uprisings being attempted; an adequate reserved force should of course be maintained at Forts Sam Houston and Clark.

On August 30, 1893, Major Keyes, commanding Fort Ringgold, reported the sheriff of Hidalgo County had informed him that just below Havana, about 30 miles from the post, a party of armed men under a custom-house official, from Reynosa, Mexico, had crossed from Mexico and seized a flock of about 3,000 sheep belonging to a man named Thomas Salinas, a citizen of Texas, on the ground that the sheep were grazing on a piece of land claimed by parties on both sides of the Rio Grande. Troops were sent to the spot from Fort Ringgold, and the matter was satisfactorily settled by the commanding officer without collision.

The discipline of the troops serving in this department, as observed by myself and reported by the inspector-general of the department, is very satisfactory; military training, as prescribed by orders and regulations, has been systematically conducted; in consequence of which the various organizations of the command have maintained, during the year, a high standard of efficiency. Perceptible evidence of the fine appearance of the troops, at several posts, was presented to the Secretary of War during his visit to Texas in the early part of April last. In this connection it affords me great satisfaction to state that the excellent condition of the personnel observed by the Secretary at the posts inspected prevails uniformly throughout the department.

No commissioned officer has been arrested or brought to trial during the year, and infractions of discipline among noncommissioned officers and privates have been relatively few and mainly for minor offenses. The percentage of trials by general courts-martial is less than during the previous year, and many such trials were of men serving elsewhere and arrested within the limits of this department for offenses committed in other commands.

We are enlisting a much more intelligent and satisfactory class of recruits than ever before, and it is encouraging to observe the excellent material for soldiers our regimental recruiting officers have secured. Self-respecting young men of character are learning that they may now find in the ranks of our Army a congenial class of perfectly reputable and intelligent associates, and now that the period of enlistment has been reduced to three years, this will undoubtedly become a still more marked characteristic of the military service.

The abrogation of the law under which General Orders No. 30, current series, Adjutant-General's Office, was issued, will certainly benefit the service in many ways and secure to us the valued services of experienced noncommissioned officers, a matter of such vital importance to troop, battery, and company commanders; the law prohibiting the reenlistment of a soldier of ten years' service was a severe blow to army efficiency.

Something more can very readily be done by Congress to elevate and improve the condition of the soldier, without cost to the nation, and give him an additional incentive for the prompt and faithful performance of his duties. All noncommissioned officers can not earn the rank of commissioned officer, nor can all privates be promoted to the warrant grade, but a reward to an honorably discharged soldier of "a civil service certificate" after six or more years' service, insuring to him preference in certain grades of Government employment, would certainly benefit the public service generally, and at once greatly stimulate and improve the military arm. Such a law would speedily dispel the feeling of discontent and unrest that necessarily exists more or less in all WAR 94-VOL I-10

armies in time of peace, by securing to the faithful soldier a passport to preferment in civil-service employment, and where a discharged soldier finds no vacancy obtainable in Government employ, State, municipal, and large business establishments would certainly desire to secure the services of such trained men upon whose character and efficiency they could confidently rely.

On the 16th instant I presented to the ten successful contestants, after the department rifle competition recently concluded at Fort Clark, Tex., the handsome gold, silver, and bronze medals awarded by the War Department. I was impressed with the great beauty and value of these souvenirs, and with their size and weight. In lieu of the present costly gold medal would it not be desirable to furnish one of less weight, and with the sum thus saved present to the gold-medal winner a handsomely finished service rifle, with perhaps a telescopic attachment that could for very long ranges be readily adjusted, the rifle to be mounted in silver, suitably engraved with the owner's name, and to become the private property of the winner.

I take pleasure in inviting the Adjutant-General's attention to the accompanying remarks of the department inspector of small-arms practice concerning the use, at the recent department rifle competition, of the portable field-telephone equipment designed by Maj. C. E. Kil bourne, when a captain of the Signal Corps, and Capt. R. E. Thompson, Signal Corps. I am convinced by personal observation that this novel use of such a telephone is of infinite importance, demonstrating its practical usefulness in the field for target as well as for other military purposes. If this ingenious portable telephone can be so advantageously employed, on long or short rifle ranges, its efficiency for speedy communication with advancing lines of battle, skirmishers, or even storming columns seems fully demonstrated.

