The morning call., 1890-11-17
STATE GUARDS.
Who Will Be General of the Sec.
0nd Brigade?
Booming orion for Adjutant- neral-The o.
fee Of Assistant Also in Demand-Staf
Promotions and Changes.

With the incoming administration there
will also be necessarily number OF I'M
portant changes among the officers OF the
n. G. G. II may be safely asserted that
Major-General William III. Dimond will re-
main at its head as the Division Commander,
No one has presumed to announce himself
as an aspirant for that Office, in which the
General is so strongly intrenehed by the
popular estimation of the citizen soldiery.
Moreover, the National Guard wants man of
influence and position as Division Com
mander, and its members desire no change.
1t has found the man whom it wants. and
is practically unanimous in the wish to re-
tain him-Goyernor-e Markham being
willing.
The commission of General John 7. Cut
ting of the Second Brigade, n. G. c., COM
priSing the soldiery in and about San Fran
cisco, will expire with the year. and as there
is no doubt of his election as Congressman
it is to be presumed that his connection with
the guard will then cease. Two Colonies of
the brigade are prominently mentioned for
the succession. Colonel John III. Dickin-
son of the First Infantry, who since the re-
tirement of Colonel William X. Smedberg of
the Second Artillery in November, 1886, has
been the senior ranking officer Of his grade
in the brigade, appears to be the first choice.
The Colonel has been actively and promi-
nently connected with the guard since his
enlistment in April, 1877, four days after
which he was elected Captain of the City
Guard of the regiment with which he has
always been identified. He publicly an
nounced himself as an aspirant on Saturday,
and for the position has been given the good
will and support of Major General Dimond
and Brigadier- General Cutting, while his
claims to the position. considered from
military standpoint are conceded by the
rank and file.
OF UNIVERSAL POPULARITY.
The Oakland Evening Tribune said of
him on last Monday evening, speaking on
the subject of the probable successor:
Colonel Dickinson is an officer who has
brought his command up to the highest
grade OF proficiency, and there is no doubt
that il he wears the star he will do as much
for the Second Brigade. The Colonel is an
officer of universal popularity, and no better
selection could be made than he for the head
of the Second Brigade, which is the main
stay OF the National Guard of California"
The Colonel's candidacy was also considered
by the Board of Officers of his regiment last
week at the election for field officers.
1t was in case that he should not receive
the appointment that Major Sullivan and
Captain Burdick were promoted, SO that
these young and energetic officers could take
the brunt of the work and responsibility
from the Colonel's shoulders, that he may be
induced to remain in the regiment. Again,
If he should receive the appointment the
loss to the regiment will be serious one.
As his successor in command of the First,
the name of Captain Charles l.. Tiiden,
second in rank, is warmly recommended,
which may. to certain extent, explain why
he was neither candidate for Lieutenant
Colonel nor Major.
Seeking the honor of Brigadier also is
Colonel William Macdonald of the Second
Artillery, second in rank, who is also favor
ably known in the brigade, with which he
has been connected since April, 1878 The
Colonel has been a commissioned officer i'll
continued service since June, 1882 and be-
ing therefore eligible to go on the retired
list naturally enough is ambitious to retire
with the higher grade, which may also be
said of Colonel Dickinson. The Colonel of
the Second is said to be strongly supported
by the Pacific Union Club, though its inter-
est in the \. q. c. is not very apparent
However, the brigade will be h0nOred by
the selection of either of these gentlemen,
and it Is believed that, having been a SOL
der, the Goyernor-elect will be guided by
military rule in making his choice.
THE ADJUTANT- GENERALSHIP
II Brigader- General r. IL. 0rtnn is not
reappoInted to succeed himself as Adjutant-
General of the State it Will be because the
petitions of the officers and enlisted men of
| the Second Brigade, Il. G.. c., comprising 80
of the 60 companies of the division, will have
| failed of their purpose. The Adjutant-
| Generalship is a coveted office, carrying
with it as it does salary of $4,000 year,
| travelling expenses and the archaeological
rank of Brigadier- General.
| General Orion is an officer from the Sec
| ond Brigade, whose prOtege for the office he
was four years ago and is now again, as his
| services have been very satisfactory. The
| commissioned officers of the brigade are
| signing at the respective regimeutai head
quarters, petitions for his reappointment,
and by this evening like petitions will be in
| the hands of company commanders for sig
| natures by the enlisted men. These petit
| lions read:
Recognizing In Brigadier-Genera r. II. Orion,
| AdiuIant- Geueral of California, the National
| Guard has man of experience, OF full knOwl-
| edge Of its Iequi ements in all their details,
under whose administration much has been done
| 10 uniform and equip Tie guard, and who withal
| is gentleman aud a soldier, we do hereby
| shecifuy petition you and request you VIII re-
| appoint General Orion 10 or continue him IN his
| present position as AdiutanI- General This we
| ask unsolicited by him, but because we believe
It To be for the best interests OF the guard that
| man. qualified by association and service, famit-
lar with all the details OF The office, and one WHO
has the respect OF every officer and man in tie
National Guard, should, for It's best interests be
| continued in the Office.
FEW MORE AsPIRANTs.
| Aspirants for this office are also Lieuten-
| ant Colonel Edwin Ii. Mckee of the First
| Artillery of Sacramento, Lieutenant-Col0-
| mel l.. 5. Butler of Los Angeles and a. A. G.
| OF the First Brigade and also another Los
Angeles man. all of whom have their in
! dorSementS and testimonials and strong
friends backing them The sentiment in this
| brigade seems to be that. in view of the sue
| cessful administration of General Orion, it
were better to have him continue, and, like
| Hamlet, bear the Ills that the guard now la
| borS under rather than fly to others that
we know not Of.
| For the Assistant Adjutant-G eneralship
| are named the incumbent, Colonel Perre
| Kewrn, Colonel Sheldon l. Kellogg, /. r. p,
| Lieutenant-Colon j. A Roster of the Sec
| ond Artillery and also o. hers whose claims
| no one connected with the citizen soldiery
seems to appreciate. Colonel Kewen, of
| course, does not favor the idea of leaving
| the cosy seat, which ne las been warming
| for eight years, and Colonel kellogg has
| been induced to stand by his friends, in
whose hands he is.
While no Gne will doubt that the latter
| would make a most efficient A. A. g., be-
| cause he is so earnest and devoted in any
| thing he undertakes, yet the gentleman him
| self acknowledges that it has not been his
| fortune 10 be struck by lightning speak
! ing metal horically As A. A. q. he would
| perhaps be in better position than ever to
do something in the line of rifle practice in
| the \. e. c., which subject he has made
| scientific and systematic study, the greater
| number of innovations and improvements
| being directly attributable to him.
! Lieutenant Colonel Roster is rising and
| ambitious young officer who in Case of the
promotion of Colonel Macdonald of the Sec
! ond would unquestionably succeed him. In
i-view of this fact aud his business prospects
| why he should wish the Adjutant-GeneIal-
ship is not apparent. To be field officer in
| a line battalion is considered even prefer
able TO staff position, even though no pc