The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-03-06
ARMY INTELLIGENCE
The Irregular Promotions in the Quar-
termaSter'S Department.
1BOther Irregularity-Is the Corrected
List of Nominations Correct Ups
and Downs in the Quarter
masters Department.

WASHINGTON, March s. 1872
The Quartermaster's Department. has not yet re-
covered from the surprise and ccnsternauon caused
by the recent publication in the HERALD OF secret
Inst Of promotions in that department. transmitted
20 the senate in eu Of other lists confirmed IN 1896
and 1857 and she action OF the Senate Judiciary
COMMITTEE, who nave had tho matter IN hand for
the last two weeks. anXiously awaited, not only
BY those officers whose meritOrous war records led
70 their irregular promotion, out also by those VINO
have been debarred nom the advancement 70 which
their seniority entities tnem
The reticence observed In the War Department
and the fact that the list OF NOMINATIONS was a
secret lend surround the subject with an air
or mystery which does not To be warranted
by the circumstances, but which cannot fail to en-
gender a suspicion OF other irregularities.
That the question OF appointment and promotion
m the army may be properly understood we give q
brief resume OF the regulations ON this point. The
regulations established in 1916 Tor the government
OF the army, reoraanzed the previous year, are as
10llows:-
Original vacancies will be supplied by selection
accidental vacancies oy seniority, except IN extra
will be made regimeataly to that OF field appoint
ments by nethe light artillery, artillery, infantry
and rlnemen being kept always distinct.
The Regulations OF 1870 make no change IN these
rules. In the editions OF 1855 and lS41 the OF
promotion accidental vacancies Is limited, so as
not to apply 10 general officers, and
paragraph is added, viz:-"Appointments to the
rank OF brgadier general ana major general and all
superintendent the STAFF will be filled by eton.n
The editions OF 1857, 1861 and 1853 modify the
rules and improve the phrase0l0gy or Uersa)
the following elect:-
PARAGRArn ls.-An vacancies IN established resimen,s
and corps 70 the rank of colonel shall be allied by
according to seniority except In case OF disability o.her
PAR 2OSromotons to the rank of captain shall be made
Hc-
cording arm In the Department engineers and
PAR. 2Appontments to the rank of briGsdier general
and will DO made by selection from the army
VIII thus be seen that so far the regulations
bear on the question the rule OF appointment and
promotion is clearly defined.
In an act approved July g. 1888, increasing the
military establishment, there Is provisO sec-
ton g. last clause) that promotion In the Quarter
masters Department shall take place as In reg
meAts and corps. This proviso has not been either
Tepeaied amended.
ANOTHER IRREGULARITY.
An examination OF army registers and general
0rderash0ws thar from 1888, when the Quartermas-
ter's Department was increased, under the act of
July OF that year, until 1861, all promotions in the
department were made in strict accordance with
the rules above quoted. The first Irregnlarity not
heretofore noticed occurred In August 1851. BY an
act approved on the Sd OF that month there were
added to the department one colonel, two heuten
ant cOlonels Tour majors and twenty captains, and
Is was enacted That captains who mad served AZ
SUCH fourteen years continuously should be pro.
moIed 10 the RANK OF major. Under THIS law the
rule VI seniority was observed every except
that Of Major OSBORNE Cross, VINO, being 'Jumpeun
by Majors Sibley AMI Bapbtt, was left ut the mead
Of the MAJORS, instead OF being carried up 10 the
third place the list OF lieutenant cOlOnels. Under
the fourteen years Clause Captains McKlnstry, Van
Vnet Rucker and ingalls, were promoted 10 ma
lorities.
From 1861 to 1860 no irregularities appear, with
the exception above noted, nut the name OF Major
for 1864, without apparent reason, and taken
up again III The register Tor 1862 without explana
ton.
Is THE CORRECTED LIST OF NOMINATIONS CoRRECr7
In the secret list OF nominations there are some
cerned. Under the act Of July 2S, 1866 Major Rufus
Ingalls, was promoted assistant quartermaster
general, with the rank OF colonel, and Captain
Tredweu Moore quartermaster, win the rank OF
major, the former jumping Tour officers and the
latter being overslaughed Dy the. same number. The
names OF these officers do not appear on the
'secret list, ;" for what reason Is not known In the
register Tor 1872 Major Moore stands second the
Inst OF maJers. The seniority rule places 1ourtn
Oh the list OF heutenants colonies, While Ruius
Ingalls, snorld be senior lieutenant colonel instead
vi junior cOlonel.
jhe name OF Major NJ ]. Ludington also is not on
and assistant quartermaster of volunteers TO major
and Quarrernaster United states Army, while !
legally he could nave been appointed To o cap ,
fancy only.
The fluctuations In the Quartermasters Depart |
mcnt, consequent upon the irregular promotions, |
are illustrated by The following
COMPARATIVE REGISTER,
showing the status OF the officers before and after the
"secret list, and now they should stand according
10 seniority:-
T zss fS' ss @sa.s' ey 4 S gssa b.