F.-Geographical divisions, departments and posts, with distribution. of troops, post-offices, telegraph stations, and nearest railroad stations or boat landings. G.-Statement of casualties during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1886. H.-Statement of enlistments and re-enlistments in the Army during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1886. The number of enlisted men now in service who are drawing increased pay under the act of Congress of August 4, 1854, is as follows: The number of those who will become entitled to increased pay under act of Congress of May 15, 1872, during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1888, is: and the number of enlisted men in service whose terms will expire during the same period is 3,413. The officers of the Adjutant-General's Department are properly as signed, and in the discharge of their appropriate duties. DESERTION. It is very gratifying to me to report a marked decrease in the number of desertions from the Army during the past year. The percentage of desertions to the legal strength of the Army, which, in 1884, was 15, was reduced in 1885 to 11.7, and during the past year has been further reduced to 8.3. While part of this result is due to the increasing appreciation on the part of recruiting officers of the importance of the interests confided to their care, I have no doubt that this great decrease since 1884, in which year beneficent legislation provided an honorable retirement to men after thirty years' faithful service, is not a mere coincidence, but evidences that the Army at large recognizes and appreciates the active interest in their behalf by the constituted military authorities and by Congress. That this is not a mere conjecture, but a real fact, is proved by the records of the Army, which show 1,300 re-enlistments in 1884, 1,731 in 1885, and 2,121 in 1886. The total number of men in the Army drawing increased pay for service ranging from five to thirty years and upwards has also steadily increased. The number of these men was 6,253 in 1884, 6,515 in 1885, and during the past year reached 6,642, or nearly one-third of the actual strength of the Army. While the crime of desertion can never, perhaps, be absolutely eliminated, I am convinced that the adoption of a carefully considered code of punishments for all military offenses, the establishment at posts of a light prison for the confinement of minor offenders, &c., would greatly tend to still further lessen the number of desertions. EDUCATION IN THE ARMY. An examination of the official reports made this year on the subject of Army schools further strengthens my opinion that the present voluntary school system in the Army is a failure, and from inherent radical defects will remain so. Those of the men who are the most ignorant, and, therefore, in the greatest need of instruction, are the most aversé to attend school. The attendance of this class of men should be made compulsory. There is no question that military schools properly organized and efficiently taught would prove of very great benefit to the rank and file of the Army, but among the necessary requisites for successful results instruction must be made a military duty, and the hours of attendance should be during the day. The course of studies should be carefully prepared and embrace such subjects of general and special nature as would be of positive and practical advantage to soldiers. Teachers should have recognized rank and position, and their selection carefully made after an examination, which would develop not only the knowledge they possess, but also their special capacity and aptitude for imparting it a much rarer qualification than is generally supposed. RECRUITING SERVICE. During the past year the superintendency of the general recruiting service has been maintained at New York City; the mounted superintendency, which up to June 30, 1886, had been established in the city of Saint Louis, Mo., was at that date transferred to the cavalry depot at Jefferson Barracks, Mo. Under the provisions of General Orders No. 39, dated June 22, 1886, there is to be but one superintendent of the recruiting service after October 1, 1886, with headquarters at New York City, whose supervision will include the rendezvous of the mounted as well as those of the general service. On October 1, 1885, recruiting rendezvous were in operation at the following points: Four in New York City; two in each of the cities of Philadelphia, Baltimore, Chicago, Cincinnati, and Saint Louis; and one each at Boston, Albany, Buffalo, Harrisburg, Pittsburg, Cleveland, Detroit, Denver, Geneva, N. Y., and Washington. The rendezvous at Geneva, N. Y., was closed December 31, 1885, and one was opened at Nashville February 4, 1886. In cities where only one rendezvous has been in operation the officers in charge, whenever the necessities of the service required it, have made enlistments for both the general and the mounted service. In addition to the operations of the general and mounted recruiting services, recruiting has been carried on as heretofore-without expense to the recruiting fund-in the departments constituting the divisions of the Missouri and the Pacific, by officers stationed at military posts