1818; pay, April 24, 1816; engineers, March 11, 1779 (present ‘corps of’), March 3, 1863; ordnance, May 14, 1812; signal (corps), March 3, 1863. The Journal of the Continental Congress, Washington's orders, and the Revised Statutes teem with interesting historical and biographical data relating to these staff departments for which space here is denied. Out of the crude measures of a great crisis has grown a governmental system which, if not perfect, has through its personnel accomplished wonders. The names of Steuben, Trumbull, Rush, Morgan, Bernard, Townsend, Meigs, Ingalls, Myer, Fry, and Weston are those of a few of the men who, in spite of imperfections of organization, of official dry-rot, and a false sense of security from perils that at times threaten the most favored nations, were equal to the emergency of war, and achieved great distinction in their several departments.
Statistics of the United States Army, 1789-1902
| Strength of Army | ||
| 1789 | 1 reg't infantry, 1 bat. artillery | 840 |
| 1792 | Indian border wars | 5,120 |
| 1794 | Peace establishment | 3,629 |
| 1801 | ““ | 5,144 |
| 1807 | ““ | 3,278 |
| 1810 | ““ | 7,154 |
| 1812 | War with Great Britain | 11,831 |
| 1815 | ““““ | 9,413 |
| 1817-1821 | Peace establishment | 9,980 |
| 1822-1832 | ““ | 6,184 |
| 1833-1837 | ““ | 7,198 |
| 1838-1842 | Florida War | 12,259 |
| 1843-1846 | Peace establishment | 8,613 |
| 1847 | Mexican War | 17,812 |
| 1848 | ““ | 30,890 |
| 1849-1855 | Peace establishment | 10,320 |
| 1856-1861 | ““ | 12,931 |
| 1862 | Civil War | 39,273 |
| 1863-1866 | ““ | 43,332 |
| 1867 | Peace establishment | 54,641 |
| 1868-1869 | ““ | 52,922 |
| 1870 | ““ | 37,313 |
| 1871 | ““ | 35,353 |
| 1872-1874 | ““ | 32,264 |
| 1875-1879 | ““ | 27,489 |
| 1891 | ““ | 27,390 |
| 1896 | ““ | 26,955 |
| 1898 | ““ | 63,000 |
| 1902 | ““ | 100,000 |
Important Campaigns and Expeditions
in which the Army has taken part.
| 1790-95 | War with Northwestern Indians. |
| 1794 | Whisky Insurrection (Pa.). |
| 1806 | Sabine expedition (La.). |
| 1811-13 | War with Western Indians. |
| 1812 | Seminole disturbances (Fla.). |
| 1812-15 | War with Great Britain. |
| 1813-14 | Creek Indian war (Ala.). |
| 1817-18 | Seminole War (Fla.). |
| 1823 | Blackfeet Indian campaign. |
| 1827 | Winnebago Indian expedition. |
| 1832 | Black Hawk War. |
| 1835-42 | Seminole War (Fla.). |
| 1836-37 | Creek Indian disturbances (Ala.). |
| 1836-39 | Cherokee disturbances. |
| 1838-39 | New York frontier disturbances. |
| 1846-48 | Mexican War. |
| 1848 | Cayuse Indian war (Ore.). |
| 1849-61 | Navajo Indian troubles (N. M.). |
| 1849-61 | Indian disturbances (Tex.). |
| 1850 | Pitt River expedition (Cal.). |
| 1851-52 | Yuma expedition (Cal.). |
| 1851-56 | Snake, Sioux, Yakima, Cheyenne, and Arapahoe |
| Indian war. | |
| 1855-57 | Seminole War (Fla.). |
| 1857 | Gila expedition (N. M.). |
| 1857-58 | Utah expedition. |
| 1858 | Puget Sound and other Indian troubles. |
| 1858-59 | Wichita (Ind. Ter.), Colorado River (Cal.), Pecos |
| and Antelope Hills (Tex.), and Bear River | |
| (Utah) expeditions. | |
| 1859-60 | Cortina troubles on Texas-Mexican border. |
| 1860 | Kiowa-Comanche (Ind. Ter.) and Carson Valley |
| (Utah) expeditions. | |
| 1860-61 | Navajo expedition (N. M.). |
| 1861-86 | Apache Indian war (.riz. and N. M.). |
| 1861-65 | Civil War. |
| 1862-67 | Sioux War (Minn. and Dak.). |
