The New York herald., 1876-03-23

brisaoler generals and colOneS, 81, 0oO per year
lieutenant coonels and majors $s64; captains and
chapiains, $04S lieutenanis, sara
The QnartermAs,er General reports that his depart
ment pays SO 400 per annum for OF buildngs In
Washington. but this evidently not include house
aud room rent Tor the Washington son Place Brigade
as that alone will amount TO not less than S55 600
year The cost OF fuel Tor the brigade will fall
short OF $50 900 per annum each officer has stated
allowance. liked by regulation AS lollows:-
From May TO August l. brigader generals colonels
lieutenant coones and lnaJors one cord merchanIable
hard wood captains and chapl.ns three-ourths OF
cord and leutenants half a cord each.
From September April 80 brigadIer generals and
colonies, tour cords lieutenant colonies and majors
three and hall cords; captains and chapains, three
cords and heutenants two cords each
From the foregoing hgures 1t will be seen that tue
country pays $780, year for pay and allowances to
officers in Washington alonei
The othcers in Washington will not be likely TO vol
unteer much Information TO the new Secretary as TO
their duties, the length oil time they have been STA
TONED hero, how easily their services could be DIS
pensed WITH or how much iairer II would be to give
them chance to the country and their regiments
and give other we'll behaved officers opportunity 70
see the Washington monument before it Is completed
The following notes are therefore furnished as OF inter
the readers OF the HERALD general and the
Honorable Alphonso TAFT in partcuar:-
STAFF oEFcERs wHo stick"
Among those stal officers who follow Senator Sum-
ner's advice TO Secretary stanton Assistant Adju
tant General Vincent. who has been here since 1852
He stood very high III Mr. Santons estiinaiion and ~
considered the right bower OF the AdjutanI Generals
Department His forte is to eo ior' the late Com
missioner of the Freedmen's Bureau, whose official
administrator he became when the affairs OF that
institution were transferred 10 the War Department
SURGEON Basil Norris has had long soIourn at the
national capital. having come here about the same
time Major Vincent dc was ordered 10 be relieved
several years ago but the officers and their families
could not spare him, and got the order rescinded
MAJOR Bell oil The Subssten Department and Major
Myers, OF the Quartcrmastet Department, are also
old residents SO are Assistant Surgeons Billings Otis
and Woodward while Chiei Medical Purveyor Baxter
has been anywhere else his connection
with The regular army in 1861 For several years pre-
viously, surge OF volunteers he here under
Provost Marshal General Fry, engaged IN collecting
and arranging medical statistics These statistics have
cost the United States SlS0OOO in direct appropria
tions, besides what paid out for clerk hire, &c
from other appropriations under the control Of the
Provost Marshal General prior to 1868, when the first
specific appropriation OF 500 900 was made Tor this pur
The question has been frequently asked
Why Colonel Baxter has not been assigned to his
legitimate duty chet medical purveyor
aud this seems an appropriate time 10 repeat the In
curry. The proper station OF the chie medical par
veyor would appear 10 be New York. where the bulk Of
the purveying is done but while tie responsibility OF
purchasing aud shipping supplies and pi making heavy
dls bursemenls two assistant medical pur
veycrs Lieutenant Colonel Murray ut San Francisco
and Lieutenant Colonel Sutherland Ut New York, the
chiei medical purveyor, with the rank and pay OF
colonel, has desk the Surgeon Generals office
Assistant Surgeon General Crane Is another old resi-
dent oil Washington.