In compliance with the request of the State authorities, I, on the 16th of June, 1894, directed the commanding officer at Fort Sam Houston to send to Austin, Tex., a battalion of four companies of infantry, a squadron of two troops of cavalry, Light Battery F, Third Artillery, and the Regimental Band, Fifth Cavalry, to encamp with the State troops from July 9 to 18, the period of their encampment.

Subsequently, in view of the railroad-strike troubles, and the possible use for troops from Fort Sam Houston in connection therewith, I retained the infantry companies at their station. The other organizations, Troop A, Fifth Cavalry (Augur's); Troop H, Fifth Cavalry (Schuyler's), under Maj. Francis Moore, Fifth Cavalry, squadron commander, and Light Battery F, Third Artillery, Capt. J. B. Burbank, Third Artillery, commanding, marched to Austin, a distance of 85 miles, and upon the conclusion of the encampment returned by marching to their station.

The Fifth Cavalry Band, under the command of the adjutant, First Lieut. W. E. Almy, proceeded to Austin and returned by rail without cost to the United States.

GYMNASIUMS.

I renew my recommendations of previous years on the subject of the establishment of post gymnasiums.

LYCEUMS.

As required by General Orders No. 80, Adjutant-General's Office, 1891, I submit herewith a statement of work accomplished during the past year in the lyceums of the various posts in this department. The papers

read and the progress made give evidence of interest in the work, and of creditable professional study and research on the part of officers generally.

POST EXCHANGES.

Post exchanges continue to accomplish admirably the purposes for which they were established, and doubts as to their being on the whole of substantial benefit to the service should no longer exist.

LAUNDRIES.

In my opinion, the establishment of steam laundries at permanent posts in this department, and their operations as far as practicable at Government expense, is almost a necessity. Enlisted men are now required to use many more articles of clothing requiring frequent washing than formerly, such as white trousers and blouses, linen collars, bed sheets, pillowcases, etc. The extra laundry expense involved falls upon the enlisted men, although no corresponding increase of pay or allowance is made. In this climate the wearing during many months of the year of the authorized duck clothing is imperative; the troops are required, of course, to keep this clothing clean and neat, and a considerable increase in the monthly laundry bill results. In justice to the soldier, this expenditure should be reduced to the minimum. Possibly by some additions to the plant of post sawmills, and the utilization as far as practicable of the labor of the troops, no great expense would be involved.

Attention is invited to the accompanying detailed reports1 of the department staff, whose duties have been most satisfactorily performed. They are as follows: Maj. Arthur MacArthur, jr., assistant adjutant-general; Maj. Peter D. Vroom, inspector-general; Capt. Francis J. Kernan, acting judge-advocate; Maj. Gilbert C. Smith, chief quartermaster; Maj. John F. Weston, chief commissary of subsistence; Col. Francis L. Town, medical director; Col. Charles M. Terrell, chief paymaster; First Lieut. Henry L. Ripley, Third Cavalry, acting engi neer officer; Maj. Clarence E. Dutton, chief ordnance officer; Capt. Richard E. Thompson, chief signal officer.

The report of First Lieut. John S. Mallory, Second Infantry, aid-decamp, inspector of small-arms practice, will be forwarded in due time. I desire to express my high appreciation of the services of my aidsde-camp, First Lieut. John S. Mallory, Second Infantry, and Second Lieut. George T. Langhorne, Third Cavalry, who have performed with zeal and industry the duties assigned them.

I am, General, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

FRANK WHEATON, Brigadier-General, Commanding,

The ADJUTANT-GENERAL UNITED STATES ARMY,

Washington, D. C.

1 Omitted.

REPORT OF BRIG. GEN. ELWELL S. OTIS.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE COLUMBIA, Vancouver Barracks, Wash., August 15, 1894. SIR: The last annual report of the affairs of this military department embraced the year ending July 31, 1893. The reports of staff officers which accompanied it and which were attached as exhibits thereto, closed with the year ending June 30, except as they concerned in part the personnel of the command, when the limit of the period reviewed extended to the first-mentioned date.

The present report which I have the honor to submit, while it recites the movements of troops and briefly alludes to the circumstances which necessitated and controlled them from July 31 of last year to the present time, confines remarks upon other departmental matters to the transactions of the fiscal year ending with the 30th of June last. Upon that date all the attached reports of the department staff officers conclude.

