Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1854-02-09

Colonelcy during the war, under the 4th sec
ton OF the same act restored to hts Former rank
and position in the Pay Department.
Of the twelve Paymasters appointed in con-
sequence of the increase of the Department,
authorized by the act of March 3, ls4I, only
three have remained continuously in service
viz Robert B. Reynolds who flied an original
vacancy. DAFT ng from March 3, lS47; George
IL Ringgold appointed July 81, 1S47, to the
Vacancy caused by the promotion of Paymas-
ter Larned, TO be Deputy Paymaster General
and Henry Hill, appointed November 6, IS47,
vice J. r. Wallace resigned-Wall having
succeeded to the vacancy made by the promo
ton to Deputy Paymaster General, of Paymas-
ter Daniel Randall.
The prosecution of the war against Mexico,
requiring the employment of many volunteer
regiments, the President appointed the nam
Der Of temporary Paymasters necessary for
paying them with proper punctuality,' I'M
der the authority vested in him by the act of
July 5, 1888, above cited, The commissions of
Additional Paymaster conferred on these per-
sons, specified the act under which they were
issued, thus exhibiting their character and
tenure. They were given to meet the tempo
rary exigencies occasioned by mastering into
service large body Of volunteers, and their
duration was limited by the continuance Of
those exigencies. 500 ~ i->
AThe order of the President issued at the
close Of the Mexican war, directing the volun-
teers to be mustered out of service, required
also tho additional paymasters to be discharged;
but Congress having shortly afterwards July
19. 1S49) passed an act giving three months
extra pay to all volunteers and regulars who
had been engaged in the war, the retention of
the additional Paymasters to make these pay
ments was rendered necessary; but the Secre-
tary of War in his instructions of August %,
lS4S, directed that they should be discharged
"at the earliest period" OF the persons ap-
pointed additional Paymasters during the war
under the act of July S, 1888, nine are now in
service as regular Paymasters. Their names
and dates of rank as additional Paymasters
are as follows: is. ~ --..- "a La
l. Andrew J. Coffee, June "a, 1916. 2. Jer.
emiah Y. Dsshiell, July 2, 1916. g. Sackfield
Macklin, July 2, 1886 4. Aug w Gaines
July 20, 1916. 5. George H. Ringgold, Au
gust 4, ls46: 6. Albert G: Bennett, August Ia
1916. T. Hiram Leonard, Nov. "a, 1916 s.
Francis A. Cunningham, Dec. 80, lS47. 9. G.
G. Hutter, May 10, lS4S.
Prior to 1S47, the appointment of Additional
Paymaster was vested in the President alone
and all Of the above officers, except the last
two, were thus appointed; but the act of March
3, 1S47, section IA, required GO that all Pay.
masters hereafter to be appointed by the Pres
ident for the volunteer service Of the United
States shall be nominated to the Senate fol
confirmation to such Office The preceding
section Q3) of the same act conferred military
rank on the officers of the Pay Department OF
| the regular Army; but as at the time of TIT
passage OF the act the commissions of those
officers were required to be renewed every foul
years, in order to preserve their relative Sc
niority according to length of service, a proriso
was attached to this 18th section e that the
| right to command in the Pay Department be
tween officers having the same rank shall bs
| in favor of the oldest in the service in the De
| partmcnt, without regard to the date of com
| mission under which they may be acting at tn,
time. The whole difficulty in regard to rank
has arisen from applying to the Paymaster
| appointed for the volunteer service, this pro
| ysso, which was limited to the regular officers
of the Pay Department proper, and had NJ
other object than that above stated
The foregoing is a summary of facts bearing
| on the question at issue up to the passage o.
| the act Of March 2, 1S49, concerning the Pa,
Department of the Army By this act thu
| organization Of the Department was fixed "a
one Paymaster General, two Deputy Paymas
| tiers General, and twenty five Paymasters; ant
| the law required that these offices should b.
| filled by - the Paymaster General, the tw,
Deputy Paymasters General now in commits
sion the fifteen Paymasters who were in ser
vice under the acts in force at the commence
ment OF the war with Mexico and ten Paw
masters to be selected from the additional Pay
masters now in service and the thirteen Pay
masters authorized by the acts of 18th of June
| lS46, and the I'd of March, IS47.''
Of the fifteen Paymasters who were in servic,
at the commencement Of the war; twelve re-
| manned IN the Army at the date of the act, viz
Paymasters Leslie, Townsend, C. H. Smith, Z
Z: Andrews, Kirby, Steuart c. Andrews
Walker, Van Ness, benny, Hunter. and L. J
Beall. Three others, to wit Coffee, Rinsgold
and Hull, who were appointed to fill vacancie
which occurred in the original fifteen, wer,
also IN service as the date of the act The,
were all retained with their original rank II
| filling the remaining ten vacancies, the Pres
! ident's selection was restricted to two classes
the thirteen Paymastcrs of the regular Arm,
| and the additional Paymasters then in seryic,
| under the act of 1893. Regarding these tel
| appointments as original vacancies. the Pres
| ldent saw fit to nominate those selected from
| both classes for confirmation, and they were
| accordingly confirmed on the second of March
| lo49, under the following resolution of the
| Senate, to wit t..-
Resotred, That the Senate advise and con
sent to the appointment Of the following per
| SONS, selected from the additional Paymasters
| now In service, and the thirteen Paymaster
| authorized by the act of 18th of June. iS46. and
the Sd OF March, ls47, to be Paymasters in thu
Army OF the United States agreeably to theil
nominations respectively viz Abraham Van
Buren,, Robert A. Forsyth, Robert B. Reynolds
jeremiah Dashiell, Sackfeld Maclin, A. w
Gaines: Albert G.. Bennett Hiram Leonard
Francis A. Cunningham, George c. Hutter >
The right of the President to select ana
nominate for an original appointment carrie:
with It, also, the right to fix the date Of such
appointment, and where the date is not speci-
he'd III the nomination it necessarily takes the
date OF confirmation. The above resolution Of
the Senate conferred new appointments upor
the officers named, differing in date from the
appointments previously held by them That
| resolu ion must be regarded as settling the
relative rank Of those officers in their corps in
the order they are named, and according to
the dates given them in their new appoint
ments. The commissions held by them prior to
this action Of the Senate, can be considered
only as former commissions. and as such must
be governed by the 6Ist article of war
The Board Is. therefore, of opinion, that the
rank in the Pay Department Of the officers in
question; is as follows. and they should stand in
that order on the army register, viz.
L. Andrew j. Coffee, February %, 1S47. 2.
George II, Ringgold, July 81, 1857 8. Henry
Hill, November 6, lS47. 4. Abraham Van
Buren,, March 2, Isl9 5, Roberto Reynolds.
March 2, lS49 6. Jeremiah Dashiell, March
2, lS49. 7. Sackfeld Maclin, March 9, 1919.
s. A. W. Gaines, March 2, lS49 8. Albert
q. Bennett, March 2, 1919 TO- Hiram Leonard,
March 2, lS49. H. Francis A. Cunningham,
March 2, lS49. II. George c. Hutter, March
2, l949