duty the War Department HIS forte is to recon-
mend the abolition OF iaundresses Tho other Inspector
generals named IA the roster, Schriver and Hardie
rendezvous the War Department. and scurry thence
lorays OF inspection under special orders
from the Secretary They inspect anything and every
thing from yhve cent unservlceatlo bedsact
q disbursng oficer's account with millions in it. "
Why didn't they or some OF tue other inspector gen
erals discover and expose the post leadership busi
nesss IN company with the staff officers referred to
above are several
LUCKY LINZ oPPIcERs
who have never seen their regiments, and probably
don't want TO- FIRST the list Is Lieutenant Colonel
Oscar A. Mack, OF the Twenty first inantSy His last
rcgimental service in California in 1869 major
OF the Ninth infantry IN command OF the District OF
tho Humboldt Prior ~ that year. IRON 1854 to 1865
he secretary and treasurer OF the Soldiers Home
and has spent the last six years in the War Depart
ment. he never Joined the First infantry, to which
he was assigned December, 1870 and has rendered
no service with his present regiment 10 which he was
promoted in Dccemoer, 1874 Major Edward G. Beck
WITH OF the Second artillery, has not served with that
regiment, though he has been borne Its rolls as
MAJOR since February s, 1864 He has been absorbed
In tho Commlssary Generals office twelve years
Captain James Mcmillan, OF the Third artillery, has
never joined his regiment. He infantry officer
until 1870 Being gentleman OF artistic tastes and
bursnS duty. drawing checks ior the last thirteen
years with an interval OF our years tour OF duty at
West Point as assistant professor OF drawing, from
which he relieved September 80 1870. Cap
tain Garrick Malcry, OF the First infantry, Is
stranger to his regiment, having been In the Signal
Service since March, 1858, assistant TO the Chief
signal Oficer .'acting Probabilities during the
sence Of General Nyer. Lieutenant Thomas II. Brad
has rendered no rsgmcntaI service M cansS 20 Wash.
naton In 1858 as assistant adjutanf general OF voun
teers, and has been on duty IN the War Department
ever His commission In the regular dates
from May ii, 1866
The welfare OF the veterans OF the regular
army whohavc found a refuge In
THK SOLDIERS noMK
Is looked after by colonel OF infantry, retired major,
n surgeon, who Is secretary and treasurer and
assistant surgeon. The income OF this establish
several past has averaged $40 900
per annum, derived from unclaimed pay and bounties
moneys forfeited by deserters court martial ines and
q stoppagc OF twelve and onehalf cents per month nom
the pay OF enlisted men, The Adjutant General, Sur
geon General and Commissary General OF Subsistence
are o6icio a Board OF Commissioners, who pay
monthly OF inspection to the Home and audit
elegantly situated the grounds extensive and well
kept the supply of fruits and vegetables almost percn-
nia-n short, the Soldiers Home s ono of the softest
quasi military places that an officer can alight upon
IS also the only post TO which retired officer
be assigned duty For that three out OF The
four positions are given 70 officers ON the active list
SECOND BRIcADE, soPr sRRvIcR DIVISION
is composed of officers detached service elsewhere
than in Washington, and outnumbers though II does
not outrank, the Washington brigade, unless the
eleven general officers and the eighty moro officers
OF the stan departments stationed Mt New York.
Chicago. Louisville Omaha, 81 Paul. San Francisco
New Orleans and San Antonio arc included in It. In
that the Second brigade would stand rst both
rank and numbers Omitting however, the general
oihccrs the officers OF the stan departments
duty with them, and including only regmenal officers
absent their commands there eight colonies,
ten lieutenant colonies, hcen majors and l20 captains
and lleutenants away from their regiments Secretary
Tat not being military man, may be surprised at
this state OF affairs aud may unnaturally ask
whether these officers are absolutely necessary
as part OF regimenta organizations. The thirty
two field officers referred to accounted for
below The 40 captains and suoaterns are
on vafous Gus M ,ofo "es ronsi a,ooas as
and universities professors OF military science and
tactics on recruiting servce to general
officers; acting signal officers; In charge OF national
cemeteries &c The absentecs OF rank and experience
are:-
CAVALRY LBsRxTHEs
Colonel william II. Emory, Finn cavalry, Is In
Washington as already stated. A bil to retire him
with the rank and pay ot brigader general has been
introduced the House. but its chance OF becoming
law does not appear very brilliant. He has not been
with his regiment since 1871 Colonel CuvI:r Grover,
FIRST cavalry, has been Tor some time past Acting
Assistant Inspector General In the Department OF the
Platte but Is leave OF absence for eight months
with permission to go beyond the Colonel Samuel
d. SturgIs Seventh cavalry has been at ST. Louis
October 1874 aud will remain there until next October
as OF the Mounted Recruiting Service
A. ST. Louis Barracks Missouri Lieutenant Colonel J.
Hatcn, Fourth cavalry, 10 on recruiting service Lou
tenant Colonel Thomas H. Nell, Sixth cavalry, has
been commandant OF cadets at West Point since June
1875 and Lieutenant Colonel Wesley Merritt
Ninth cavalry, detached from his regiment
and assigned duty as special inspector OF cavalry in