Show SHERMANS REPORT the general recommends an increase of the army by W U telegraph to the KaTos nov tho the report of gen sherman with the reports of generals drum and sackett were submitted to the secretary of war they set forth that our companies arc are too 1311 for economy and amid efficiency and now that the treasury is not loaded with debt our army should not bo be compelled to do overwork and they appeal for relief he lie recommends ilia repeal of the ilia law limiting the tile army to he holds that no soldier should be compelled to do manual labor without compensation and recommends ilia repeal of the existing law to this end he ile speaks highly of west point ho be saya says the academy fulfills fiill fal ills fills its purpose and can safely 11 be trusted to make soldiers gol diers cicro thero are in the army companies necessarily widely scattered over our wide domain to guard property and prevent as far as foresight bt can complications and troubles of every variety and kind at one time protecting settlers against indians and Z a acain ain indians against settlers when these occur it is always sudden and the have to be hurried forward aroi from a great distances at a heavy cost for transportation of men horses wagons and supplies this cost nv will ill in the aggregate ac according cordin to my judgment bo be more than a sufficient buffi to supply an increase of 20 per cent of private soldiers all that I would ask for at this time because I believe this increase will add little if any n to the annual cost of the army and yet et biye give great relief to our overtaxed tabei so soldiers diers in the tile last ten years our frontiers have so extended un under der the protection of our small army as to a add dd at least a thousand million dollars to the taxable wealth of the nation it haa has enabled emigrants to settle up the ilia remote part of tho ilia country and is the prine principal apal cause of the great prosperity ty which is felt throughout all ail parts of tile country when tho the national treasury was poor and loaded with debt the army endeavored gracefully to submit to overwork but they now ap appeal cal for relief and I do most earnestly estu ask the honorable secretary of war to apply to congress to repeal that clause of the ex cistin law which limits the existing army to men and to enact that each and every company in the army may be enlisted to at least 50 privates making ca enlisted men and three officers to each of the companies thus in increasing tho the army army proper t to en listed men which number in in practice will probably never exceed 2000 this should form the combatant force ana as experience and universal praet practice ice have demonstrated the necessity for another or noncombatant non combatant force I further urge that an especial provision be made by law for each of the following separate and distinct purposes viz engineer ba tallion permanent ma nent recruiting g companies ri and ad parties 1250 enlisted men detailed on general servi service ec clerks ordnance department e laborers and mechanics westpoint detachment military aad academy m prison rison guard at fort UV awo ill special 90 hospital stewards ordnance sergeants commissary sergeants indian scouts signal detachment total which number added to the before explained will make the ilia total enlisted force of every nature and kind general sherman sub submits mitsa a st statement ato oatlie actual number of enlisted men in the regular army on oct 15 1681 t cavalry artillery 2403 infantry gotai total combar combatants t combatants engineer ba tallion ordnance department recruiting cr service signal corps etc tc total enlisted force of tho ilia army nearly every general officer commanding troops on the frontiers asks fr for a larger increase than I have herein in indicated but this may be better accomplished by giving the ri right to increase at liis his discretion the tile companies in most st exposed to danger to any number of privates not exceeding cee ding limited always in practice by the actual appropriations in in money rather than by a fixed number of alin men the general asks for an increase of nine nine majors in the inspectors corps and recommends that the whole question of the coast defense bo be submitted toa to a board of high officer cens while a similar board eliell consider the matter of ilia military posts and stations now obsolete these those recommendations ions arc are with a view to the sale and relief of the army from tile care of useless forts posts and stations somo some old forts go general slier man admits are worth retaining and in in order that the they may bo be properly taken carp of tile the general recommends that the president bo be authorized to transfer out of the class of enlisted men who have served for 25 years or more a number not to exceed including ordnance sergeants now and establish a veteran corps to be stationed at these old forts with the rank and pay they held at tho the close of their active career in the ardythe army the service to bo be subject to the rules and artic articles lesof of war but only to bo be used for guarding the public prope property t one ortho or two officers of tho the retired ir e 11 clasa class and P ft half a dozen of these old soldiers would compose a good garrison for an abandoned d od post or fort by granting the retired officers thus detailed fuel and quarters we would provide homes for worthy veterans which would bo be most honorable and charitable to them and advantageous advent ageous to aa As regards tho the west point academy gen sherman takes direct issue also with the tile recommendations of the board of visitor tora |