The following is a recapitulation of the work thus tar performed by the Army Medical Examining Board : Number of assistant surgeons examined for promotion Number of candidates for appointment in the medical corps invited to appear for examination Number of candidates found qualified. Number of candidates rejected.. Number of candidates who withdrew after partial examination Total number examined. Number of candidates who failed to appear for examination... 35 185 21 40 83 144 14 16 11 Total number invited but not examined.... 41 At the date of my last report there were 14 vacancies in the medical corps-2 in the grade of surgeon and 12 in the grade of assistant surgeon. During the past year 1 surgeon, with the rank of colonel, 1 surgeon, with the rank of major, and 2 assistant surgeons have died, and 1 assistant surgeon has resigned; 1 surgeon, with rank of lieutenant-colonel, has been promoted to colonel, one surgeon, with the rank of major, has been promoted to lieutenant-colonel, and four assistant surgeons have been promoted to surgeon, with the rank of major, and 10 appointments in the grade of assistant surgeon have been made; leaving at the present time 9 vacancies in the grade of assistant surgeon. There are at present 14 medical officers on sick leave of absence, 5 of whom have been incapacitated for active service and recommended for retirement by Army retiring boards, and 1 has been recommended to be brought before a retiring board with a view to his retirement from active service; 4 are on ordinary leave of absence after a tour of duty on the remote frontier: leaving 160 medical officers for duty. The medical officers who have died during the past year are as follows: Col. William J. Sloan, surgeon, at Saint Paul, Minn., March 17, 1880, and on duty as medical director at the headquarters of the Department of Dakota. Maj. Juo. F. Randolph, surgeon, at Philadelphia, Pa., May 14, 1880. Capt. Henry J. Phillips, assistant surgeon, at New York City, N. Y., October 10, 1879. Capt. Augustus A. Yeomans, assistant surgeon, at Toronto, Can., May 19, 1880. Col. William J. Sloan entered the service as an assistant surgeon July 12, 1837, was promoted to surgeon, with the rank of major, December, 20, 1855, and became surgeon, with the rank of lieutenant-colonel, June 26, 1876, and colonel, April 18, 1877. He was appointed colonel by brevet on March 13, 1865, "for faithful and meritorious service during the war," and brigadier-general by brevet on September 28, 1866, "for meritorious and distinguished service at several military posts in New York Harbor, where cholera prevailed." He served in Florida from time of his appointment to February, 1840; in Indian Territory to September, 1844; in Louisiana to August, 1849; at various posts in Florida to September, 1853; at Newport Barracks, Ky., to May, 1856; in New Mexico to October, 1860; at Fort Columbus, New York Harbor, and in medical director's office, New York City to June, 1862; as director of transports to September, 1862; medical director, Department of the Northwest, to February, 1863; in medical director's office, New York City, to January, 1865; medical director, Department of the East, to October, 1866; chief medical officer, New York City, to May, 1869, medical director, Department of the South, to May, 1875; and as medical director, Department of Dakota, until the date of his death. The fol lowing remarks, made by Brig. Gen. Alfred H. Terry, commanding the Department of Dakota, in a general order announcing the death of Surgeon Sloan, are so full of truth and pay such an honorable tribute to the character of this most valuable and esteemed officer, that I repeat them now as conveying the real feeling entertained by all who knew well Surgeon William J. Sloan: It would be impossible, within the limits of a general order to do justice to the services and to the professional ability of an officer such as Surgeon Sloan was. Equally difficult would it be to do justice to his character as a man. To the highest conception of the demands of duty and the loftiest sense of honor, he united very remarkable simplicity and directness of character and a most kindly and gentle nature. To great clearness and force of intellect and thorough mastery of his profession, he added administrative and executive ability such as is rarely equaled. During the long and distressing illness that preceded his death, his mind retained its accustomed vigor, and, although struggling with disease, he continued till the day preceding his dissolution to discharge every duty devolved upon him. He lived without an enemy. He died beloved and lamented by all who knew him. Maj. John F. Randolph was appointed assistant surgeon December 24, 1855, and promoted to surgeon, with the rank of major, August 27, 1862; he was appointed lieutenant-colonel by brevet March 13, 1865, "for faithful and meritorious services