Democratic banner., 1847-01-18

mistake the rank which he would occuDv
According to military rules the head of the
army is styled G~enerGHsSinaO, or Comman-
ber-in-Chief. This officer by our Constitu-
ton is the President Of the United States,
who executes the duties ofthat rank through
the Secretary of war. In England, the
Duke of wellington has been given the rank
of GenerGHssim1; and in France, the King
exercises its powers through the Wa Min
lister
The second grade is that of General, or
according to the French designation. Mar
shal. In England, these officers are STYLED
FIeld--Nlrshals, or Generals IF Infantry, SC.
During our Revolutionary War, Washing
ton occupied this rank. He was General,
the highest officer then in service. The
third rank is that of L~ieutenanf General.
In l19S this Office was created by Congress
and filled by Washington. The fourth grade
is that Of Generals of Divisions, or as called
In our system, Major Generals. Properly
speaking, a Major General is Chief Of the
Staff, not Commanding General OF the army.
Thus during the Revolution, Washington
was the General, Commanding the Army,
and Hamilton, for a time, Chief of tine Gen
erals Staff, or Major General of the Army,
The Generalissimo, or Commander in
Chief. has the direction of all the military
forces of the country, but seldom takes the
field in person. He has charge of all the
operations planned for the war. Generals
ommand the active forces in the field, or
the various armieS-as the Amy Of the
Rhine, and the army of Italy, during =
French Consulate. Each army may b :;
sI5divided into corpsf'armee, the command
of which in Europe is almost univrrstii.
given to Lieutenant Generals. Ar.gLS d.
armee during war is supposed to consist of
thirty thousand mea, and is made up of tw u
on more Grand Divisions commanded ry
Generals Of Division, or Major Grm"r. : a.
they are called in this country. a Grand
Division consists of two or more Brigades,
commanded by Brigadier Generals.
During the wal of 1912, and since, the
highest officers known in orr service were
Major Generals. Thus Harrison, as Mniurl
General, commanded the army Of the north
west; JackSOnthe army ofthe south. \ few
years ago the country was divided into four
Grand Divisions Or Districts, but if we re-
member correctly, the order has since been
changed, aal now there are two Grand
Divisions the clarrn and western. Prior
ntla cr~nnrncem"nt Of hustiiities, Gen.
Gaines had command of the Western Diri-
sion, but has since been transferred to the
T. istcrm; Gtn. Brooke having command of
this military Division at the prcsen: time.
the army under General Taylor, we sup
pose, may properly be termed a c3rps d
,rmre. At the battle of monterey, the as
sailing furces were arranged in three Divi-
s!ons, commanded respectively by Gen.
Worth, Butler, aad Twiggs Gen. Worth
AL Tw!gS' are Generals Of the Brigade,
hut in ia. absence of Major Generals, were
assigned to the NpcciM command of Divis-
irnS, and Col. Garland was directed to take
charge Ola Brigade. The fault of nur sys-
ten, as the present war has SHOWN, is i'm
proper classification. Hence VIC have seen
C0loncls called from their Regiments TO
take command of Brigadcs, and even of
Ora Ile Divisions, and c,rps d'drmre; con-
tests about rank; til" discharge of a Brig
adcr's lmty by All officer receiving only the
pay OF Il Colonel. g..
If the Office of Lieutenant General should
be created, only suc!. powers and duties
would be conferred on it, as Congress might
think advisable. The person holding that
rank would be-, under existing arrangements
superior in command TO all the Mayor Gen
erals in the service, and would in military
matters hold a position subordinate TO the
GencraIissimo, or the President,-that is.
il the officer should receive that rank by
act of Congress, which the title iesigmatcs.
He would not necessarily have direction Of
Gen Kearney's army or of the Gulf squad
ron. We speak of the dutits of that Oil
ce as laid down by military writers. II
may be that the corps d nrmee under Gen.
Taylor will operate hereafter in Grand d.
visions. and unless a Lieutenant General
be appointed, the Senior Major General, III
the absence of instructions TO the contrary
that is, Major General Scott-would have
the command. If the new Office be crca-'
ted, the person appointed TO fill it. will out
rank both Scott and Taylor, as well as But
Ter and Patterson. Instead of exercising
extraordinary, or as some say, monarGiIcai
authority, he will hold only the third rank
in the military system, and may be 0rcr-
sLaughed hereafter, by the creation oil the
c ~ ~. .yt.nt