Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-05-28

that stamp him with indelible characteristics.
He has a sharp, keen eye that forces one to an
immediate conviction of his soldierly qualities,
and his prompt ready speech indicate the dis
clpllne Of the army. Rather quick in his &C
tons, and unhesitating in his movements, Gen.
Drum keeps the attention of visitor from the
start to the finish of a conversation. His duties
at the head of the adjutant-generars corps
have been arduous and difficult but he has per-
formed them with accuracy and general APP
proval and satisfaction.
THE POSITION OF ApJUrANr GENERAL
is peculiar one, involving many intricacies OF
detail, and demanding a certain amount of
diplomatic powers, standing as it does between
the Secretary of War and the President and the
army, and between the army and the world. II
Is the connecting link of communication from
one branch of the army to another, a sort OF
military telephone headquarters.
SKETCH OF HIS LIFE.
Gen. Drum was born in Pennsylvania May
%, 1925. He studied at Jefferson college, and
entered the army as private in Company K,
first Pennsylvania volunteers, December 8,
1876. He was engaged in the Mexican war, for
which the regiment was raised, serving in the
siege Of Vera Cruz and the battles of Contreras,
Cherubusco, Chepultepec, Moline del Rey, and
Garita de Beten. His service won him notice,
and he was discharged at Vera Cruz in March,
"a
as second lieutenant in the regular army. He
first served in the ninth infantry. then was
transferred to the fourth artillery in March.
1913, and in September, 1850, was made first
lieutenant. After the Mexican war he was en-
gagged i'll the action at Blue Water, Neb served
as aide-de-camp to Gen. Harvey in the Sioux
expedition. and in Kansas during the
troubles of 1856. From sc to SO he served as
acting assistant Acknowledgement at the
headquarters of the department of
the west, and subsequently as
adjutant in the artillery school, In March,
1861. he was appointed a brevet captain and an
assistant adj utant-general, from which rank he
has risen through the various grades to the
head of his corps. He was promoted to be a
major in August, 1861, lieutenant-colonel in
July, 1862, colonel in February. 1869, and a
brlgadier-general and acknowledgement in June,
1850. when General Townsend, then at the
head OF the corps, was placed on the retired
list. From 1866 to 1868 ne was stationed at
Philadelphia, in 1859 at Atlanta, the head
quarters of the department of the south and
has been on duty in this city from May 2, 1878,
to the present time. He has received various
brevet ranks during his career; colonel in
September, 1864. for meritorious and faithful
service during the war and brigadier general
IN March, 1865, for faithful and meritorious
service in the adjutant-generars department
during the war.
HIS FUTURE.
Gen. Drum is too active man to suffer HIM
self to remain in idleness on account of his re-
tirement from active duty, and has planned
quite an extensive campaign that has for its
object the building up of the suburban terri
tory in the vicinity Of Tenleytown, where he
owns large farm known as Langdrum. He
has lived there for several years. driving in and
out of the city every day. He is an ardent
lover of fine chickens and takes pride in the
appearance of his estate. When the Tenley-
town Electric Railroad Company was incor-
porated last year Gen. Drum was elected presi-
dent, and he proposes to devote his energies to
the construction Of the road during the COM
ing year.