Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1895-09-23
WAR DEPARTMENT,
Washington, d. G..
September Z, 1895.

Sir:--I have the honor to acknowledge
the receipt of the letter of the acting sec
rotary of the interior, dated the Goth ulti-
mo, inclosing copy of letter from the
governor of the territory of New Mexico,
dated August %, 1895, and commencing
to favorable consideration the request
therein contained for the re-occupation
of Fort Marcy at Santa Fe.
In reply beg to state that, before the
order for the transfer of the Fort Marcy
reservation to the interior department
was issued, the question of its abandon
ment by the war department received my
careful consideration, and became con-
WINGED that the post was not adapted to
our present needs for the protection of
the interests of the United States in the
discharge of its international obligations
respecting the Mexican border.
For your further information will
state that in reporting to me, under date
of February 20, 1895, upon the letter ad-
dressed to this department by Governor
Thornton, dated February 5, 1895, urging
the re-establishment of the post of Fort
Marcy, the lieutenant-general remarked
that there did not seem to be any present
necessity for garrison at Santa Fe, and
he doubted the wisdom of diminishing
the garrisons of the posts so near the
Mexican frontier as Fort Bayard until
after more complete disposition of the
San Carlos Indians.
The present force of the army from
necessity must be disposed where it is
most available and needed, regardless OF
the wishes of localities. If the force were
larger or the conditions changed it might
possibly be we'll to have post in New
Mexico, but even in that event doubt il
the re-occupation of Fort Marcy would be
deemed wise by this department. Very
respectfully,
(SigneG DANIEL s. LAMONT,
Secretary of War.
The above is the final response by the
war department on subject which has
long occupied Gov. Thornton's earnest
attention. 1t is not welcome news, to be
sure, but, reading between tie lines, it il
apparent that it might be worse, for the
fact is that Sec. Lamont and his asso
ciates do not consider Fort Marcy at al
fit for reoccupation by troops. The sec
rotary ls on official record as favoring the
! SobdDliSuulcub ucIc VI d largo uOQcEL
post, and wrote to the military committee
of the last congress unequivocally ex
pressing himself to this end; therefore hi
holds that Santa Fe should wait unit
action is had by congress on the bill nov
pending to provide said large post
Looking at it from cold-blooded stand
point of business it is hardly to be ex
pected that troops could be assigned to
this post, out of repair and unfit, as every
sensible man we'll knows, in view of the
possibility of the approaching congress
providing the larger post. So this seems
to end the matter, as far as concerns the
present site of Fort Marcy. As is well
known, citizens of Santa Fe have pur.
chased and rendered to the government q
desirable traDt of 1900 acres of land just
south of the city to serve as such new
post, and every citizen should now buckle
to and urge our friends in the next con
gress co aid in expediting the passage Of
the pending bill. The controlling spirits in
army circles are on record in the prem
Uses and are in our favor, so if congress
acts promptly it will not be very many
months before Santa Fe will see in course
of construction here larger and more
permanent military establishment than
we ever had