Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1872-12-19
PERSONNEL OF THE ARMY.
Gen Sherman's Opinion of Army
Il Officers, ~

A communicate lion having appeared
in the Army and Nary Journal con-
cerning the alleged intellectual inactiv-
ity OF the officers of the army, General
Sherman writes letter to that journal
in refutation of the writer's statements.
The General says:
To question the honor, integrity, and
intelligence of our higher officers is to
cast a stain upon our national history,
which they have had a full share In
making and writing. 1t is of the ju-
nior officers that 1 wish to treat, be-
cause they are scattered to the four
winds, in little detaehments far away
from civilization, and cannot appeal to
the bar of public opinion save by their
official conduct and through their
friends. OF these / am the chief; and
from daily, weekly, and monthly re-
ports from themselves, and from their
lawful snperiors, have mass of testi-
mony far better than your correspof--
dent can possibly have, am perfectly
satisfied with them, and hereby en-
courage them in their faithful dis,
charge of the duties to which they are
appointed, with the full beliefthatthey
possess as many advantages for mental
anu pDySiCztl 0tluCdtlUH do lidu McftuS
and Thomas, Mcpherson and Mover,
Grant and Sheridan, in their day Of
probation, and that with patience and
time they may attain the same reward
and fame. Atall of our military posts
the officers and men have schools and
libraries as good as their limited pay
and means afford, and though, the ne
cessities of our country demand that
the great bulk Of the, army shall be
kept in the wild and uninhaBited parts
Of our vast country, as 1t were outlying
piekefs in the progress of settlement,
still to each officer in turn will be af-
forded a chance to see occasionally his
own home and family, and TO mingle
with the most refined Glasses. Ofcoufse
there are those whb are exceptions to-
the general rule as to character, but
court-marsh and the stern rules .ef
war will surely eliminate them, as It
has IN the past, for more than sssixty
Young officers have been dismissed
whose war record was as good'as that
of the sixty Prussians referred to
by your correspondent, and for like
causes. 1t} 20 ifse --1si p
! The army Is not responsible for the
hew appointees, whether from West
Point or from civil life. We take them
as they come aid find no fault, but let
them fall quickly into she ranks and
work out their own destiny. West
Point is as independent Of the army as
Yale or Princefpu Each Congressman
appoints his cadet for reasons best
known to himself. For the four or five
years he is at the Academy, he is un-
der Congressional government and in 4
spection. The. Secretary of War has 4
Immediate control, under the laws Of
Congress, so that the army is. no more
responsible for the kind and Quality Of
educated impaired than if West Point
was college of surgeons. 10 be sure,
the officers and professors at West
Point are military men. though some
of them have never served directly
with soldiers or taken part in battIe.-
Still, they are military men, and inn
part the knowledge presumed by past
experience TO make good soldiers, and
it may be they impart what are known
as "the prejudices of easte.' But that
the army takes and receives a agFlduate
of West Point as finished soldier, is a
mistake at which every veteIiansunifes.
The vanity OF yoath5 is not 4imitedot01 |
that spot, but is found straightforward
Hefdelu al. Saint 'Gyr and Sandhun5ti d
and at Yale and Princeton! e No sooner
has the graduate reached his eempaDyi
than he finds be has SOME things 10 miat
learn and thousands of thing toi learnt |
and that many have learned them, and |
learned thehroMell isofami ili@n to the !
readers Of ofAmerican history Rhe crit-ll
icism madeb by the last Board ofIVisitoFs
Is severe, and # may be Just but it is |
criticism. on themselves, not, on the |
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