners among whom were
| tifty-two male Indians.
The schools for officers lone at Fortress
Monroe for higher instruction in artillery,
| and one at Fort Leavenworth for more per
feet instruction in matters relating to the
cavalry and infantry arms of the seryice) are
| reported by the general as being in excellent
| condition, and as well managed and fulfill
| ing their purpose.
The number of desertions from the army
| in the past year was nearly $780, only few
| less than the extraordinary number of the
| year before. The most earnest efforts are
being made to ascertain and, so far as posi-
| BILE, do away with the causes of desertion. |
| beg leave to renew the recommendation
| made last year, that partial remedy may be
| found by increasing the pay to what it was
in 1865, that is, SIS per month for private
| soldier and a proportionate amount for non
| commissioned officers.
MILITARY ACADEMY.
The superintendent reports that the gem
| eral tone and discipline of the corps of cadets
| are very good. The total number Of cadets
| present September l, last, was 311.
ADJUTANT GENERALS DEPARTMENT
The full list of officers authorized by law
| to act as instructors in tactics and military
| science at colleges throughout the country
| has been SO employed during the past year !,
| The reports show continuing interest taken
| by the college authorities and students in this
| work
TIE adjutant general recommends that
| Congress be asked to authorize the retire
| ment OF enlisted men who have served
| faithfully for not less than 35 years with full
| pay of the grade held by them at the time of
| their retirement.
concur in his recommendation that some
| proper provision be made for such cases.
| 4
made last year, that the laws should be
amended so as to permit officers at remote
| posts to employ enlisted men, upon the ap-
| proval of the proper department commander,
for domestic purposes where servants cannot
| be obtained.
L also renew my recommendation that
there be restored the per diem allowance to
officers serving away from their stations on
| courts-martial and military boards.
| QUARTERMAsTERs DEPARTMENT.
At the beginning of the last fiscal year
| there remained in the treasury to the credit
OF the quartermaster's department 81, 1872
2336o. The sum appropriated was Sill, 375,-
| OOO and the balance undrawn at the close of
the year 81, 295, ,27901.
Preliminary steps have been taken for the
erection OF the Hot Springs hospital for
which Congress- by act of June 80, 1882, ap-
| propriated 100000. A contract has been
made for the work at SS5, ,335, the lowest Offer
Special attention is invited to the subject
OF the railroads indebted to the United States
for material sold them in 1865 and 1866. Of
| the fifty railroads which became indebted to
the government for such purchases, forty-six
have settled their debts. The four which
| the books of the office show as still indebted
have made no cash payment for several
years, and at present there is no probability
that settlement will ever be reached, and
it is suggested that the whole matter be
nsfa 10 tI,ar e 81
ernment service.
There were purchased 065 cavalry and
artillery horses at an average cost of S156.59,
and 1876 mules at an average cost of S170.02
and SO draught horses at an average cost of
$22037.
The sales of animals were 937 cavalry and
| artillery horses, 123 draught horses and $50
mules realizing SS7, ,s9l. 80, which is deposited
| n the treasury. excepting a small sum re-
iceived from sales to officers.
| There were on hand June 80, 1888, 16,400
animals, of which 7797 were cavalry and
artillery horses, the remainder, S603. were
| quartermasters draught and pack animals,
as follows: 62S horses, 1850 mules and 25
| oxen.
The quartermaster general calls attention
to the loan of tents to the sufferers by reason
of the overflow of the Mississippi river, by
which S4359.S9 worth of property has been
lost to the United States by reason of failure
| W IeIuTn III. Inc nOsplIal tentS nave Ueen
much used in this and other ways, under
special acts of Congress, and are worn out
and the stock exhausted
The national homes for disabled volunteers
have been supplied with much old pattern
clothing.
The whole number of national cemeter les
now under the care of the Quartermaster's
department is SO, containing 32l,S69 inter
ments. There has been some delay in prose-
cutting the work of providing headstones for
the soldiers graves IN private, village and
city cemeteries, but the work will be con-
tinued until brought TO satisfactory close.
MEDICAL DEPARTMENT
The total number OF deaths from all causes
J reported from the army for the fiscal year