The list of officers at present under instruction, and their assignment to sections, is as follows: [Circular No. 41.] HEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES ARTILLERY SCHOOL, For recitations, the division into sections of the officers under instruction will be as follows until further orders, viz: First section. Capt. J. A. Darling, United States Artillery. First Lieut. E. L. Zalinski, Fifth Artillery. First Lieut. W. S. Muse, United States Marine Corps. First Lieut. George Mitchell, Second Artillery. First Lieut. C. W. Harrold, Third Artillery. Second section. First Lieut. G. H. Paddock, Fourth Artillery. The course of study for enlisted men was commenced in accordance with the following order, the number voluntarily under instruction being fifty-two; notably a large increase over preceding years, and probably larger than any number attending the course at any one time: [General Orders No. 33.] HEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES ARTILLERY SCHOOL, The course of studies for enlisted men (vide Code of Regulations United States Artillery School, 1878, pp. 18 and 19) will commence on Tuesday October 1, 1878. (a) Enlisted men attending the school will be arranged by the superintendent into as many sections in each subject as circumstances render practicable or convenient. (b) Recitations will be held on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, between the hours of 9.30 o'clock a. m. and 12 o'clock m. (c) Enlisted men under instruction will attend all recitations, except when under the following circumstances, viz: When on sick report. When on guard. When under relief therefrom by the commandant, to be given only in cases of peculiar urgency. (d) Enlisted men under instruction will attend recitations on the day on which they march off guard; they will be relieved from guard for this purpose at 7 o'clock a. m. on recitation-days. When on the general police, these men will report for that duty at 1 o'clock p. m. on the same days (vide b). (e) Enlisted men acting as instructors or assistant instructors will be put upon no duty which will interfere with their duties at the school. (f) Weekly reports of recitations will be rendered through the superintendent on Friday mornings. (g) The following appointments in the school are announced: Assistant instructors.-Sergeant F. E. Paris, Battery K, Second Artillery; Corporal Robert West, Battery C, Fifth Artillery. By order of Lieutenant-Colonel Upton. CONSTANTINE CHASE, First Lieutenant Third Artillery, Adjutant. The course of instruction in all branches of the school has proceeded thus far in accord with the new code of regulations, and marked attention and zeal have been evinced on all sides. The facilities for carrying out the course have been largely improved by the erection of frame buildings for recitation rooms and library, which, in all their appointments, quite fill the requirements, and are vastly superior to the past forced occupation of casemates. Credit for this improvement is due to Capt. L. E. Campbell, A. Q. M., post quartermaster. An important lack in the course has been supplied by practical instruction in cordage and its uses in the various appliances for shifting heavy ordnance. This instruction was commenced in July last and continued with marked success under Capt. W. F. Randolph, Fifth Artillery, assisted by First Lieut. L. A. Chamberlin, First Artillery, until August 10, at which time drawing was commenced. In July the school was augmented by the assignment to it for instruction of 100 recruits in accordance with the provisions of General Orders No. 99 of 1867, from Adjutant-General's Office. The "setting up" and infantry instruction of these men have been committed to the care of Lieutenant-Colonel Upton, and already the results are most satisfactory. As the intention is to distribute instructed men to the artillery regiments from the school yearly, I feel warranted in the belief that the system will find favor and approval on all hands. By bill H. R. No. 5130 the United States Artillery School was for the first time recognized in law, and an appropriation on the following estimate was given for its benefit: Estimate of funds required for the Artillery School U. S. A., Fort Monroe, Va., for 1878. Text-books $400 00 50.00 450 00 DRAWING. 100 00 250 00 350 00 ENGINEERING. 