, 1841-08-07
From the NatioIal lntclligencer.
BIOGRAPHY LATE MA
JOR GENERAL MACOMB.

born at Detroit, April 3, 1892. The city o
Detroit, at that time was 2 garrison town
and among the first images that struck hi;
ewes were those of the circumstances Of war,
These early impressions often fix tie charac-
ter Of he man.
!, His !al"c-.was 2 r. .t..s:a.ql, re,2ect2.
/ biy descended and connected. He removed
10 the CITY of New York while Alexander
was vet an infant. When he was eight
years of age. he placed him at school at
Newark in New jersey, under the charge Of
the Reverned Doctor Ogden. who was a man
OF mind, belonging to a family distinguished
for talents.
In 1898, while Macomb was quite a youth,
he was elected into a select company. which
was called 1.-The New York Rangers" The
name was taken from that Spartan band of
rangers selected from the provincials, who,
from 1855 to 1868, were the elite of every
British commander on Lake George and the
borders of Canada. At the time he entered
the corps OF New York Rangers. Congress
had passed 4 law receiving volunteers for
the defence Of the country, as invasion by a
French army was soon expected. This pa
'rin,ic band volunteered their services to
Government, which were accepted, but lie
soon left this corps, and obtained a cornetcy
AT the close of the year 1893, and was COM
miSSiuned in January, 1899. Gen. North,
then adjutant general Of the nothern army,
soon saw the merits Of the youthful soldier,
and took him into his staff, as deputy adiu-
tant general. Under such a master as the
intelligent and accomplished North, Macomb
made great progress in his profession, and in
the affections of his brother officers Of the
army. The Young officer that Hamilton no
iiccd and North instructed, would not fail TO
be- ambitious o. disiinc,ion. He visited Mon
lIcal in order % observe the discipline and
tactics Of the veteran corps kept at that i'm
portant military pos: and did not neglect his
opportunities.
The thick and dark cloud that hung over
the country pissed away-a Great past e
me troops were dis5anded, an: most of the
officers aud men returned TO private life; a
few oulv were retained; among them was
Macomb. who was commissioned as second
lieutenant Of dragons, and sent forthwith
nn the recruiting service. but II was not then
necessary to push the business; aud as he
was stationed At Philadelphia. he had fine op-
voriunit:es TO associate with the best inform.
cd men of the city. and found easy access TO
the Franklin and ether extensive libraries,
cf whi-h advantages lie did not fail 10 i'm
prove.
When his body uf r~ccrui-s was formed, he
marched with it 10 the Western frontiers 10
Join Gen. Wilkinson, IN officer who had been
left in service from the Revolutionary war.
In the company of Wilkinson, and of Col.
Williams, the engineer, he must have gather
ed a mass Of materials for future use. With
him hc went into the Cherokee country 10
aid in making Il treaty with that nation. lie
WIS on this MISSION nearly a year, and kept
4 journal Of every thing he saw a. heard
This was Il good school for one whose duty
il might hereafter lie 70 Gchl these very
alsIri.Ines, and, in fact, these lessons of the
wilderness are not lost on any one al mind
anI observation. Tic corps - which tie
belonged was disbanird, AMI ! corps of CO.
r%inccrs formed; Ia this !!e was attached as
first lieutenant. lie was now sent IN West
Point, where he WAS, ~ the code there eS-
t1bllshei. a pupil ~ well rs an officer. Be
ing examined and declared competent, he
was appointed an adjutant nf the corps at
that post. and discharged his duty with so
much spiri, and intelligence. that when the
first court martial, after his examination, was
convened, no was appointed judge advocate.
This court was ordered for the trial OF Il dis.
tinguished officer for disobcviug an arbitrary
order for cutting off the hair. Peter the
Great could not carry such an order int" exc
cuiion, but our Republican country did; and
tho veteran Colonel Butler was rcpriHanded
for not throwing lis white locks, 10 the wind
when ordered So 10 do by his superior. The
talents and argument, exhibited by Macomb,
rs Judge advocate on this court martial,
brought him into very great notice as a man
OF exalted intellect as well as 4 fine soldier.
He was now called upon TO compile a treatise
upon martial law and the practice Of courts
martial. which, in n future day Of leisure. be
effected, and his book is now the standard
work upon courts martial for the Army of
the United States. In 1905 Macomb was
promoted to the rank of captain in the corps
of engineers. and sent to the sea-board TO
superintend the Notifications which had been
ordered by an act Of Congress. BY this ser
vice he became knownt TO the first men IN the
country, and his merits were duly aPprecia-
ted from New Hampshire to the Fiordas.
& --AI ~