Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1847-02-20
Lieutenant General Rentou

The declaration OF the Missouri Senator that in 1912 he
ouranked every General now in the service and had
night TO command the whole of them had they met in th,
same held has led to some and curious de-
velopmenis. correspondent OF the ST. Louis R,puhl;
can. for example, dNuges the following rather
| bic facts
Some doubts having been expressed whether Mr. Ben
ton ever was Lieutenant Colonel ia the army
an examination OF the records of the United States
ST Louis placed the rest After the peace an
acuon YVES commenced by the United States against Lieut.
Colonel Thomas H. Benton, for the recovery OF
Die sum OF money placed in his hands during the war;
superintendent OF the recruiting service which money he
mad appropriated to his use Judgment was rem
dored against him several thousand dollars s any one
stated the truth. then when he says he Lieutenant
oolSnel IN the u s army Al period, too, when those
small Try, Gaines, Scott aud Taylor, fighting at Erie
Niagara he was recruiting somewhere Tennessee and
had plenty OF Uncle Sans money his hands"
And writer in the New York Courier and ENQUIRER
nvaidates the accuracy ofh wcud-bc Lieutenant Ceno
ras statement by the subloned citations records
from the n. Y. Courier a Enquirer
"Col Benton in his speech in the Senate on o5.h ms,
IN Nna'cahon OF the President, and OF his fitness for
tho oihce OF Lieut. General reported in the National In
tehseneet usually very aeeuTaie) to have sad-"Eyen IN
the Regular Army IN 1913. Lieut.. Colonel while
''mcs ot the present Generals were company officers
land only OF them OF the rank OF Colonel lie had
previously said IN the same specch"In 1912 was the
Military Superior OF every General now in the service
land had right to have commanded the whole OF them II
1--WE had CHANGED 10 together | was then Colonel
in the service OF the United States, by Pre-
sldent Madison under law OF Congress- aud led regi-
ment OF my own raising from Tennessee TO the lower
"Missssippi, &c. &c"
Since the famous "Eis-Room Letter" of Col Benton.
We presume no one questions the veraciy that gentle
man, or at least him OF intentional msre
presentations TOT habit omos controlling than in
tenlion.
Now what says ''the Record2'-The l2h vol of the
American State Papers from page 3S4 to page 1924 contain,
"a corrected list OF all the officers the army of the Uni
ted States transmitted by the Secretary of War TO he Sc
in Doc
OF resolution OF that body. An official document
From this list It appears that Thomas Benton w,s
Lieut. Colonel OF the 18th Regiment OF nfantrv with rank
OF leh July 1913 and that this regiment one of Ia
raised for one year.
The same list shows that the same time the follow
ing officers whose appear in the Army REGISTER nj
ls45, General Officers I've have no later Rers,,r nj
hand) held rank in "ihc Regular Army in lsI3 as follows
Hugh Il n BRADY Col. 2sd Reg Inf 9th July lSl2.
Winfield Scott, do % do Art GO 1873
w Armsiead l., Col Engineers. 3Ist July, lsl2
Z. Gibson. LII Col 9th Reg. Inf. 18th Aug 1873,
VI. Arhuckle Major Sd do. do. do do 1872
I. ;. Jessup, MAJOR, 18Th Int. Oh April 1873
J. r. Wool, do. 2gth do. 18th do. do
As all OF the foregoing above The rank OF company
Officers IN the Regular Army in sl3-wll the Chairman
OF the Senate Committee ON Military Affairs inform the
public, how many General Officers we now have in the
Regular Army his assertion be true, tina, "most OF the
present Generals, Company Officers in 1877 Or
must this declaration be classed with the East Room
Letter."
II the document the Senate in 1873 told the truth
As 10 the other statement of Col Benton vz:-that Sin
lol2 lie was the Military Superior Of every General now
IN the service. and had night have commanded the
whole OF them, they had CHANGED together he
does not give rs the date OF commission Colonel nor
the laws under which he raised his regiment'-but was
probably regiment OF Volunteers. The me documen,
TO which we have referred gives the rules and regulations
OF the Army, with which the Chairman OF the Senate's
Committee Military Affairs accustomed in that char
'aeier, 10 communicate Military subjects with all Ad-
mnisTaons, Tor abouta quarter century last passed.
who ais, in 1912 the Military Superior Of every &c
neral now IN the service, must have been familiar
Among these rules aud regulations ind the follow
ing 'Oficers OF tie Regular Army Of the same grade
with Hose ct Volunteers and MIus have precedence Of
these, whatever may be the dates their respective Com
missions" Would then Col. Benton OF Volunteer regi-
n'ent OF his own raising have commanded Col Brady Of
the Regu=E Army
But the gallant Missoursn certainly has had great es
PerIence lie says that IN 1872 he Col. oi a Reg-
ment OF his own rasng,It the record shows that IN
1913 he was promoted possibly OF his great skill
aud experience, TO be Lieutenant Coonel-ir regiment
OF IL months-men Can any doubt his claims be
Lieutenant General