during the war." He served in Oregon and California from time of entry into service until December, 1862; at Jefferson Barracks, Mo., to December, 1864; medical director, Department of the Missouri, to August, 1865; in charge of marine hospital, Saint Louis, Mo., to August, 1866; at Fort Wood, New York Harbor, to April, 1868; medical director, Fifth Military District, to August, 1868; medical director, Department of Louisiana, attending surgeon, headquarters Department of Louisiana, attending surgeon, New Orleans, in charge of medical purveying depôt in New Orleans, and medical director, Department of the Gulf, to July, 1872; at Omaha Barracks, Nebr., Fort D. A. Russell, Wyo., and Camp Robinson, Nebr., to September, 1876; at Fort Trumbull, Conn., to April, 1878, when he was granted sick leave of absence, which continued to be his status until date of death. Capt. Henry J. Phillips served as surgeon of the Fifty-third and One hundred and Second New York Volunteers during the war of the rebellion, and was appointed assistant surgeon in the Army October 28, 1866. He had been on sick leave of absence for four years prior to his death. Capt. Augustus A. Yeomans was appointed assistant surgeon May 14, 1867, and had been on sick leave for nearly one year prior to his death. The three medical officers last named had each been found incapacitated for active service by Army retiring boards and recommended for retirement. JOS. K. BARNES, Surgeon-General United States Army. The Hon. SECRETARY OF WAR, 27 Ab REPORT OF THE PAYMASTER-GENERAL. WAR DEPARTMENT, PAYMASTER-GENERAL'S OFFICE, SIR: I have the honor to submit my annual report of the transactions of the Pay Department of the Army for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1880. Tabular statements, herewith submitted, show in detail the fiscal operations of the department for that year, summarily stated as follows, viz: RECEIPTS AND DISBURSEMENTS DURING THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1880. The amount received during the year from soldiers' deposits will be seen to be $177,174.44. The amount received for the previous year was $370,770.38; an increase of $106,406.06. General Benjamin Alvord, my predecessor, was retired on the 8th of June, 1880, and I was commissioned Paymaster-General on the same day, and entered on duty June 22, 1880. Having so late in the fiscal year assumed the control of the department, I must speak of its operations principally from the records. From these, however, I may confidently report that all its requirements have been faithfully executed, and that the Army has been regularly and promptly paid to the close of the fiscal year. I respectfully invite your attention to the subject of pay to officers of the Army while on leave of absence. The laws in reference to leaves were passed severally on March 3, 1863, June 20, 1864, May 8, 1874, and July 29, 1876. The two latter acts are modifications of the former. Under these laws an officer can receive a leave of thirty days each year-not to be cumulated more than four years-on full pay; and for any time in excess of that he is reduced to half pay. I cannot but regard the operation of these laws as harsh and unjust and very unequal. A very large proportion of the oflicers are stationed at remote posts in the West, and when a leave is obtained the whole or nearly the whole of the thirty days is often necessarily consumed in travel to any of the Atlantic cities-where most of the officers desire to go-and in returning to their posts. For the remainder of the time they are reduced to half pay, and this, with the heavy expense attending the journeys, is very onerous to them. It is considered that the first two laws above cited were enacted as var measures, and the time has now fully come, in my judgment, when they should be done away with. I therefore earnestly recommend that Congress be requested at the approaching session to repeal them. The extent to which leaves should be granted may be safely left to the graded action and recommendation of the department and division commanders and the General of the Army and the decision of the Secretary of War. The law now limits the number of paymasters' clerks to 54. It has repeatedly happened that, in consequence of special duty being required of a paymaster, as, for example, the payment of bounties, &c., one clerk is insufficient for the prompt performance of the duty. I would, therefore, recommend that the number be increased by law not to exceed 60, the additional or extra clerks to be employed under the special approval of the Secretary of War in each case. I append the report of Maj. A. B. Carey, paymaster, under whose immediate charge the payment of bounty, &c., due soldiers, both white and colored, has been made. The law governing the payment to colored soldiers, or their heirs, requires the placing in their hands the amount of the