War, transmitting estimates for the repair of works in Plymouth War, transmitting a statement of the expenses of the national ar- War, transmitting statement of contracts for the year 1857. Letter War, transmitting a list of clerks and other persons employed in War, transmitting a statement of the contingent expenses of the War, transmitting a transcript of the official Army Register for War, relative to the military expedition ordered into the Territory War and Major General John E. Wool. Message of the President War, relative to the sale of the military reservation at Fort Ripley. War, transmitting a statement of all contracts made in connexion 99 with the Utah expedition. Letter of the Secretary of...... 12 of War, transmitting reports of Captains Sitgreaves and Woodruff of War, transmitting the report of the superintendent of the wagon 121 103 104 Washington during the year 1857. Report of the colonel of topo- Washington Territories. Letter of the Secretary of the Interior, Washington. Letter of the Secretary of the Interior, transmitting a report of J. Ross Browne, special agent, on the subject of Washington Territories. Letter of the Secretary of War, transmit- ting a report of the commissioners to ascertain the expenses Washington Territories, &c. Message of the President of the United States, transmitting correspondence and documents 5 126 125 12 116 1 Washington Territories. Message of the President of the United Wheeling Letter of the Secretary of the Interior, relative to the Wool. Message of the President of the United States, transmit- Wines, spirits, &c., imported annually from 1843 to 1857. State- Wisconsin. Statement of the quantity of land selected under the Wool from 1840 to 1857, inclusive. Statement of the foreign im- Wool. Message of the President of the United States, transmitting 133 Y. Yards and Docks of the Navy during the year ending June 30, Yards and Docks of the operations of his bureau during the year Papers accompanying the above report. A. General estimate from Yards and Docks.... No. 3. Estimate for officers and others at yards and stations No. 5. Estimate for improvements and repairs at yards and No. 6. Estimate for improvements and repairs at hospitals No. 7. Estimate for improvements and repairs of magazines 10 88 1 2 1 35TH CONGRESS, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. 1st Session. MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, TO THE TWO HOUSES OF CONGRESS AT THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE FIRST SESSION OF THE THIRTY-FIFTH CONGRESS. DECEMBER 8, 1857.-Read, and committed to the Committee of the Whole on the state of the Union, and ordered to be printed. DECEMBER 16, 1857.-Resolved, That there be printed, for the use of the members of the House of Representatives, twenty thousand extra copies of the President's Annual Message and accompanying documents. Vol. II. WASHINGTON: CORNELIUS WENDELL, PRINTER. REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF WAR. WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington, December 5, 1857. SIR: I have the honor to submit the following report of the condition and operations of the army during the past year. The army consists of nineteen regiments, divided into ten of infantry, four of artillery, two of dragoons, two of cavalry, and one of mounted riflemen. The whole strength of the army, as posted, consists of about 17,984 men; and the actual strength, on the first of July last, was 15,764. In addition to the movements which the troops have been called on to make this year, which are set forth in a separate paper, prepared by the Adjutant General and herewith transmitted, this force is called upon to garrison 68 forts of a large and permanent character, so far, at least, as it is possible to supply men for the purpose; and to occupy 70 posts less permanently established, where the presence of a force is absolutely required. The area over which these forts and posts are spread embraces a circuit of about 3,000,000 square miles, and requires a journey of many thousand miles to visit the principal ones of them. The external boundary of our country, requiring throughout a more or less vigilant military supervision, is 11,000 miles in length, presenting every variety of climate and temperature, from the inclement cold of our Canada frontier to the tropical regions of southern Texas. But the occupation of this long line of frontier is a trifling difficulty in comparison with that of protecting the double line of Indian frontier, extending from the Lake of the Woods to the banks of the Rio Grande, on the east side of the Rocky mountains, and from beyond the river Oregon on the British frontier to the head of the Gulf of California, on the western slope of those mountains. Superadded to these lines, requiring to be occupied, are the great lines of intercommunication between the valley of the Mississippi and the Pacific ocean, which imperatively demand that protection which only the United States troops can furnish. These lines are very long, and are now extremely important, whilst every year renders them more and more 80. From our western frontier of settlements to those of northern Oregon the distance is about 1,800 miles; from the same frontier to the settlements of California, via Salt Lake, is 1,800 miles; from the frontier of Arkansas, at Fort Smith, by Albuquerque or Santa Fé, to Fort Tejon, is about 1,700 miles; and from San Antonio, by El Paso, to San Diego, near the borders of the white settlements, is 1,400 miles; constituting an aggregate line of 6,700 miles which ought to |