National Republican., 1881-11-19

| surrendered. In another room hangs frame
containing colored representations Of the army
corps badges that the men of the late war feel ten
der-hearted over yet, and still wear so proudly.
THE DUTIES
Of the Office are by no means light It is a common
fallacy that the duties Of an army officer in times
of peace Is to 20 to post and stay two years in
comfortable house Of at least two stories height
furnished, lighted, and warmed by Uncle Sam, |
passing the time pleasantly in hunting and social
enjoyment, varying with an occasional drill or in
spection for exercise and amer that to come East
for couple or more years Of leave or "soft-snap"
duty. The writer has some knowledge, both from |
| experience on the frontier and years Of close |
| observation in this city where son snaps" are |
believed TO be thickest that no class Of sal
aried professional men in this country are so |
! poorly paid or who do so much work for the |
amounts received as officers of the army. General
Sherman is usually at his desk very soon after |
| nine n. M each day, and Mt once dives into the |
/ mass Of correspondence that each mail brings to |
his desk. Here privrte secretary or assistant |
acknowledgement reduces hisIabor by opening his |
mail and presenting II with each letter or report
| bearing n brief OF Its contents. The Gen |
eral reads every letter, official or prl- |
vate when here, and every report that |
comes TO his Office. Each one read, he makes |
on indorement, longer or shorter as required,
and all that is strictly official he refers to the vari
occupied with visitors and these Of every class.
His trusted cutenants Of the late war, old class
mates and comrades in the Academy or in the
field, soldiers who served in the bntlalions under
| his command-and these he invariably grees as
though each was dear fricnd-and countless
civilian friends or admring strangers. II Is cor
rect official etiquette that every officer of the
army who visits Washington while General sher.
man is here shall call in person the General of
| the Army. These offers are all greeted alike,
whether strangers or intimates, or newly
appointed second lieutenant or n general
officer. Yet, with all these interruptions,
ho manages to get through an amount of
work that would astonish the most energetic
business man. lie works in the room
here until nfler three p usually, but this by no
means completes his days work In the front base
mcnt of his residence, No. sl7 Fifteenth street each
night bright light shines, and this he has fitted
up as study, where he does nearly much work
as at his official Office. The room is lined with
small book cases, and he works at II large desk
plOced in the centre OF the room, which is lit with
two large argand desk lights. No matter wha may
be the social demands upon his time, no day passes.
when he is here, that his study desk is not occu-
pied. Here he brings reports which he deems
ceSsary for closer study than he could give at
the headquarters and here he studies for and
prepares his professional or biographical works
Colonel Tourtelotte, before his de parture for Eu-
rope in the spring of1sSO, had exclusive charge of
the examination Of all court. martial cases that
came from the Judge Advocate General. Since his
return he takes only part of such cases. but has
other work of q miscellaneous character. Colonel
Bacon has charge of all of General Shermans cor
respondencc, and keeps the rccord.books Of letters
received aud sent. General Poe, being an officer
of the Corps of Engineers, has all matters Of engi-
neering referred to him. He receives the itenera.
ries of marches, campaigns, or scouts, which are
required to be kept by all commands in the field,
and all maps or sketches Of such operations; and
has charge of the preparation of all maps
made from this class Of material lie is the dis.
bursting officer of the headquarters and has
, charge Of all property. He is Also in ad-
dition to his duties OH the staff the engineer
Der of the Light House Board, and is the president
Of the board Of army officers having in charge the
sale of the Fort Gratiot military reservation, at
Port Huron, Michigan. He is also in charge of the
headquarters library, whech numbers about
/, 500 volumes. Colonel Dodge takes charge
of all questions Of discipline in the
service, the operation and administration
, OF posts and field commands. and es-
pecially Of active operations on the frontier.
General Tidball attends to all matters relating to
manDuvres and tactcs gunnery practice, and has
special charge of the system Of rifle practice in
the army, which, strange to admit has never re-
ceved attention until late years. lie prepares all
the instructions for rife firing and the uniform
recording Of target practice. He is also engaged
r in collecting data for work on "Customs of the
Service tof which several chapters have already
been prcpared) and Their Force" Colonel Nor
row divides with Colonel Tourtellotte the exami-
: nation of court-martial records. These are
q the general classified duties performed
by each officer of the staff: but there are
many matters presented to the General of the
Army, which he assigns for action to such aide as
, he deems best qualified to act upon 1t. An in
stance Of this character was the report received
-
Artillery, who vase of the officers sent to France
, this year to observe and report upon the annual
manGuvres Of the French Twelfth Army Corps at
n the great camp at Autun. This report, with the
\ military maps accompanying 1t, was referred to
I General Poe. Chief Clerk Astel and his assistants
keep all the books of record at headquarters re-
a cording the authority for all orders-general,
martial, circular, or special, and all official
Endorsements made and the disbursing accounts
Of General Poe also made out and record
~ kept Two other clerks, Joseph Won Gluernon and
II Emil f. Court are also clerks at headquarters hui
a are employed in rooms in the Winder Building as
a draughtsmen in preparing maps, under the direc.
ton of General Poe.
AIDES DEL CAMP.
Is The staff of General Sherman Is composed OF
10 six officers of the active list of the army selected
e by him without reference to rank, each of whom
N upon being designated by the General, becomes
= full colonel in rank and drawing the pay Of thai
u grade during the time each holds this appoint
ii menL The question Of rank colonel has twice
It been raised by officers who held higher rank than
II the army iank held by the aides, but fully set
/. tied in 1871 when officer below the rank o
,. colonel, claimed that ms member of board or
Y small arms he outrankcd the late Colonel Auden
Is ricd who was only captain In the Sixth Cavalry
h While aide. de- camp TO the General each Office
D. Is as much colonel as If Ii,
IN was the senior office of regiment
ID As at present constituted the staff consists OF tn,
ie following officers, who rank the STAFF In the or
IN der named Colonel John e. Toutellotte was ap
in pointed on the staff January l. 1871, and is cap
of tain in the Seventh Cavalry. He irst entered tn
ne service in 1861 In the Fourth Minnesota which h
As Rftcrward commanded, and distinguished himsel
ID n number Of times, receiving the brevet of brga
G. dier.general OF volunteers He was the office
~ at the fort over Allaioona Pass in 1864 VIII
received Sherman's famous signal dispatch b
"Hold the fort, I'm coming" In 1866 he was ap
" pointed captain Of infantry and on the reorgan
l. ization Of the army which was completed Decem
- ber 81, 1870, he was transferred to the Seventh
d Cavalry lie ranks number eight In line of pro
to motion 10 major of cavalry. Colonel John NJ BNco
10 is Il native of Kentucky. and was appointed aide
10 de camp January l, 1871 He entered the servic
re in 1862 and was mustered out in 1865 as major
nc cavalry. In 1866 he was appointed captain Mint
al Cavalry, and is now No. y in that grade Colone
d. Orlando NJ. Poe (brigadier-general by brevet) wa
no born In Ohio, and entered West Point in 1856.
h. graduating into the engineers in 1856. lie wa
ur made colonel Of the Second Michigan Infantry 1
n 1861 and promoted to brigader general Of volun
n, teers in 1862, but the commission expired il 1866
n. after which time he served with General Sherma
-, in the field beCOminp tho chief engineer on In