claim in current funds, and involves the necessity of identifying claimants before payment is made. To provide for the expense attending these payments, there was appropriated by the act of March 3, 1879, $4,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1879, and $10,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1880. Of the first amount, $1,818.46 was disbursed, and of the second, $6,586.58, leaving an unexpended balance of $5,595.02 on June 30, 1880. No appropriation was made at the last session of Congress to meet the expense of this work subsequent to June 30, 1880, but payments of this class have been continued as far as possible. As this work will continue until the claims now on hand are disposed of, as well as the current settlements by the accounting officers of the Treasury, I recom mend that Congress be called upon to render available the unexpended balances, above referred to, to meet the expenses attending payment of these claims. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, The Hon. the SECRETARY OF WAR. REPORT OF THE CHIEF OF ORDNANCE. WAR DEPARTMENT, ORDNANCE OFFICE, The Hon. SECRETARY OF WAR: SIR: I have the honor to submit the following report of the principal operations of the Ordnance Department during the fiscal year ended June 30, 1880, with such remarks and recommendations as the interests of this branch of the military service seem to require. The fiscal resources and expenditures of the department during the year were as follows, viz: Amount in the Treasury to the credit of appropriations on June 30, 1879. $224,818 45 Amount in the Treasury not reported to the credit of appropriations on June 30, 1879..... 3,086 94 Amount in government depositories to the credit of disbursing officers and others on June 30, 1879.. Amount of appropriations for the service of the fiscal year ended June 30, 1880... Amount refunded to ordnance appropriations in settling accounts during the fiscal year ended June 30, 1880 Gross amount received during the fiscal year ended June 30, 1880, from sales to officers; from rents; from collections from troops on account of losses of, or damage to, ordnance stores; from Chicago, Rock Island, and Pacific Railroad Company; from exchange of powder; from sales of condemned stores; and from all other sources not before mentioned. Total Amount of expenditures during the fiscal year ended June 30, 1880, in- Amount deposited in Treasury during the fiscal year ended June 30, 1880, Amount trausferred from ordnance appropriations in settling accounts Amount turned into the "surplus fund" on June 30, 1880. Amount in government depositories to the credit of disbursing officers and others on June 30, 1880.. Amount in the Treasury not reported to the credit of appropriations on Amount in the Treasury to the credit of appropriations on June 30, 1880. Total. $79,040 27 1,464, 500 00 18, 461 37 264,008 63 2,053,945 71 $1,597,742 33 157,915 39 75 52 36 539 21 135,996 13 7,155 44 154,544 10 2,053, 945 71 The duties and responsibilities of the Ordnance Department are fixed by the laws. The department provides arms and ordnance, and ordnance stores for our sea-coast defense, and the Regular Army in all its branches; supplies the whole body of the militia, the Marine Corps of the Navy, all other departments of the government when necessary to protect public money and property, and the thirty colleges authorized to receive arms. It does more, its province is to determine on the best, most efficient, and most effective war material for the service, and its responsibilities in this regard are ever present and never ending. The product that has taken years of study and trial to perfect not only in design, but in manufacture, may appear to the user so simple that the least imperfection will insure an adverse judgment. No one who has not had practical experience can understand or realize the many and complicated conditions that accompany the use of explosives, whether in the production of a heavy gun to pierce the thickest armor, or of the small metallic cartridge that has well nigh revolutionized modern methods of warfare. It is easier to criticise the completed product than it is to overcome the many difficulties and obstacles to the perfection of that product. I am proud to say that the Ordnance Department has enjoyed a large measure of success in the performance of its very varied and most important duties. STATIONS AND DUTIES. The officers of the department are stationed as follows: Two at the Ordnance Office; twenty-six at the Arsenals; five at the National Armory; two at the powder depots; three on the Ordnance Board; two at the foundries; three at the Agency and Proving ground; seven at the headquarters of Departments and Ordnance depots; four at the Military Academy; two on special service in the Interior Department; one in the Treasury Department, and two on sick leave. |