To bring non-commissioned officers, as well as privates, within the purview of the above-quoted section, it is suggested that it be amended by substituting for "private soldier" the words "enlisted man."

VETERINARY SURGEONS.

By section 37 of the act of March 3, 1863 (section 1102, Revised Statutes), the grade of veterinary surgeon was created with assimilated rank of sergeant major, and pay at the rate of $75 per month. The law of July 28, 1866, section 3, added four regiments to the cavalry arm, with the same organization as provided by law for cavalry regiments, but "with the addition of one veterinary surgeon to each regiment, whose compensation shall be one hundred dollars per month."

Thus, with precisely the same organization, four of the regiments have two veterinary surgeons, and six have but one, and at the lower rate of pay. If a cavalry regiment absolutely requires the services of two surgeons of that class, then all the regiments of that arm of the service should be placed on the same footing. In the contrary case, if only one suffices, then four of the ten regiments have one veterinary surgeon too many.

RESTORATION BY CONGRESS OF OFFICERS OUT OF SERVICE.

This subject is one of vital importance to the welfare of the Army, and, if not promptly remedied, will, slowly, perhaps, but not the less surely, sap the very foundations of the reputation justly earned by officers of the Army for high moral tone, unblemished character, and sterling worth.

It has become the custom for officers dismissed by sentence of courtmartial and dropped from the rolls of the Army to importune Congress for restoration to the position they have forfeited by the verdict of a court of their peers, reviewed and approved by the department commander, and confirmed by the President of the United States. The bill for restoration is referred to the Commmittee on Military Affairs, and by it, in many cases, placed in the hands of a sub-committee, before whom the claimant appears either personally or by attorney. The pressure of other duties not unfrequently prevents the sub-committee from giving the voluminous papers called for from the files of the War Department that careful and searching scrutiny such a case demands, having in view the baneful influence on the Army of the restoration to its rolls of a man unfit to hold a commission.

As a check on such claims, it is suggested that applicants for restoration be required, by statutory enactment, to present their claims to a board of officers to be appointed by the President, whenever, in his opinion, the applicant has an equitable claim to a further hearing.

RIFLE TARGET SHOOTING.

I desire to call your attention to the highly interesting report of Inspector General N. H. Davis of his visit to Creedmoor, Long Island, N. Y., to witness the rifle shooting of the Army teams, September 1416 of the present year, at the eighth prize meeting of the National Rifle Association.

The three Army teams (composed of twelve men), oue each from the Military Divisions of the Atlantic, Missouri, and Pacific, entered the contest for the prize in the "international military match" with one

team from each of the States of Connecticut, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. The match was well contested, and the scores made were highly creditable, as well as very satisfactory. Colonel Davis reports: the wind variable, the only constant quantity in this element of conditions to be considered being inconstancy.

The total scores of the contestant teams placed them in the following order: Division of the Missouri, Division of the Atlantic, Division of the Pacific, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania. Compared with the record of last year, the shooting of the Army teams is as follows:

In other prize matches the Army was represented, either by teams or individually, with the following results:

In the "military championship match," the Army took 12 out of 17 prizes, carrying off the first 5; in the "Judd match," 9 prizes; in the "short-range match"-competing with small-bore rifles with peep-sightsit carried off 6 prizes; and, finally, in the "team match," from companies of 200 yards, 18 teams competing, the first and second (and only) prizes were earned by Companies B and A, respectively, of the Engineer Battalion; Company C of the same command standing fourth.

It is conceived nothing need be added to the above statement of results. They attest great improvement in rifle shooting, and prove incontestably the advantage accruing to the Army by its participation in these contests in raising the efficiency of our troops for field operations. The recommendation concluding Colonel Davis's report is earnestly concurred in, viz: That the government should offer military prizes and rewards to the successful competitors in the various matches in which officers and men of the Army participate.

RECRUITING SERVICE.

The rendezvous of the general recruiting service have, in the past two years, been established at New York, Boston, Buffalo, Harrisburg, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Indianapolis, Chicago, Saint Louis, Washington, San Antonio, and San Francisco. Temporary rendezvous were opened at Memphis and Nashville, with a view to the enlistment of a larger number of colored men than could be obtained at the rendezvous for the general service.

