WAR DEPARTMENT, BUREAU OF MILITARY JUSTICE, October 1, 1875. GENERAL: In compliance with instructions contained in circular from the Adjutant-General's Office, under date of September 3, 1875, I have the honor to submit for the examination and consideration of the Secretary of War the following statement of the operations of this Bureau since the date of my last annual report of October 1, 1874: Number of general court-martial records received, reviewed, and registered, 1,759. Number of garrison and regimental court-martial records received, reviewed, and registered, 9,712. Numbers of special reports made upon court-martial proceedings, and application for remission of sentences, and miscellaneous questions of law, &c., 1,125. Abstracts of proceedings of trials furnished upon official application of the War and Treasury Departments, 2,213. Copies of records furnished under the one hundred and fourteenth article of war, (pages,) 5,079. The decrease in the number of trials by court-martial occurring during the past, as compared with the previous, year, affords gratifying evidence of a marked improvement in the morale of the service. Notwithstanding the policy which discourages, with limited exceptions, the enlistment of married men, a large number of them succeed, by fraudulent misrepresentations, in entering the Army. Their presence there proves often a source of embarrassment to military discipline, as it is of injury to their families. The destitution of the latter leads to desertions, and is then urged upon the Executive as grounds for the extension of clemency to this class of offenders. The conviction is entertained that this growing evil might, in large degree, be corrected by appropriate legislation. Under existing regulations, except in cases of re-enlistment, the soldier on enlisting makes a solemn declaration that he has "neither wife nor child ;" and it is believed that a law requiring him to verify such declaration by oath, and prescribing a severe punishment for this oath when falsely taken, would do much towards the repression of what has come to be a chronic demoralization, followed by deplorable results, alike to the service and to the families 'thus abandonded by their heads and natural protectors. It affords me pleasure to bear testimony to the zeal and uniform fidelity with which the officers and employés of this Bureau and the members of the corps of judge-advocates have performed their respective duties during the past year. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, Brig. Gen. E. D. TOWNSEND, Adjutant-General, U. S. A. J. HOLT, Judge Advocate-General. |