The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1889-06-13


Pa, where his father was a master workman.
He entered at West Point July !, l847, when
just 70 years old, and graduating July l, 1851,
was commissioned BreYet Second Lieutenant in
the 9th Z. s. Inf.
Like Gems. Grant and Sheridan, and other
distinguished soldiers, he did not take high
honors. but graduated 26th in a class of AZ
members. Among his class mates were Gen.
James St. Clair Morton, of the Engineers, who
was killed June II, 1864, while leading the as
sault of the Ninth Corps on the works at Pc
tersburg: Gen. Alvan G. Gillem and Gen. Ken
ner Garrard, the cavalry leaders, and Gems
Robert Williams and William ID. Whipple, OF
the Acknowledgement Department, who have
been his principal competitors for the promo
tion to succeed Gen. Drum.
He Joined his regiment at once at Fort Shell
ing (being promoted 10 Second Lieutenant In
December, IS5I) and served there and at Fort
Ridgeley AIinn until 1854, when the regi-
ment was transferred to Fort Leavenworth.
In 1886 he was promoted to First Lieutenant
and soon after was made Regimental Quarter
master, and about that time his command went
to Fort Laramie, then part of Dakota, which
was then the central point of the Indian war
that Gen. Harvey successfully waged against
the Sioux.
In 1857 he gave up his Quartermastership to
take detail at West Point, where he was As
sistant Instructor in infantry tactics, the use
of small-arms and military gymnastics. All
his life he had been an ardent as well as skilled
athlete (retaining his liking for gymnastic ex-
ercises TO this day. and he entered heartily
into that branch of his labors, which was the
craze then with American military men, and
which led to the formation of Zouave compa-
MES all over the country and the introduction
of Zouave tactics even into the Regular Army.
Lieut. Kelton became an expert in that method
of evolution and use of the gun and bayonet,
Tr7ta 1870 obfoinad a x-aar1e laavn
of absence TO enable him to study the system
thoroughly in France, whence the craze had
come
Returning to the United States in 1850, he
resumed his interrupted duties at West Point,
and was still there when the guns at Fort Sum-
ter opened the war of the rebellion.
He was at once ordered to commissary duty
in the West at St. Louis, but for two months
in the Fall Of 1861 he commanded brigade
operating in Missouri.
Meantime he had been appointed Captain
| and Assistant Adjutant- General and Nov 81,
1861, reported at ST Louis for duty on the staff
of Maj.-Gen. Henry w. HaIleck, with whom he
continued in all his various commands until
July, I665-first at ST. Louis directing the
! Western armies in the field, then commanding
the military Division of the Missouri in the
/ field during the Corinth campaign; next as
i General-in-Chief at Washington, until he was
relieved, March -, 1864. by Lieut-Gen. Grant;
| then as Chief of staff of all the Army, and
last, after the surrender at Appomattox, COM
handing the Division of the James
These duties outline the varied service of
Gen. Kelton until July 1, 1865, when he was
ordered to duty in the Adjutant- Generals
Office here, where he remained until July, 1870.
/ At that date he was ordered to San Francisco
as Adjutant General again TO Gen. Halleck, then
commanding the Military Division of the Paeif-
| ic, and remained there continuously until 1886,
through the military administrations of Gen.
Halleck died, Gen. George II. Thomas died,
Gen. Irwin Mcdowell retired and since died),
Gen. John N. Schofeld NOW General in Chief
of the Army, and Gen. John Pope (noW re-
tired)
Since 1886 he has been the principal assistant
here in the Office to which he now succeeds as
Chief.
During the time of his service in California
he was promoted TO the grade of Colonel, but
had previously, in 1865 been breveted to the
rank of Brigadier-General for faithful and
meritorious service during the war.
| Early IN the service, long before the war, he
became interested in the idea that it was neces-
sary that troops should be masters of the arms
! in their hands. TO be efficient in active opera
/ tons, and in pursuing his studies TO perfect a
/ scheme TO attain this he became one of the
most skilled marksmen with rife, carbine or
revolver in the whole country, and for long
/ time was by far the best general shot in the
Army. He has written several works on the
subject of smail-arms firing, and much OF his
work is incorporated into the Manual edited
! by Col. Blunt, Captain of Ordnance which is
| the " Regulations for rife and carbine firing
In the Army.
He is just little above the medium hight.
rather trim of figure, but has broad shoulders
and deep chest that tell of immense physical
! strength. He is now just past so years of age,
but no stranger on seeing him could easily be
made to believe it. He is rather retiring in his
manner, and strangers think him repellant in
| his nature, but acquaintance drives away all
such ideas 1t is safe to say that his admins
/ tration of the Adjutant-Gener Department
viii neither be marked by trifing attention TO
| petty details nor by scheming for favors from
higher authority.
a STARTLING DIVORCE.
Washington people were astonished by the
! Geographic announcement that Ex-senator
Dwight N. Sabin had quietly obtained divorce
in a Minnesota court from his wife. If any OF
the wide circle of friends of Mr.. and Mrs.
Sabin had any intimation of this step they kept
it very close, for the outside world thought the
| Minnesota Senator and his wife were an eXcep-
tionally happy couple. Mrs. Sabin appeared a
! gentle, refined, sweet woman, considerate and
| thoughtful to all around her, and consequently
very popular. The complaint made to the
court, as basis for separation, alleges that she
] was victim to alcohol, which obtained such a
hold upon her that nothing but the strongest
brandies would satisfy her, and these in turn
became too tame, and she Tesorted to opium.
and while under the influence acted in such a
way as to make it necessary TO confine her in a
/ private asylum.
A NOVEL DIFFICULTY.
The managers OF the new Catholic Universe
! ty here have encountered an odd difficulty
| They desired to secure the services Of several
distinguished European scholars as Professors
but find that this will bring them in contra
vention with the provisions of the Alien Con-
tract Labor Law. The matter has been refer.
red TO Solicitor of the Treasury Hepburn He
says that the only classes excepted from the
action Of the law ares' professional actors, art
lists, lecturers or singers, and persons employed
| strictly as personal or domestic servants" in
none of which classes can the learned gentle
men, by any stretching of the law, be included
| The University people, therefore, must either
employ American citizens as Professors or get
a special law admitting the foreigners whom
they wish 10 secure. The same law was in
voked last year to keep out distinguished
| Presbyterian divine whom an Eastern Presby-
terian congregation had secured iii England.
CATHOLIC INDIAN SCHOOLS.
The Bureau of Catholic Indian Missions has
been holding its annual meetings here under
the presidency of the Right Reverend Martin
| Marty, Vicar Apostolic OF Dakota The reports
show that the Bureau has received $344.545
| during the year from the Government for the
| education Of Indian children It has main.
tanned 80 boarding schools, with an attendance
Of 2,757 pupils, and Is day schools, with CSC