The National tribune., 1888-09-13


and the Subsistence Departments. Since that
time but one vacancy occurred as Judge
Advocate, and Mr.. Cleveland appointed vet
eran Of 30-years service, nearly six Of which
had been served in the ranks. In the Quar-
termaster's Department two out Of five vacan-
cies since then have gone to civil life Zone of
them having never seen a days service before)
and both of the two appointed in the Subsist
ence Department were young civilians who had
resigned from the Army not long after leaving
West Point.
Capt. George 3. Davis, 9Th U. S. Cav, who
was veteran Of the war and graduated at West
Point afterward is one of the applicants for
appointment as Judge Advocate, as is also Capt.
Patrick Henry Ray, 18th U. S. Inf, who served
in the volunteers from 1861 to 1866. There are
other strong candidates in the Army, but none
that l now remember arc veterans.
COL. PETER c. HAMS.
Lieut-Col Peter c. Hams, u. S. Corps of
Engineers who is in charge of the Potomac
Flats improvement here and other public works,
is at West Point for a couple of weeks visiting
old Army friends there. He served a year in
the Cd U. S. Art. after graduating in 1861, and
distinguished himself so well on the Peninsular
campaign that he was brevetted Captain for
Hanover Courthouse. When he was trans
ferred to the Engineers in 1863 he was sent to
Gen. Grants staff, and won the brevet of Major
for gallantry during the siege of Vicksburg.
His eldest son, Mr. Thornton Jenkins Hams,
(named for his grandfather Rear-Admiral
Thornton A. Jenkins, U. S. Navy is on duty
at Fort Monroe in charge of his fathers office
there in connection with the construction of
the immense iron pier now building there un-
der Col. Hams. One Of the sons of Maj Gen.
Henry ]. Hunt, the old Chief of Artillery of
the Army of the Potomac is Chief Clerk in Col.
Hains's Office in Washington.
MAI. DIcKEY's RETIREMENT.
The Retiring Board at Omaha, of which Gen.
John r. Brooke is President, has adjourned it's
meeting until Oct. IS, and Maj. Chas. J. Dcl1ey
9Th q. S. Inf, whose case the Board had under
consideration, has been ordered back to his
post at Fort Robinson Neb., to await it's re-
assembling. 1t is probable that President
Cleveland will eventually be called upon to
decide whether Maj. Dickey will be put upon
the Army retired list or wholly retired from
service with years pay.
ABOUT PEOPLE.
Col. Henry de 3. Clay, of Newport News, Va,
a late Commander of the Department of Yir-
ginia, GAR, of whom we mentioned in last
weeks issue that he was candidate for the
Republican nomination to Congress in the Sec
Ond (Va) District, it appears on the 9th ult
wrote letter to Capt. VIM. Lackey, of York
town, Va, declining, for satisfactory reasons,
to allow his name to 90 before the convention.
Col Clay's heart is with the old soldiers and
their interests. The veterans of the late war
could have no better advocate in Congress than
Col. Clay.
VETERANS IN THE CITY.
Capt. Sherman A. Johnson 1881 Ohio who
was for years in the Treasury ranging in rank
from frst-class clerk when he left the army
in 1865 to Librarian of the Department, is in
the city again for few days After Capt
johnson left the civil service because he was
an awtully offensive PARTISAN he invested in
real estate long enough to sell out at good
figure, and then went West" to St Paul.
There good fortune chased up and overlook
him again, and now he is glad that he was
bounced from Uncle Sans service.
DR.. II. Z. Waite, of the 18th Conn, was in
the city during the past week. The Doctor
was gallant soldier during the war, and is
now one OF the foremost medical electricians Of
New York city.
Rear-Admiral Bancroft Gherard, now COM
handing the New York Navy Yard, was here
last week on official business connected with
fitting out the new steel cruisers at his station
TO be sent to our fleets abroad. During nearly
all of the war he was in command of vessels on
the blockade, and in the famous fight Of Mobile
Bay in 1864 he commanded the gunboat Port
Royal under Farragut while ranking as a
Lieutenant-Commander He reached his pres
ent rank in August, 1887, and does not go on
the retired list until November, 1894, when he
reaches G2 years 0E age
Comrade w. A. Clark, of Newark, N. j., of
the old 10th n. 7. Militia, and then of the
18th II. A., in whose ranks he lost his right arm
at Cold HarbOr. Comrade Clark and wife stopped
over at the Capital on the way to Columbus
Col. Robert z. Hughes, Inspector General, q.
S. Army, arrived here last week from New
Haven, to act temporarily as Senior Inspector
General during the severe Illness of Bryce
Roger Jones. Col. Hughes served in the ranks
Of the 18th Pa three months in 1861, and then as
Lieutenant and Captain in the S5th Pa, in the
Tenth Corps, until be was mustered out to be-
come Lieutenant Colonel of the 199th Pa. The
latter regiment also went to the same brigade
and division Of the Tenth Corps in which the
S5th Pa. had served so that almost all of Col.
Hughes's whole volunteer service was under
Gen. Alfred H. Terry. When the Regular Army
was increased in 1866 he was made Captain, 18th
u. S. Inf, but on the reorganization in 1870 he
was transferred to the Sd Inf. For nearly II
years he was an Abide Camp to Gen Terry,
during the trying times of Reconstruction days
frontier. His long an eminently faithful
service was somewhat rewarded at last, for in
Feberuary. 1885, he was appointed Major and
Inspector General, and in less than a month
later was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel
when Gen. AbsaIom Baird was promoted to
Colonel on the retirement of Gen. Sackett
He was promoted to Colonel in July last to
succeed Gen. Jones, who was made Senior In
spector-General. And yet with all this service
he was only 40 wears of ace last 4 Dril