Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-04-25

Four Prominent Officers to be Retired
ShOrtly-Who Will Succeed Them?

There will be four important retirements
from the active list Of the army during the
coming few months, giving vacancies for the
Secretary of War and the President to fill that
are Of more than usual interest Three Of
these are heads Of bureaus, who rank as brig
adler generals, namely: Quartermaster Gen.
Holabird, who retires June Is; Gen. McFeely
comnissary general of subsistence. July l. and
Sur. Gen. Moore, August I6. The other one
is Brig. Gen, Benjamin H. Grierson, who was
only recently promoted to that rank.
WHO WILL BE QUARTERMAsTER GENERAL?
There are great many availabilities for the
place of Gen. Holabird, all the four colonels
Of that corps-the quartermaster's- being very
frequently named. These are Coils. c. II. Tomp-
kins. j. ID. Bingham, A. j. Perry and III. C.
Hodges. OF these. three graduated from the
military academy in lS47, and one, Col. Judson
Bingham, in 1850, so that there is but little
choice among them as far as service goes. All
four are good men, each having served through
the war and gained the inestimable experience
of the work necessitated during that period.
All are good business men. all are in good
standing and any one OF them would make a
good chief Of bureau. But there is one fact
that may serve as a guide. Col Alexander
Perry is TO retire in December, 1892 and he
will thus have Just two and half wears 10
serve from the time of the vacancy This. it
is thought by some, will be in his favor in the
race Lieut. Col. Sawtelle is said to be strongly
mentioned.
IN THE SUBSISTENCE DEPARTMENT
there are but two colonels, Beekman DuBarry
and George Bell, the former having graduated
from the military academy in 1915 and the lat
ter in 1s4S. But Col. Bell retires on the 18th
of March, 1892, and Col. DuBarry. who ranks
him, on the sth of December of the same year.
'Ot I'm Iiarr has hpan
the chief of the bureau for some time and.
being thoroughly acquainted with the admins
tration of affairs in thiss office, is supposed to
stand slightly better chance for promotion
than the others.
IN THE MEDICAL CORPS,
it is conceded. there is bu. one probable candi-
date, Chief Medical Purveyor Jedediah H.
Baxter, who Ii the ranking colonel, and who
has "a long volunteer record But he will not
retire for several years vet, and as there are
two or three officers who stand next to him
who retire before him he may have to wait
But public opinion among service men selects
him az the best man.
AS TO GEN. GRIERsoN's SUCCESSOR.
In the case of the selection of colonel to
become brigadier general to succeed Gen
Grierson there will be the same trouble as that
which was encountered recently. Col. Alex.
McCook wants to be a brigadier general very
badly, and has strong influence, but il
is understood that the President does
not care to appoint him, and following
the precedent which he established in the case
OF a successor to Gen. Miles, he is quite likely
to go to the head of the list of colonies. where
he will lind three very close on to their retire.
ments-Chas II. Smith, nineteenth infantry.
who retires November !, 1891; Geo. T.. An
dreys. twenty-fifth infantry. April 22. 1892, and
August V. kautz, eighth infantry. January 5,
1897