The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-11-02
OUR SOLDIERS AND SAILORS.
Some Interesting Facts About the Army
and Navy of the United States.
Officers Who Have Easy Places and Life Posi-
tions, with but Little Opportunity for
Earning Either Fame or Fortune.


number does not include officers and cadets at
the West Point Military Academy. The highest
officer in the army is Lieutenant-g general Phil
Sheridan. He is the eommander-in-ge general.
There are three major-generals and six brigadier
generals in the army which consists of ten regi
ments of cavalry, five of artillery, and twenty
five regiments of infantry. They are located at
the different posts throughout the country, most
of them being beyond the Mississippi The De-
partment Of the East and the only bulk of
soldiers located in the East, are on Governors
Island, New York, with Majorseneral Win
field S Hancock in command. Only the troops
locEssz on the frontier see any service nowadays,
and but small proportion see any active service
at all; however, they must be located somewhere,
and are distributed at points convenient for call
in the event there should be need of them The
army is cut up at all times into departments.
There are ten of these departments-the De-
partment of the East, with headquarters at
Governors Island, N. Y; the Department of the
Platte, with headquarters at Omaha, Neb.; the
Department of Dakota, with headquarters at
Fort Smelling, Mimi; the Department of the
Missouri with headquarters at Fort Leaven-
headquarters at San Antonio; the Department of
California, headquarters at San Francisco; the
Department of Arizona, headquarters at Whipple
Barracks, A. T.. the Department of the Column
bia headquarters at Vancouver Barracks, w. L.
Each of these departments are cut up into forts.
There about eight or ten forts in each de-
partment, and they are commanded by colonies,
observation-disclosures, majors, or captains. Each
department is commanded by a brigadier or
major general.
1t is mistaken idea, generally entertained by
people not welinformed upon the details of
army matters, that all the officers in the stand
ing army are graduates of West Point. There
are less than half of the high officers of the
army. am told, who are West Pointers. Lieu
tenances. and most of the captaincies, are filled
by graduates of the United States Military
Academy, but the higher officers, in very many
instances. are men who came up from the ranks,
and who won their spurs in the late war There
IS no prejudice against man because he is not a
graduate of the Military Academy, except
among those who are graduates. In time of
course, the Military Academy will have sup
planted about all the officers Of the army,
now from civil life who aspire to become officers
There are armories, arsenals, and ordnance de-
pots for supplying the army with everything
needed while it is passing from one part of the
country to the other This is to save the trouble
of transportation, and to have whatever is
needed on hands at almost any point where an
emergency may arise.
The pay of the general Of the army Is 3d. 500
year, or ST, 125 month. The salary of the
Northumberland is $1l, 900 year; major gen
eral. $500; brigadier general. $780, colonel,
So, 500; lieutenant-coonel. So 900; major, So $780,
captain, mounted, 81 900; captain, not mounted,
$500; regimental adjutant and regimental
quartermaster 81, 800 each; first lieutenant
mounted, 81, 600; 6rst lieutenant, not mounted
81 400; chaplain. ST. 500 All officers of the rank
of colonel, and below. receive 10 per cent. i'll
crease above their salaries here mentioned after
five years of service, 20 per cent after ten years
of service. and 40 per cent after twenty years of
service. The officers are allowed mileage when
travelling on official business and communication
of quarters as follows: General 1925 per
month; lieutenant general, 800 per month. etc
Privates receive on first enlistment $13 per
month; third year, $14 fourth year, $l5. and
fifth year, $40 month. On first re-enlistment
they receive $1S per month, and as they re-enlist
for other periods of FIVE years they receive in
creased pay in proportion. Musicians receive
from 500 to $50 q month; veterinary surgeons
from $75 to $l0O; corporals, sergeants, saddlers
and mechanics receive from 10 to IS per cent.
above the salaries paid privates.
A great deal of trouble has been experienced
for many years, and will always he experienced,
presume, OH account of desertions from the
army. Last year there were nearly 1000 deser
tions, while only 249 died; 1920 left the service
by expiration Of their enlistments; 1.066 were
discharged for disability 978 by sentence of
general court martial. and fourteen by civil au-
thority, making decrease in the army from
every cause of 9972 There were, however,
6.305 recruits received. BAT re-enlistments of
non-commissioned officers, 80 musicians. and 921
privates, making total of 7,605 to offset the
1912 who were discharged from the army, or who
deserted or got out of it from other reasons
The army, it will be seen, is not increasing.
During the year there were q. 259 applicants for
admission to the various positions in the ranks.
The small proportion of enlistments received
shows with what caution recruits are taken into
the service. so many graduates have come from
the Military Academy at West Point during the
past few years that the second leutenancies the
rank usually given graduates. have been flooded
and the Secretary or war has been calling upor
Congress for the creation of more of them. II
must be remembered that neither the Secre
tary of War nor the President can
create an Office in the army as low as
second lieutenancy without authority from Con
gress; or, rather, Congress must create the
offices before either of those officials can FL
them. When there is a rank to be given gradu
ate from West Point he is placed on assign
ment. with the rank. technically. of second lieu
tenant and draws the pay of that officer until he
is permanently appointed Congress will un-
doubleday swell the number of Heutenancies SO
as to meet the demands of West Point.
Cadets enter West Point now, generally.
through competitive examination 1t REQUIRES
four years to complete the studies at this acad-
envy. Each congressional district NAV have one
cadet in the academy all the time When he
graduates another is appointed fill the place
he vacates. Custom has chosen young men to
be appointed by competitive examinations. II
is not necessary to compete thus. The competi