32 



ARMY, UNITED STATES. 



by companies in posts in the most inhospitable 

 parts of the continent, to which every article 

 of food, forage, clothing, ammunition, etc., 

 must be hauled in wagons, at great cost. A 

 heavy item of expenditure is the cost of fuel 

 and materials for making huts, sometimes at a 

 distance of one or two hundred miles from a 

 place where a growing sapling may be found. 

 A reduction of the estimates to those before 

 the war would make it necessary to withdraw 

 the troops from a large part of the distant Ter- 

 ritories. The railroad companies to whom the 

 materials of the department were sold, at the 

 close of the war, incurred a debt of $7,591,406, 

 which increased, by interest, to $9,000,000. 

 About one-half of this amount has been paid. 

 Suits have been commenced against those not 

 manifesting a disposition to cancel their ob- 

 ligations. The transportation of the depart- 

 ment over the railroads of the country has 

 been made at less than the war rates, and 

 has amounted to $2,253,304. The water trans- 

 portation has cost $1,424,222. Of the former 

 amount $933,166.21 was paid to the Pacific 

 Railroads, one-half being paid in cash, and the 

 other half retained in the Treasury to meet the 

 interest on the bonds guaranteed by the United 

 States. During the year 96,000 persons, 3, TOO 

 animals, and 62,000 tons of stores, have been 

 moved by water, and 60,000 persons, 14,000 

 animals, and 40,000 tons of stores, by railroad. 

 27,000 tons of stores have been moved by con- 

 tractors for wagon transportation. The Pacific 

 Railroad has occupied some of the principal 

 routes of former wagon transportation, and 

 has saved the Government much money in 

 supplying the posts along its line. The cloth- 

 ing and equipage on hand at the close of the 

 war has been reduced by sales, but the amount 

 that still remains is estimated at more than 

 $42,000,000 in value. The two most impor- 

 tant depots are the Schuylkill Arsenal and the 

 one at Jefferson ville, Indiana. The number of 

 national cemeteries is seventy-two, and there 

 are three hundred and thirteen local posts and 

 private cemeteries in which soldiers lie buried. 



The subsistence supplies for the Army have 

 been mainly procured in the large market 

 cities of the country. The average cost of the 

 ration at these markets has been about twenty- 

 three cents. Efforts to procure salt meats on 

 the Pacific coast for troops stationed there 

 have met with great success ; supplies of excel- 

 lent quality have been obtained at favorable 

 prices. Tobacco, at an average monthly value 

 of $19,000, has been furnished to troops at cost 

 prices, and the Freedmen's Bureau has been 

 supplied with stores to the value of nearly 

 $250,000. 



The issues to Indians at various points have 

 amounted to more than $150,000, and, at the 

 request of the Interior Department, stores 

 valued at $37,500 were issued to destitute 

 Osages and others to prevent starvation during 

 the winter. Under an arrangement between 

 the "War Department and the Department of 



the Interior, the Indian Department is fur- 

 nished with food for the Indians on several res- 

 ervations on the Missouri River and in the In- 

 dian Territory. 



There has been paid $27,621.75 as commuta- 

 tion of rations to Union soldiers while prison- 

 ers of war. Claims for supplies furnished the 

 Army during the war, amounting to $2,899,- 

 806.15, have been received, of which $288,- 

 033.87 have been allowed, and $2,581,064.13 

 have been rejected. 



During the fiscal year 11,907 accounts and 

 returns have been received from various offi- 

 cers, of which 11,787 have been examined and 

 referred to the Third Auditor for final settle- 

 ment. 



The current expenditures of the Medical 

 Department amounted to $233,561. At Key 

 "West the troops were attacked with yellow 

 fever, but by their prompt removal the ravages 

 of the disease were at once stopped. The 

 number of cases on the sick list during the 

 year was 104,235. The average number con- 

 stantly on the sick report was about 5.5 per 

 cent. 



The Engineer Department of the Army has 

 charge of the construction of the permanent 

 forts, the improvement of rivers and harbors, 

 with such other duties as are imposed by 

 special laws. A very interesting subject has 

 been under consideration in this Department 

 during the year. It relates to the alterations 

 required in the various forts in consequence 

 of the increased weight of ordnance. Nearly 

 all the sea-coast forts were planned at a time 

 when the eight-inch gun was the heaviest 

 afloat, and before rifled guns came into use. 

 Now, however, that ordnance of the fifteen 

 and twenty inch calibres, throwing a shot over 

 one thousand pounds in weight with a velocity 

 of fifteen hundred feet per second, have come 

 into general use, the problem of resistance is 

 entirely changed. It is believed that casemate 

 forts, no matter how reenforced with iron, are 

 not able to resist these shot, and changes must 

 be made to meet this change of facts. The en- 

 gineer officers have carefully studied this sub- 

 ject and made many most valuable experi- 

 ments. The Board of Engineers in New York 

 has laid down five general propositions for ap- 

 plication to all modifications of the sea-coast 

 forts, viz. : 



1. The use of barbette batteries of earth, 

 with deep parapet, and a liberal number of 

 bomb-proof and magazine traverses. 



2. The use of the heaviest guns practicable, 

 with carriages admitting of the gun being de : 

 pressed below the parapet for loading. 



3. An abundant supply of heavy mortars. 



4. The use of torpedoes. 



5. Entanglements to hold a fleet long enough 

 for destruction. 



These propositions seem to fulfil all the 

 conditions required. No foreign army will be 

 likely to attempt a landing on the coast, and a 

 hostile fleet can only endeavor to run by the 



