48 



AEMY OF THE UNITED STATES. 



cultivated soil very largely in 1880. Consid- 

 erable quantities of agricultural tools and im- 

 plements have been distributed, and the demand 

 is constantly growing. So far as regards the 

 solution of the Indian question, the Secretary 

 of the Interior is of the opinion that it " de- 

 pends upon the civilization of the Indians and 

 their ability to take care of themselves." 



The expenditures of the "War Department 

 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1879, were 

 $42,653,723. The appropriations available for 

 the service of the fiscal year ending June 30, 

 1878, were $45,076,702; those for 1879 were 

 $53,016,040; and those for the fiscal year end- 

 ing June 30, 1880, were $46,269,821. The es- 

 timates for the service of the fiscal year ending 

 June 30, 1881, amount to $40,380,428. The 

 estimates for the civil establishment, which is 

 the War Department proper, amount to $1,159,- 

 460. The force of the War Department and 

 its bureaus was reorganized by an act of June 

 20, 1874, and placed on a basis, as to numbers, 

 grades, and compensation, which seemed to be 

 satisfactory in the transaction of public busi- 

 ness, until that basis was materially changed 

 by legislative reduction in 1876, and was 

 thereafter considered by Congress as subject 

 to further decrease. The military establish- 

 ment is estimated for on the basis of 25,450 

 enlisted men, the Signal Corps being by law 

 allowed 450 men not to be included in the 

 25,000. Under this head the estimates for the 

 fiscal year ending June 30, 1880, were $29,- 

 335,727.33 ; the appropriations to meet the 

 same were $26,978,847.33 ; and the present 

 estimates are for $29,319,794.78. The princi- 

 pal differences between the estimates and the 

 appropriations are on account of the item for 

 pay, etc., of the army, which is made up of 

 estimates based on arithmetical calculations, 

 and on items for the Ordnance Department 

 which relate to timely provisions for the pub- 

 lic defense in any emergency that may arise. 

 The estimates for the public works are $7,557,- 

 034.42, which amount is $396,043.34 less than 

 the estimates for 1879, $113,946.88 less than 

 those for 1880, and $3,237,460.19 less than the 

 appropriations for 1880, which were $10,794,- 

 464.61. The amounts appropriated for "forti- 

 fications and other works of defense " during 

 the last five years have been insufficient to 

 preserve all such Government property from 

 waste. This fact accounts for the annual in- 

 crease in the amounts suggested for these 

 works by the Chief of Engineers. Under this 

 title the estimates for 1880, which were $3,- 

 188,400, were reduced to $1,000,000, and the 

 present estimates, rendered in detail, for $4,- 

 028,500, have been reduced in the aggregate 

 to $1,000,000, which amount could be wisely 

 and properly applied to the preservation and 

 care of these works. The estimates for rivers 

 and harbors, rendered by items for $14,326,- 

 650, were reduced in the aggregate to $5,015,- 

 000, which was the total of the amount ap- 

 propriated for the fiscal year 1877, and which 



seems to have been sufficient for the promotion 

 of the general commerce of the country during 

 that time. The miscellaneous estimates are 

 $2,344,139.73, of which amount about one 

 fourth appertains annually to the departmen- 

 tal collection and diffusion of valuable official 

 data, such as the observation and report of 

 storms through the Signal Service, the compi- 

 lation and publication of official records of 

 the war of the rebellion, and the like, and 

 the remaining portion (which is over $1,500,- 

 000) is made up of items wholly relative to 

 certain moral obligations of the Government, 

 such as the support of the National Home for 

 Disabled Volunteer Soldiers, the furnishing of 

 artificial limbs and other appliances to disabled 

 soldiers, and the care of national cemeteries. 

 The aggregate of the estimates for the next 

 fiscal year is $2,273,294.69 less than the amount 

 of actual expenditures of 1879, $5,889,393.01 

 less than the appropriations available for the 

 service of the fiscal year 1880, and is $7,289.40 

 less than the estimates for 1880, which were 

 for a less sum of money than any annual esti- 

 mates rendered to Congress from the Depart- 

 ment for a period of at least eleven years. 



The preparation of the Union and Confeder- 

 ate War Records is progressing under the man- 

 agement of Colonel E. N. Scott, of the army. 

 The Secretary of War says: "There is a gen- 

 eral disposition on the part of the ex-Confed- 

 erate officers to contribute material to the 

 official History of the War." The Southern 

 Historical Society has placed its collection at 

 the service of the Department, and valuable 

 documents have been furnished by Generals 

 Johnston, Pemberton, Wheeler, Jones, Kug- 

 gles, and others. 



The total number of deaths from all causes 

 reported among the white troops was 266, or 

 12 per 1,000 of mean strength. Of these, 162, 

 or 7 per 1,000 of strength, died of disease, and 

 104, or 5 per 1,000 of strength, of wounds, ac- 

 cidents, and injuries. The proportion of deaths 

 from all causes to cases treated was 1 to 142. 

 The total number of white soldiers reported to 

 have been discharged the service on " surgeon's 

 certificate of disability" was 677, or 31 per 

 1,000 of mean strength. The total number of 

 deaths of colored soldiers reported from all 

 causes was 28, or 14 per 1,000 of mean strength. 

 Of these, 15, or 8 per 1,000 of strength, died 

 of disease, and 13, or 6 per 1,000 of strength, 

 of wounds, accidents, and injuries. The pro- 

 portion of deaths from all causes to cases treated 

 was 1 to 140. The total number of colored 

 soldiers reported to have been discharged on 

 "surgeon's certificate of disability " was 42, or 

 22 per 1,000 of mean strength. 



The survey of the territory west of the 100th 

 meridian has been continued in the States of 

 Colorado, Texas, Nevada, California, and Ore- 

 gon, and in the Territories of Arizona, New 

 Mexico, Utah, and Washington, and in connec- 

 tion with this work a special survey of Great 

 Salt Lake has been completed. No funds were 



