A.-Statement of amounts disbursed by officers in the Quartermaster's Department, &c.—Cont'd. Names of officers. Whitall, Lieut. S. R., Sixteenth Infantry. Ward, Lieut. E. W., Fifth Cavalry.. Whittemore, Maj. J. M., Ordnance Department.. Whitney, Lieut. John, Third Cavalry. Walker, Lieut. John P., Third Cavalry. Ward, Lieut. H. C., Sixteenth Infantry. Wager, Lieut. B., Second Artillery. Young, Lieut. R. H., Fourth Infantry Yeckley, Lieut. J. A., Twentieth Infantry IV.-Report of Lieut. Col. J. D. Bingham, Deputy Quartermaster-General, U. S. A. WAR DEPARTMENT, QUARTERMASTER-GENERAL'S OFFICE, Washington, D. C., September 20, 1875. GENERAL: I have the honor to submit a report of the operations of the clothing branch during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1875. The accompanying statement A shows what articles of clothing and equipage and clothing materials have been manufactured and purchased at the principal depots of the Quartermaster's Department during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1875. As required by the act of Congress approved June 16, 1874, issues have been made of such articles of old-pattern clothing mentioned therein as are serviceable. The accompanying statement F specifies the articles remaining on hand on the 30th of June, 1875, to be issued under said act. Some of the sizes of old-pattern sack-coats are exhausted, and it bas become necessary to manufacture and issue blouses of the new pattern. With the exception hereinafter noted, no complaints have reached this Office regarding the quality of the clothing now issued by the Quartermaster's Department. The campaign-hat does not give satisfaction to officers or men. Complaints are principally made upon the want of durability of the Hat as well as of its shape. Steps are now being taken to procure hats satisfactory to the Army. No purchases of campaign-hats for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1876, have as yet been made. During the investigation relative to the campaign-hat, the Quartermaster-General of the Army obtained from Great Britain, through the aid of Sir Edward Thornton, samples of the cork helmet worn by the British troops in hot climates. They were submitted to the Secretary of War, who authorized the purchase of 100, with puggarees, for trial by troops in Arizona. Orders for their purchase, shipment, and distribution have been given. Several complaints have reached this Office during the past year, from posts in Texas and Kansas, that the screws in the brasss-crewed boots and shoes sometimes penetrate the insoles and hurt the feet of the wearer. The chief quartermaster of the Military Division of the Missouri, the only division from which complaints were received, was thereupon directed to investigate and seek information from local quarter masters on the subject and forward reports to this Office. From these reports it appears that 27 pairs of boots and 120 pairs of shoes have been found thus defective in the Division referred to. Upon investigating the cause of these defects it was ascertained that, owing to the great and pressing demand for brass-screwed boots and shoes at the time those of the old pattern were declared unfit for issue to the Army, the screw-cutting machines were, for a short time, run at such a high rate of speed that the screw-threads were cut imperfectly. All the defective boots and shoes were replaced by the contractor at his own cost. From an examination of the records of this Office it appears that since the introduction of this kind of boots and shoes into the Army 94,016 pairs boots and 135,986 pairs shoes have been issued. It will thus be seen that the number of pairs found defective is very small compared with the number issued. New standards of the following articles of clothing and equipage have, during the past year, been adopted by the Quartermaster's Department: Sky-blue keysey, dark-blue cloth, drawers, forage-caps, walltents, scrubbing-brushes, and all materials used in the manufacture of clothing for trimming and lining purposes. Coats and trousers are now being made from the stock of new standard cloth and kersey. Capt. O. E. Michaelis, of the Ordnance Department, acting assistant quartermaster at the Allegheny arsenal, writes as follows regarding the new trousers: 66 * the 50 pairs of trousers recently received from the Philadelphia depot are of such uniform shade and excellent quality that, if they can be spared, I would like to obtain 50 additional pairs at once. Thirty pairs have already been issued and the men want more. They freely speak of them as the best ever issued to them." Capt. G. A. Hull, military store keeper at Philadelphia, expresses himself as follows: "* * The clothing now being issued to the Army is better in material, uniformity in color, style, and workmanship, than any issued heretofore since my connection with the service; and I believe the general testimony of officers serving with troops accords with this opinion." All the inferior dark-blue cloth and sky-blue kersey of the old stock is used in lining great-coats for issue to troops in northern latitudes. A