and ander the supervision of the assistant adjutant-general at the headquarters of each department; and, in the division of the Atlantic, at the several posts by recruiting officers designated by their respective regimental commanders. Recruiting for the Engineer battalion has been in like manner carried on by officers of the battalion at their respective posts, under the supervision of the battalion commander; and, as occasion required, suitable men have been enlisted at one of the rendezvous in New York City for assignment to that command. The total number of enlistments and re-enlistments in the Army (ex clusive of the Signal Corps) for the year ending June 30, 1886, was 6,941, classified as follows: For the general and mounted services.. For special regiments, detachments, &c...... 3,712 1,540 75 5,327 1, 614 Of the 5,327 accepted recruits, 3,306 were native born and 2,021 of foreign birth; 4,847 were white and 480 colored. Eighteen thousand and ninety-four applicants for enlistment were rejected by recruiting officers on account of physical or mental disqualifications, indicating that the public interests were carefully guarded by the officers charged with the responsible duty of recruiting. This care and vigilance on their part is emphasized by the fact that while 29 per cent. of the total number of applicants for enlistment was accepted in 1884, the percentage of acceptance was reduced the following year to 27.7, and during the past year did not quite reach 23 per cent. All newly-enlisted recruits of the general and monuted services have been retained at least three months at the general depots for instruction before assignment to regiments, and it is believed this has been an important factor in reducing the number of desertions during the past two years. Respectfully submitted. R. C. DRUM, "ORT OF THE INSPECTOR GENERAL. HEADQUARTERS OF THE ARMY, INSPECTOR-GENERAL'S OFFICE, Washington, D. C., October 6, 1886. SIR: I have the honor to submit for the information of the honorable Secretary of War and the Lieutenant-General commanding the Army, the following, my report as Inspector-General of the Army for the cur rent year. The last annual report, made by my predecessor in this office, Brig. Gen. Nelson H. Davis, is dated September 17, 1885, and immediately thereafter, upon September 20, 1885, General Davis was, after a long career of most honorable service, placed upon the retired list under the requirements of the law. Upon the 22d of September, 1885, I was ap pointed to succeed him, and since that time have been on duty here. On the same day Lieut. Col. Joseph C. Breckinridge was promoted to be colonel and inspector-general, Maj. Edward M. Heyl to be lieutenantcolonel, vice Breckinridge, and Capt. Henry J. Farnsworth, Eighth Cavalry, was appointed to fill the vacancy of major and inspector-general, caused by the promotion of Lieutenant-Colonel Heyl. Inspector-General Col. Roger Jones has, throughout the year, as dur ing previous years, continued on duty as inspector-general of the Di vision of the Atlantic and of the Department of the East, performing most efficient and valuable service, which has kept him constantly occupied. He has made numerous valuable suggestions, which have been communicated to the Lieutenant-General. Inspector-General Col. Joseph C. Breckinridge was, on October 10, 1885, assigned to duty as inspector-general of the Division of the Mis souri, and on October 20 he reported at division headquarters and took charge of his office. He has since that time been actively occupied with the numerous duties devolving on him. Inspector-General Lieut. Col. Robert P. Hughes has continued on duty as inspector-general of the Division of the Pacific and the Department of California. Inspector-General Lieut. Col. Edward M. Heyl has remained on duty as inspector-general of the Department of Texas. Inspector-General, Maj. George H. Burton has continued as inspector general of the Department of the Missouri. Inspector-General Maj. Henry J. Farnsworth, who, at the time of his appointment, was serving in command of his troop in the Indian campaign in New Mexico, reported for duty in this office November 15, 1885, pursuant to orders from the War Department, and since that time has been on duty here. In addition to his regular duties in this office he has made a special investigation in the Department of the Columbia, ordered by the Secretary of War. As will be seen from the foregoing, notwithstanding the increase in number of inspectors-general provided in the act approved February 5, 1885, there are not a sufficient number available for assignment to all the departments; and it has been necessary to continue on duty as acting inspectors-general the line officers specified below. The law approved June 23, 1874, after enumerating the number and rank of officers of the Inspector-General's department, says: "The Secretary of War may, in addition, detail officers of the line, not to exceed four, to act as assistant inspector-general: Provided, That officers of the line detailed as acting inspectors-general shall have all the allowances of cavalry officers of their respective grades." (Supplement to Revised Statutes, vol. 1, p. 100.) The four officers detailed