| 1863-69 | Indian war (Kan., Neb., Colo., and Ind. Ter.). |
| 1865-68 | War with Northwestern Indians. |
| 1865-66 | Fenian raid (N. Y. and Canada). |
| 1867-81 | Campaigns against Indians and Mexican border |
| disturbances. | |
| 1868-69 | Canadian River expedition (N. M.). |
| 1871 | Yellowstone expedition. |
| 1872-73 | Modoc War. |
| 1873 | Yellowstone expedition. |
| 1874-75 | Indian campaign (Ind. Ter.), Sioux (Wyo. and |
| Neb.), Black Hills (Dak.), and Big Horn (Wyo.) | |
| expeditions. | |
| 1875 | Expedition against Indians (Nev.). |
| 1876 | Powder River expedition (Wyo. Ter.). |
| 1876-77 | Big Horn and Yellowstone expeditions (Wyo. and |
| Mont.). | |
| 1876-79 | War with Northern Indians. |
| 1877 | Labor strikes (Pa. and Md.). |
| 1877 | Nez Perces campaign. |
| 1878 | Bannock and Piute campaigns (Nev. and Ida.), and |
| Ute Indian expedition (Colo.). | |
| 1879-84 | Disturbances in Ind. and Okla. Ter., and Ute |
| Indian campaign (Colo. and Utah). | |
| 1885 | Chinese mining and labor troubles (Wyo. Ter.) |
| 1890-91 | Sioux Indian troubles (So. Dak.). |
| 1891-93 | Garcia troubles (Texas-Mexican border). |
| 1892 | Miners' disturbances (Idaho). |
| 1894 | Labor disturbances (Ill.), and labor strikes (Ill. to |
| Pacific coast). | |
| 1898 | War with Spain. |
| 1899-1902 | Philippine insurrection. |
| 1900 | China relief expedition. |
Modern Establishment. The war with Spain (1898) called public attention to some of the imperfections of the American military administration, and discussion of the shortcomings brought about a plan of reorganization unprecedented in the history of the Army. The Philippine insurrection, requiring the occupation of the archipelago at one time by a force of 65,000 men (regulars and volunteers), became in its turn an object lesson in the formation of a permanent military establishment suited to the new conditions. The regular force of 1897, expanded by Congress the following year to 63,000, was in 1899 reinforced by 35,000 volunteers, exceptionally efficient, as nearly all had seen service in Cuba and the Philippines, and were organized into regiments commanded by selected regular officers. During two years following these troops were incessantly engaged in fighting the Filipinos under the unfavorable conditions of climate, terrain, and the treacherous character of the enemy.
Official figures of the Adjutant-General's office show that from February 4, 1899, to April 30, 1902, there were 2,561 engagements, and in no case did United States troops surrender or retreat leaving their dead and wounded in the possession of the enemy. Up to July 16, 1902, 4,135 officers and 123,803 men were landed in the Philippines, 1,135 officers and 23,000 men having been sent there more than once. The average strength during the period named was 40,000. The casualties were: Killed and died of wounds, 69 officers and 936 enlisted men; deaths from disease, 47 officers and 2,535 men; deaths from accident, 6 officers and 125 men; drowned, 6 officers and 257 enlisted men; deaths by suicide, 10 officers and 72 enlisted men; murdered, 1 officer and 91 enlisted men. Total deaths, 139 officers and 4,016 enlisted men; wounded, 190 officers and 2,707 enlisted men, a total of 2,897.
Besides the service in the Philippines, the regular contingent there was drawn upon for the China Relief Expedition to the extent of 2,000 men. During the short campaign—July-August,