quantity of dark-blue flannel not suitable for blouses has been made up into shirts. The amount of $30,000, appropriated by Congress for the preservation of clothing and equipage from moth and mildew, has been expended upon the process of George A. Cowles & Co., as will appear from the statement herewith marked C. An examination of the annual reports for the last fiscal year, with reference to the opinions of officers on the process referred to, shows the following: 26 report favorably on the process; 12 report unfavorably; 4 report that it has not been tested at their posts; 8 report that they have received no clothing which has been subjected to the process; report that they have had no experience with it; 13 report that they are unable to judge of its merits; and 113 do not allude to it. From the accompanying statement H the quantities of clothing ordered to be issued during the last fiscal year to the National Home for Disabled Volunteers, under the acts of January 21, 1873, and June 18, 1874, will be ascertained. All the articles of clothing, comprising a complete suit, within the meaning and intent of the law, not being on hand, such as were on hand were issued in accordance with the prices established for such articles. In lieu of those that could not be furnished, equivalents of condemned clothing were issued at prices fixed by a board of officers. Clothing to the value of $66,989.20 is still due to the National Home for Disabled Volunteers. In pursuance of the executive order of the President of the United States, and under the act of Congress approved February 10, 1875, clothing has been shipped for distribution to persons suffering from the ravages of grasshoppers. Statement G, herewith, shows the quantities which have been thus issued. It is estimated that the amount of $1,690,150.19 will be required for clothing and equipage for the Army during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1877. This includes the amount of $29,884.50 which will be required for the enlisted men of the Signal Service. I respectfully refer, for further and more detailed information, to the accompanying tabular statements, viz: A.-Statement showing, as far as can be ascertained from the records of this Office, the quantity of clothing, camp and garrison equipage, and clothing-materials in the hands of officers of the Army, June 30, 1874; the quantity of clothing, camp and garrison equipage, purchased, manufactured, sold, lost, and issued to the Army of the United States during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1875; and the quantity remaining on hand for the supply of the Army at that date. B.-Statement showing expenditures on account of clothing, camp and garrison equipage, during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1875. C.-Statement of expenditures on account of preservation of clothing, equipage, and materials, from moth and mildew, by the process of George A. Cowles & Co., during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1875. D.-Statement of amounts received from the sale of surplus serviceable, (old pattern,) unserviceable, damaged, and irregular articles of clothing, &c., sold at the principal depots and posts; also the amount derived from sales to officers, during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1875. E.-Statement of amounts received and expended by the Quartermaster's Department on account of clothing, camp and garrison equipage, during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1875. F.-Statement showing quantity of old-pattern clothing on hand on the 30th of June, 1875, which under the act of June 16, 1874, requires to be issued to the Army of the United States. G.-Report of clothing issued in accordance with act of Congress of February 10, 1875, to destitute persons on the western frontier. H.-Statement showing the quantity of clothing ordered to be issued to the National Home for Disabled Volunteers, under the acts of January 21, 1873, and June 18, 1874, during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1875. I.-Statement showing number of claims received and acted upon during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1875, on account of clothing and equipage. K-Statement of returns of clothing, camp and garrison equipage, received, examined, and transmitted to the Treasury Department, and of letters received and written, during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1875. L.-Statement of the clerical force employed in the clothing and equipage branch of the Quartermaster-General's Office during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1875. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, J. D. BINGHAM, Deputy Quartermaster-General, U. S. A. The ACTING QUARTERMASTER-GENERAL, U. S. A., Washington, D. C. A.-Statement of clothing, camp and garrison equipage manufactured, purchased, issued, sold, lost, &c., during the fiscal year ended June 30, 1875. Uniform-caps Forage-caps Cap-covers. Cap-bugles.. Castles Cords and tassels Ostrich-feathers Eagles. Numbers Crossed sabers. Crossed cannon Pompons....... Tulips Hair-plumes |