under, this act, by General Orders No. 47, Adjutant-General's Office, 1885, have served since the last annual report, and are as follows: Lieut. Col. Edwin C. Mason, Fourth Infantry, Department of Dakota. Lieut. Col. Henry M. Lazelle, Twenty-third Infantry, Department of the Columbia. Maj. William F. Drum, Fourteenth Infantry, Department of Ari zona. Maj. Robert H. Hall, Twenty-second Infantry, Department of the Platte. The work that has been performed by the inspecting officers during the year has been very great, and it has been important work. All of the military posts have been thoroughly inspected by division or department inspectors, in addition to the inspections required by paragraph 1327, Army Regulations, and numerous special investigations have been conducted. The money accounts of disbursing officers, amounting to many millions of dollars, have been regularly verified. The reports of these inspections are submitted herewith for transmittal to Congress, as required by act approved April 20, 1874. These verifications of money accounts, although few errors or irregularities have been detected, are none the less important, and their usefulness is appreciated by most officers who disburse public funds. The discharge of these duties has kept the officers on the road away from their homes a great part of their time, and subjects them to an expenditure of their private means from 15 to 20 per cent. greater than the amount that is afterwards refunded to them under existing laws. The four officers serving in the department by temporary detail are all gentlemen of high character and capacity and have performed their duties to the entire satisfaction of this office, and so far as I can learn, to the satisfaction of the commanders to whose staffs they are attached. I would be glad if they could be immediately transferred into the department, but as it is now, they are four field officers absent from their regiments, and they must feel the inconvenience of serving on a detail which may be terminated at any moment by a simple order. I therefore urgently request that the Secretary of War and the LieutenantGeneral will use their influence with Congress to have six officers of the lowest grade in the department added to it. Four to replace the four field officers of the line now serving by detail and two as additional assistants in my office, where they are greatly needed. The urgent necessity for permanent clerical assistance has so frequently been referred to by my predecessors and by all the officers of the department, that I deem it my duty to again invite attention to the subject. The order of June 16, 1885, issued from the headquarters of the Army allowing each inspector-general and acting inspector-general at divis ion and department headquarters one general service clerk, with rank of corporal, and one private as messenger, afforded temporary relief, but the acts of Congress approved June 30, and July 29, 1886, provides for a reduction of general service men, and, by existing orders, the assignment of the limited number authorized by those acts is left to the discretion of division and department commanders. Nearly all of the varied duties devolving upon an inspecting officer demand an amount of clerical work, and unless he has sufficient clerical assistance, it is manifest that what he accomplishes must be incomplete and imperfect and his usefulness limited. No other branch of the staff is hampered in this way. A young captain in the Subsistence or Quartermaster's Department has all the assistance he demands, limited only by the amount of work he has to perform. The Inspector-General's Department alone is left with undefined and doubtful rights in this regard. The Inspector-General being away from his office much of his time on duty, it is very necessary that he should learn intelligent clerk in charge, who can answer all questions the general in command may ask. I therefore urgently recommend that Congress be requested to authorize that every officer of the Inspector-General's Department, when on duty, shall be allowed a clerk of class three and a messenger, the persons so authorized to be employed only upon public duty pertaining to the inspection branch of the service. All reports and my own observation prove that the Army, as a whole, is in a very healthy and gratifying condition. There is not a bad or a poor regiment in it. Some regiments excel others in certain lines of instruction, but there is not one which could not be brought to the highest degree of excellence in any line of military duty belonging to its class in a very short time. The officers are sober and orderly, capable and intelligent, and ambitious to excel when an opportunity is afforded them. Small commands, depleted by details for all manner of work, take from them the possibility of showing what they could or would do, and must dampen their ardor. The enlisted men are sufficiently intelligent and educated for all nec essary purposes. They are as well set up and instructed in their drills as their opportunities will permit. They are orderly and subordinate and faithful in the discharge of their duties, and they endure the pri vations and hardships of their calling with commendable fortitude. No |