Rensselaer Union, Volume 10, Number 11, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 November 1877 — The Army. [ARTICLE]

The Army.

Washington, Nov. 30. The report of the Secretary of War, in addition to the usual formal review of the condition of the Army, and the military operations for the past year, contains some important recommendations, the most prominent of which is that relating to organization. The Secretary, after alluding to the injurious effects of' the constant interfering with the Army by legislation, threatening reductions, urges an elastic system of organization which will be capable of extension in case of necessity to an aggregate force of 30,000 to 40,000 men. He considers that the necessities of the country demand a military force not less than that now authorized by statute, which should be capable, by increasing the numerical strength of the companies, of being raised to the standard necessary to meet any ordinary contingency. The report, in speaking of the Indian service, favors the placing of the feeding of all the Indian nations now provided witli rations by the Government in charge of the Commissary Department of the Army. On the subject of the retirement of officers from active service, the Secretary urges legislation which will remove the present limitation as to the number of officers who may be on the retired list at the same as at present. This number is 360. By a removal of this limitation the number will not be materially increased, as a careful inquiry shqws that with the proposed changes there .would. be ouly abqut fqrty officers to add to the iist. The SeefSlarj’ dots not lavdi any change in the portion of the statute which leaves the question of retirement to the discretion of the President. It ha% always been urged by the younger office rs of the Army that it should be obligatory up»n the President to retire officers at the age of sixty-two. In regard to the recent order directing the temporary suspension of the publication of the record of the battles in the Army Register, the Secretary of War says it was absolutely necessary, as the list, as furnished to the Department, was in such confusion that it was impossible for the officials at the War Office to remedy it. He save that originally a request was sent to officers to furnish the Department with a list of the battles in which their several regiments had been engaged. Some sent in answers giving a list of unimportant engagements; others sent in skirmishes; and others again a list of battles where their regiments were present, but not participating; while a few confined their statements to such important engagements as might prop crly.be designated as battles, and .in which their commands were actually engaged. The general disposition seemed to be to claim more than was deserved, so that in order to correct the records their publication was temporarily suspended. These records will probably again appear in the Army Register of next year.