These are changed as the wants of the service and the condition of the recruiting funds may make it necessary. Each rendezvous is under the charge of an officer who is required to give his personal attention to each enlistment, so that none but proper persons are received into the

200 yards.

(Possible 420.)

500 yards.

(Possible 420.)

600 yards.

(Possible 420.)

Grand total.

(Possible 1,260.)

Army, no misrepresentations are made to applicants, and the requirements of the law relative to enlistment of minors are as strictly observed as circumstances will admit. The evidence of the care taken in the selection of men for the service is apparent in the fact that, out of 23,300 applicants, but 5,026 were enlisted-not quite 22 per centum of the whole number.

The accompanying tables (marked L, M, and N) exhibit in detail the nativities and occupations of accepted recruits, and the divers causes which led to the rejection of a large number of the applicants for enlistment.

There is a very perceptible improvement in the class of men applying for enlistment in the past few years, and there is every reason to believe the opportunity offered by the act of June 18, 1878, to advance the more soldierly and intelligent to commissions, has done much to influence a better class of men to enter the Army.

The serious defect in our recruiting system of relieving, at one time, all the officers connected with that service, and replacing them by inexperienced officers, has prevented the accumulation of information from which to improve the efficiency of the recruiting service, and measurably, at least, of acquiring important data by which the military resources of the country may be more readily determined.

It is believed the change indicated in recent orders, that future details for the recruiting service will only be made by one-half the regiments in each year, will relieve the service of a serious embarrassment and be productive of good results. As an aid to this, and to enable the department to collate data for future use, an officer of the AdjutantGeneral's Department has been assigned to duty at the headquarters of the recruiting service in New York.

It is deemed of great importance and infinitely preferable that recruits joining regiments should have received sufficient military instruction to enable them to perform company duty. Joining, as they generally do, at the outset of a campaign, no time is afforded company officers to instruct them, nor will the demands of the service on our skeleton organizations admit of it. It would be better to have three years' service of a well-instructed man than to have five of a man indifferently instructed in his duties. Every possible effort is made, to the extent of our means, to obviate this difficulty, but, I regret to say, with indifferent success. I therefore renew the recommendation of my distinguished predecessor, that 1,000 men in excess of the authorized strength of the Army be allowed for thorough instruction at the depots.

BUILDINGS AT DAVID'S ISLAND, NEW YORK Harbor.

In September of last year Maj. S. N. Benjamin, assistant adjutantgeneral, was detailed to make a thorough examination into the condition of the buildings at present in use at the depot, and they were reported by him as leaky, cold, in a general tumble-down condition, unsafe as well as unfit for habitation, and not worth repairing.

The Secretary of War, January 19, 1880, transmitted to Congress the letter of my predecessor, inclosing plans and estimates (the latter amounting to $144,970) for permanent buildings to complete the principal depot of the general recruiting service at that place. The papers, unfortunately, were referred to the Committee on Military Affairs instead of the Committee on Appropriations, and the fact was discovered too late to secure Congressional action.

The general depot was formerly established on Governor's Island, but

this place having been selected by the commanding general of the Division of the Atlantic and Department of the East for his headquar ters, under paragraph II of General Orders No. 38, of 1878, based on the act of Congress approved June 18 of that year, it became necessary to remove the depot to David's Island. This place is now the general depot for recruits enlisted in the Cismississippi States. The average strength at the post during the past year was 319.

Besides the present importance of this poiut as a general recruiting depot, it must be borne in mind that, should it ever become necessary to concentrate a considerable body of troops in the vicinity of the city of New York, either for service on the sea-coast or with a view to its embarkation for distant service, there is no place now in the possession of the government affording greater facilities or as admirably adapted for such a purpose as David's Island.

BUILDINGS AT COLUMBUS BARRACKS, OHIO.