75.00 30.00 30.00 20 00 165 00 320 00 SCIENCE OF ARTILLERY. For analysis of gunpowder; 6 flasks with perforated corks (2 holes); 12 rubber corks (1 hole); 12 corks; 1 aspirator; 4 feet rubber tubing to interior diameter; 4 feet glass tubing to interior diameter; 6 glass funnels, 2 ounces to 1 pint; 1 nest beaker glasses, 1 quart down; 1 improved densimeter; 12 watch-glasses; 6 solid glass rods; 6 dozen glass test-tubes, assorted; 1 waterbath; 1 air-bath; 2 alcohol lamps with stands; 1 gallon alcohol; 3 retortstands and triangles with platinum wire; 12 evaporating-dishes, assorted, 1 to 2 ounces; 1 ream Swedish filtering-paper; 2 filtering-stands; 6 washbottles, 16 to 32 ounces; 2 platinum crucibles, 1 to 3 ounces; 2 pairs tongs for crucibles; 12 chloride calcium tubes; 1 pound pure nitric acid; 2 pounds pure sulphuric acid; 1 pound chloride of potash 1 pound chloride of calcium; pound chloride of potassium; 2 pounds hydrochloric acid; 1 Bunsen's simplifying exhausting apparatus; 1 stand for test-tubes; pound chloride of barium; 1 pound bisulphide of carbon; 1 pound ether; 1 pound sulphide of ammonia; 1 hydrometer; 1 Buzelino lamp and stand; 1 pair of balances (metric system); 1 pound nitrate barium; 2 pounds carbonate potassium; 2 pounds nitrate of potassium.. 500 00 Printing paper and ink Ropes, blocks, &c., for instructions in shifting ordnance.. $60.00 140.00 6.00 2.00 60.00 30.00 ... 40.00 20.00 24.00 24.00 24.00 9.00 50.00 60.00 3.00 2.00 15.00 30.00 80.00 170.00 6.00 50.00 15.00 920.00 50.00 25.00 250.00 75.00 150.00 60.00 175.00 600 00 1,385 00 Total. 3,925 00 Expenditures in accordance with the estimate have been made, and I am gratified to state that many long-wanted needs have been supplied. A fuller report on this subject seems more proper after experience with these acquisitions, and is deferred for that reason. It is proper to state, however, that this appropriation places a higher, more accurate, and extremely essential standard of instruction within reach, and no effort will be spared to profit from this encouragement from Congress. In conclusion, I have pleasure in drawing attention to the individual reports of the superintendent and instructors as supplementing, in the matter of detail, my own. Regarding the wants of the school, I have at present to invite attention to my estimate for 1879-'80, now in the hands of the War Department, which is calculated on the lowest basis for placing the institution in proper running order. I deem it a duty to draw attention to the matter of instruction and practice in charging, planting, and exploding defensive torpedoes. Instruction in this important adjunct to harbor defense has failed heretofore at this school simply from want of material, regard for the wishes of certain officers of the Corps of Engineers having deferred action toward procuring it. The subject, however, is one of great importance, and is especially so to artillerists, because the duty of manipulating such means of defense is most likely to devolve upon them in time of war. I believe the time to have come for it, and therefore earnestly recommend that "material for this class of practice may be issued to the school from the department already having charge of the same." It is also a duty to invite consideration from the proper authority to the necessity for a permanent fire-proof building for the artillery school, library, and museum, which is an important and valuable collection. Many of the volumes in this library are exceedingly rare, and others have been donated by will from deceased officers. The public and professional value of the whole collection is such that it cannot be replaced. It now occupies a frame building, which is good but is of a temporary character, it being impossible to erect one more suitable in the absence of law authorizing it. Another step in progression would be the thorough organization of the school by law, and to this point I earnestly invite careful consideration, to the end that merit shall be recognized and labor and manly ambition substantially rewarded. My thanks are due to all the gentlemen who have been associated with me. I have the honor to be, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, GEO. W. GETTY, Colonel Third Artillery, Brt. Maj. Gen. U. S. A., Com'd'g. The ADJUTANT-GENERAL U. S. A., Washington, D. C. No. 9*.