The last report was rendered by Brigadier-General Carlin, who continued to exercise command of the department until November 24, when, upon retirement, the commanding general of the Department of Cali fornia was directed to administer its affairs, and did so until January 3, when I assumed control under proper assignment. Since then I have inspected the posts of the department, visited its most important points, and traversed its main lines of communication.

CHANGES IN POST GARRISONS.

During the year the following changes of organizations comprising or belonging to permanent garrisons have been made: In accordance with instructions from the Headquarters of the Army dated August 18, the station of B and E companies of the Fourth Infantry was changed from Fort Spokane to Fort Sherman. These companies reached the last-named post September 27. Under instructions from the same source of March 15, companies D and H, Fourth Infantry, left Fort Sherman April 10 and arrived at Fort Spokane, to which they had been permanently assigned, on April 17. These movements were effected by marching and through the use of post transportation.

On March 30 directions were given for the interchange of batteries. A and C, Fifth Artillery, at Fort Canby, with two batteries of the same regiment stationed in the Department of California-movement to be effected about June 1. In compliance therewith batteries B and M arrived at Fort Canby on June 10 from the Presidio of San Francisco, and Fort Mason, respectively, and batteries A and C departed-the first for the Presidio and the second for Alcatraz Island-on the following day.

VALUE OF PRESENT STATIONS OF TROOPS.

The withdrawal last fall of two of the three companies which composed the Fort Spokane garrison looked to the complete abandonment of that post in the near future, since it was considered to be inconveniently situated, difficult to reach in certain seasons of the year, expen

sive to maintain, and that it served no practical purpose in the region of country in which it was located. Fort Sherman, the headquarters of the regiment to which the Fort Spokane troops belonged, was deemed to be the proper point to which they should be drawn, and there it was believed that they could be comfortably quartered if comparatively inexpensive barracks could be constructed soon. Still, this disposition was viewed as of a temporary nature, since neither Fort Sherman nor Fort Spokane were properly located to meet all the conditions which a regimental post should possess, as both were removed from important lines of travel and centers of population. Estimates for the necessary barracks were submitted but failed to receive the requisite approval. The increase in the Fort Sherman garrison overcrowded the buildings of the post, especially those occupied by the enlisted men, causing much discomfort and annoyance, and in order to give required relief, a request was made early in the spring to withdraw part of the troops and regarrison Fort Spokane as formerly, which was favorably considered.

A careful computation of the cost of supplying the last-named post shows that it is not as great as that of supplying most of the others of the department, though greater than that attending Fort Sherman. The frequent calls of the last few months for the employment of troops to assist in maintaining law along the principal railway lines of the Northwest indicate that, with proper telegraphic communication maintained, the troops at Spokane are almost as quickly available for service as those stationed at Sherman. The city of Spokane, though much nearer the latter, must be drawn on for railway transportation whenever required by the garrison of either post, and the time consumed in an overland march of twenty-five miles might be regarded as the dif ference of the periods of availability of one over the other. Fort Sherman, however, is nearer the turbulent mining section of Idaho, where the use of troops has been frequently demanded and to which they are often sent, and on this account it has the most desirable location. But neither satisfy conditions which should determine permanence, and since the experience of last spring at the last-named post with the overflowing waters of the Cœur d'Alene Lake, by which it was submerged and its destruction threatened, the claim that it could or should be permanently maintained can not be reasonably supported. The experience of the last few months also demonstrates the wisdom of uniting the garrisons of these two posts at some more convenient point than either of those which they now occupy, in order to obtain quicker response to the demand for active service, and to be able to place in the field the largest numerical force possible. The strength of this military department is small and it has been lately taxed to its full capacity to respond fully to all the calls which have been made upon it. Had the garrisons of these two posts been united at a single station, the force available for detached duty would have been greater by at least one-eighth.

Viewing that entire scope of country to ascertain what locality best meets all the important requirements for which a post of our small Army under present Government conditions should possess, it is found that none offers the advantages of the city of Spokane. The main railway center of the extreme Northwest, it throws out its lines of speedy transportation in every direction. They reach the international boundary line to the north, extend to the east and west under an antagonistic managements which offer competing accomodations for travel, pierce southern Washington and northern Öregon, connecting with other railway systems, and penetrate the mining sections of Idaho by two routes. In matter of time required to reach the different places of population in