Plans and estimates for certain additional brick buildings for the subdepot at the above place were also submitted to the Secretary of War, and by him referred to Congress January 19, 1880. The amount asked for was $2,200.07. Full details, as well as the reasons which led to asking for the appropriation, are set forth at length in Senate Executive Document No. 49, Forty-sixth Congress, second session.

Further estimates for chapel and school (amounting to $5,783.03) were transmitted April 8, 1880. (See Senate Executive Document No. 146, second session of same Congress.)

The reasons given for the non-action of Congress in the case of the buildings on David's Island apply equally to this case. The great importance of these much-needed improvements leads me to earnestly renew the recommendation heretofore made, that the early attention of Congress be called to this matter. Respectfully submitted.

R. C. DRUM,

Adjutant-General.

General W. T. SHERMAN,

United States Army.

REPORT OF THE INSPECTOR GENERAL.

HEADQUARTERS OF THE ARMY,

Inspector-General's Office, Washington, D. C., October 9, 1880.

SIR: The following report of the operations of this department is respectfully submitted for the information of the honorable Secretary of War and the General of the Army.

Since the rendition of my last annual report there has been no change in the rank, number, or station of officers of this department.

The undersigned has been in charge of the office at these headquarters, performing the various duties pertaining thereto; and, besides making several special investigations under the orders of the Secretary of War, he has examined the accounts of certain disbursing officers, and made inspections of the Leavenworth military prison, under section 1348, Revised Statutes.

Inspector-General Delos B. Sacket has been on duty at the head

quarters of the Military Division of the Missouri, under the orders of the Lieutenant General, commanding. He has also inspected the accounts of disbursing officers in the division, not under the orders of the division commander, and served as a member of a board of officers convened in this city by Special Orders No. 145, Adjutant-General's Office, July 1, 1880, for the purpose of examining and reporting upon the codification of the Regulations of the Army.

Inspector-General Edmund Schriver has been stationed at the headquarters of the Military Division of the Pacific, performing his appropriate duties, under the orders of the major-general commanding, and has recently completed a thorough inspection of most of the garrisoned posts within the Department of the Columbia.

Inspector-General Nelson H. Davis has been stationed at the headquarters of the Military Division of the Atlantic, engaged in making investigations and inspections, under the orders of the major-general commanding.

Assistant Inspector-General Roger Jones has continued on duty in this office as my assistant, and, in addition to his regular current duties, has performed other important services under the orders of the Secretary of War.

Assistant Inspector-General Absalom Baird has been on duty at the headquarters of the Military Division of the Missouri, and has been engaged in making inspections and investigations, under the orders of the Lieutenant-General, commanding.

The following-named officers have been performing the duties of assistant inspector-generals in the different departments since my last annual report:

Lieut. Col. John S. Mason, Fourth Infantry, in Department of Texas. Lieut. Col. William B. Royall, Third Cavalry, in Department of the

Platte.

Maj. James Biddle, Sixth Cavalry, in Department of Arizona. Maj. Richard Arnold, Fifth Artillery, in Department of the East. Maj. Edwin C. Mason, Twenty-first Infantry, in Department of the Columbia.

Maj. John J. Coppinger, Tenth Infantry, in Department of the Missouri.

Capt. George B. Russell, Ninth Infantry, in Department of the South. The above-named officers have been engaged in inspecting the garrisoned posts of their respective departments, and, under the orders of the department commanders, performing, in general, the duties pertaining to the inspection branch of the service, all of which have been executed with commendable zeal and fidelity.

No acting assistant inspector-general has been assigned for the Department of Dakota since Lieut. Col. A. D. Nelson was relieved, in 1878; but Capt. R. P. Hughes, Third Infantry, aide-de-camp, on November 1, 1879, by General Orders No. 13 of the department, was assigned to take charge of the office until an officer should be regularly detailed for the position.

With very few exceptions, nearly every garrisoned military post within the limits of our territory has been carefully inspected during the past year, and reports of the same forwarded through the proper military channels to these headquarters, where they have received thorough scrutiny; and extracts therefrom have been made and transmitted to the proper authorities of such matters as required their action.

In compliance with the requirements of the act of Congress approved April 20, 1874, careful examinations have been made of the accounts of