-REPORT OF BRIGADIER-GENERAL O. O. HOWARD. HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE COLUMBIA, To the ASSISTANT ADJUTANT-GENERAL, Military Division of the Pacific, San Francisco, Cal.: SIR: Preliminary to the important campaign against hostile Indians in which the troops of this department have, during the past summer and fall, been engaged, attention is invited to the location and strength of the garrisons of the several posts therein. By far the most important, because of its favorable location and the ease with which troops are brought to and sent from it, is Fort Vancouver, Wash. Vancouver.—When hostilities commenced, May 30, the strength of this garrison was, headquarters, field, staff, and band, Twenty-first Infantry, and Companies B, D, E, G, H, and I, same regiment. Walla Walla.—The garrison of Fort Walla Walla, Wash., comprised headquarters, field, staff, and band of the First Cavalry, and Companies Land F of that regiment, and F, Second Infantry. Company E, First Cavalry, had left Fort Walla Walla, Wash., en route to Fort Lapwai, on the 13th instant. Lapwai. The garrison of Fort Lapwai, Idaho, consisted of headquar ters, field, staff, and band, and the following companies of the Second Infantry, B, C, D, and K, and Company H, First Cavalry. Boise. At Fort Boise, Idaho, were Company G, First Cavalry, and Company A, Twenty-first Infantry. Harney.-Camp Harney, Oreg., was garrisoned by Companies A and K, First Cavalry, and K Company, Twenty-first Infantry. *This report was received too late to be printed in its numerical order. Coeur d'Alene.-Camp Cœur d'Alene, Idaho, was garrisoned by Companies A, G, H, and I, Second Infantry. Howard.-Camp Howard, Idaho, was garrisoned by Companies C and K, Second Infantry. Colville.-Fort Colville, Wash., was garrisoned by Companies M, First Cavalry, and E, Second Infantry. Townsend.-Fort Townsend, Wash., was garrisoned by Company A, Fourth Artillery, and Company C, Twenty-first Infantry. Canby-Fort Canby, Wash., was garrisoned by Companies D and G, Fourth Artillery. Sterens.-Fort Stevens, Oreg., was garrisoned by Company M, Fourth Artillery. Klamath.-Fort Klamath, Oreg., was garrisoned by Company B, First Cavalry, and Company F, Twenty-first Infantry. Vancouver Arsenal.--Vancouver Arsenal was in charge of a small detachment of the Ordnance Corps. It should be borne in mind that the companies mentioned were in reality mere fragments of what companies should be; they seldom mustering for field service more than twenty men for infantry and artillery, while forty was about the average company of cavalry in the field. By glancing at the map of the department, it will be observed that in the concentration rendered necessary by the Bannock outbreak, long distances were required to be passed over frequently in sections of the country difficult of passage and comparatively barren of supplies. Not only this, but at some of the posts large quantities of public property had to be left with comparatively small and insufficient guards in most exposed localities. Indian warfare, unlike any other, demands that oftentimes the commander shall divide his force to guard exposed settlements, and to meet or head off the force of an enemy who, having no base and nothing but themselves to guard, scatter and come together again at will. This division of command makes it difficult for the commander to secure such action as would be possible if he could be present at or indeed within reach of each exposed point; and the expense in the way of transportation for the detached commands is greatly increased. The manner in which the required concentrations were made, and, with the aid of the troops sent me by the division commander from other departments of the division, the execution of the plans which resulted in the surrender of all but a small fragment of the hostiles, who escaped beyond the limits of the department, as well as the comparatively light expense entailed, may be determined from the following field report: HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE COLUMBIA, To the ASSISTANT ADJUTANT-GENERAL, 1878. Military Division of the Pacific, San Francisco, Cal.: SIR: I have the honor to submit my report of operations during the late outbreak of Indians in this department; the outbreak and consequent operations have usually been called "The Bannock War." PRELIMINARY SYMPTOMS. For more than a month the reports from Colonel Wheaton, commanding the district of the Clearwater, and those coming to me directly from different posts in the department, as also from other sources of infor |