ANNUAL REPORT OF THE ADJUTANT-GENERAL OF THE ARMY. WAR DEPARTMENT, ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S OFFICE, Washington, October 15, 1901. SIR: The following returns of the Regular Army and of the United States Volunteers for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1901, are respectfully submitted: A.-Strength of the Regular Army of the United States June 30, 1900, and June 30, 1901, with losses from all causes between those dates. B.-Strength of the Army, by divisions, departments, etc., between July 1, 1900, and June 30, 1901. C.-Statement showing the monthly, strength and losses from all causes in the armies of the United States between July 1, 1900, and June 30, 1901. D.-Table showing the organization, service, and strength of the United States Volunteers, authorized by the act of March 2, 1899, with losses from all causes as shown by muster-out rolls. E.-Deaths in the armies of the United States between July 1, 1900, and June 30, 1901. F.-Dates of sailing and troops sent to Philippine Islands. G.-Retirements, resignations, deaths, etc., among officers between October 1, 1900, and October 1, 1901. In this table are included 4,336 men of the Hospital Corps and 25 officers and 815 men of the Porto Rico Provisional Regiment, leaving the strength of the Regular Army 3,253 officers and 76,084 enlisted men. In addition there are also in the Philippines 172 volunteer surgeons, appointed under section 18 of the act of February 2, 1901, and 73 officers and 4,973 native scouts. The regiments in the Philippines will be reduced by the expiration of terms of enlistment as follows: General Chaffee has been given instructions to assemble these men in Manila in sufficient time for them to be sent to San Francisco for discharge and final payment. They will come under command of officers returning from their commands on leave or otherwise. The question of the strength at which the regiments in the Philippines are to be maintained is one requiring the early consideration of the War Department. If to be kept at their present strength, it is time to begin special recruiting for them. The verbal instructions of the Secretary of War to have them reduced so as the strength of the entire Army shall not exceed 76,000 is being carried into effect and will be fully accomplished at an early date. Deaths in the armies of the United States between July 1, 1900, and June 30, 1901. Enlisted a Four officers of the Regular Army who died also held commissions in the volunteer forces and are to avoid counting them twice, deducted from the aggregate. men. 20 664 3 99 66 611 1 38 1,275 3 99 1 Officers. Enlisted men. Officers. Enlisted men. Officers. Enlisted men. 41 33 74 28 1,129 804 The losses from all causes in the Regular Army and in the United States Volunteers from July 1, 1900, to June 30, 1901, were as follows: a Four officers of the Regular Army who died also held commissions in the volunteer forces, in which they are included, and to avoid counting them twice that number is deducted from the aggregate. The total number of troops that served in the Philippine Islands between June 30, 1898 (date of first arrival of United States troops), to June 30, 1901, was as follows: The casualties from all causes in that country during the above period were as follows: a The number of "Died of wounds" is included in the number of "Wounded." The casualties among the commissioned officers of the Regular Army between October 1, 1900, and October 1, 1901, are as follows: The statistics of desertions during the year ended June 30, 1901, show the gratifying fact that, with an average enlisted strength of 71,173 men, the number of desertions reported (3,110) is only 4.3 per cent of the average strength, while for the last six months of that period, the average strength being 74,405, the number of desertions occurring (1,400) further reduced the rate to 1.9 per cent, the lowest rate ever reported in the history of the Army. THE REGULAR ARMY. In view of the provisions of the act of March 2, 1899, requiring the muster out of the United States Volunteers not later than July 1, 1901, and of the utter inadequacy of the Regular Army after that date to meet existing conditions, Congress, by the act of February 2, 1901, authorized its increase, on the basis of a 3-battalion organization, to 15 regiments of cavalry, 1 corps of artillery, and 30 regiments of infantry, together with a suitable increase in the several staff departments. The artillery corps (substituted for the existing regimental organizations of the artillery arm of the Army) to comprise two branches-the coast artillery and the field artillery; the chief of that corps, selected from the colonels of artillery, to serve on the staff of the Lieutenant-General Commanding. The coast artillery to consist of 126 batteries and the field artillery of 30 batteries, the aggregate number of enlisted men not to exceed 18,920, exclusive of electrician sergeants, and the increase provided for the artillery to be made as follows: Not less than 20 per cent before July 1, 1901, and not less than 20 per cent in each succeeding year until the entire number shall have been attained. Section 30 of the act above quoted authorizes the President to maintain the enlisted force of the several organizations of the Army at their maximum strength during the present exigencies of the service, or until such time as Congress may otherwise direct. All reports evince that the officers and men are in a good state of discipline. The enlisted men have never been of a higher character. The fact that from the ranks during the year, after careful and rigorous physical and mental examination, two hundred have been commissioned second lieutenants in the Regular Army, speaks volumes for their intelligence and high soldierly bearing. The general orders to govern the above organization of the Army will be found in the appendix to this report. PHILIPPINE SCOUTS. By section 36 of the act of February 2, 1901, the President was authorized to enlist natives of the Philippine Islands for service as scouts and to organize them under officers of the Army into companies, squadrons, or battalions, the total number of enlisted men in the native organizations not to exceed 12,000 men; the total enlisted force of the Army, together with such native force not to exceed 100,000 at any one time. PORTO RICO REGIMENT. Section 37 of the same act authorizes the organization of one provisional regiment of not exceeding three battalions, for service in Porto Rico, the enlisted strength to be composed, as far as practicable, of natives of that island, and the regiment to continue in service until further directed by Congress. UNITED STATES VOLUNTEERS. The act of March 2, 1899, authorizing the President to raise a force of not more than 35,000 volunteers, but providing that this increased force should not be continued in service later than July 1, 1901, made it advisable that all volunteer enlistments authorized by the law quoted should terminate June 30, 1901. The provisions of the act were duly carried into effect as herein indicated. The following instructions will indicate the care taken by this Department to govern the integrity of the records and guard the rights of all concerned: Maj. S. C. MILLS, HEADQUARTERS DIVISION Of the PhilippINES, Acting Inspector-General, Division of the Philippines. (Through Adjutant-General.) SIR: Replying to your letter of the 22d instant, I have the honor to say that it will greatly facilitate the work of discharging the volunteers if the several inspectorsgeneral of the division are authorized, as you suggest, to bring to the notice of the regimental and company commanders some of the points and questions that most frequently arise and call for determination by mustering officers. Briefly stated, the muster-out roll of a company or of the field, staff, and band is a concise descriptive record of the whole period of service of each individual officer or soldier who has at any time belonged to it, together with a complete exhibit of his final account, whatever the date his connection with the organization may have terminated. It is, therefore, of the first importance to ascertain if the names of all such officers and men appear in the descriptive book, requiring entry in cases of omission. Men enlisted in the regiment who were soon discharged as unsuited to the service, deserted, were transferred, etc., even before preparation of organization rolls, can not be ignored. If assigned to companies being formed, they should be accounted for in company descriptive books; if unassigned, the regimental commander takes them up correspondingly in the regimental records and at muster out carries them |