New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-05-11
ARMY AND NAVY NOTES.
THE ARTILLERY SERVICE AND PROMOTION.


MAKE RECORD FOR GALLANTRY-coM-
MoDoRE GREER LIKELY TO SUCCEED
ADMIRAL BRAINE-HIs CAREER.
tBY TELEGRAPH TO THE rRBusEI
Washington May lot is an interesting fact. sug-
gestcd by the appointment the other day Of Colonel
A. " Kautz Of the sth Infant, 10 succeed Bngadier-
General John Gibbon. who retired that colonel Of
artillery has since the war been made a brgadier-
general in the Army. OF the present general officers
only one. MajorGeneral J. NJ schofeld has been at
tached to the artillery arm and in his case he was
promoted from captain of the 1st Artillery 10 brgdier
general in 1864. General Howard made brgadier-
general from volunteers, having entered the Maine IN
fantry resignation from the Ordnance Corps. Miles
taken from the infantry, were also Stanley,
Ruger and Brooke. Merrill came from the cavalry,
and the two latest appointments as brigadiergeneras
McCook and Kautz, colonies of infantry. The
selection Of colonel of the line for appointment as
brgader general Is regarded a reward for services
With the inrequency of vacancies among tile general
officers and the many instances Of merit among the
colonies Of the line it is difficult matter TO decide
upon whom the promotion NAV properly be bestowed
The appointing power looks to the records Of officers
to furnish the reasons for selection and naturally
those records are considered most commendable and
worthy OF reward which exhibit gallantry in time Of
action. The artillery has never had the OPP
portunity OF distinguishing itself TO the extent
that the cavalry infantry have. Upon the latter
arms have dcvOlved the work on the frontier, not 10
mention of the active movements during the Cvi
War. The consequence is that cavalry and infantry
colonies have constantly had opportunities Of display
ing daring and galantry that never came, and are
never likely come, TO the colonies of artillery regl
mens. When the chance Of promotion exists the
department has always had in view number OF
colones who had done good service in the field, and 1t
has been the principle Of the authorities to encourage
tIrod for
one Of those early mentioned for the place thus vacated
was Colonel W. Forsyth Of the 7th Cavalry, who had
charge OF the troops at the Wounded Knee fight In the
recent Indian campaign The artillery colonels nave
rarely had opportunity of taking any such conspic
nous part In warfare. The artillery has now virtually
become part the coast defence scheme The colonies
Of the five regiments have their headquarters on the
sea coast remote from the of Indian hostities
the FIRST at Fort Hamilton, n. Y; the second at
Fort Adams r. l.; the third at Washington Barracks
d. c.. the fourth at Fort MCPHERSON, Ga, and the
fifth al San Francisco. 1t is rather hopeless and dis
courag1ng outlook for artillery officers who have am
bitions in the direction of brigader-generalcies.
The retirement OF Rear-AdmiTal Bralne will leave
vacant the office Of cOmmandant Of the Brooklyn
Navy Yard The Secretary is said to have settled
upon Commodore James A. Greer for the place
Commodore Greer is Of the bestknown of1cers OF
the Navy and will, upon the retirement Of Admiral
Braine become the senior commodore and should Ad
Harmony
own application, would become the junior admiral.
He has been president Of the Naval Examining Board
I'm this city since January, 1890. He Is fifty eight
years old and entered the service in 1913 from his
native state, Ohio. He belonged 10 the old Navy
and has made his way to a prominent place in the
service by hard and good work His early
wears in the service were spent on various
vessels at home and abroad. He became lieutenant
in 1855 and leutenantcommander in 1862, and was
placed in command of the ironcads Carondelet and
Benton and division Of Porter's squadron, with
which in April 1868, he made his way past Nicksburg
to fight the batteries Of Grand Gulf on April 30. The
following month he took part in the Rcd River ex
peditlon lie was engaged in the combined attack on
Vcksburg being almost constantly under fire during
the forty five days Of the siege. In 1864 he
employed In correcting abuses which existed at the
Naval recruiting station, at Cincinnati and in 1868
was in command of the Black Hawk. In 1865, when
he was promoted to commander, he placed in
charge of the MohOngC, of the Pacific Squadron. He
remained four months at Acapulco. Mexico, to protect
American interests which endangered account
of the downfall of the Mexican imperial Government
and his course on this OCCASION officially COM
mended by the state Department During subsequent
years he held various commands and In 1873 was
placed in command Of the TTess Of the Polars relief
expedition. A month after sailing out of New York
harbor the wreck Of the Polars found at Little
ton island North Greenland but tho Grew had departed
until October aud then returned 20 the United States
Commander Greer promoted 10 be captain in
1876 and commanded the Constitution and later the
Constellation and Hartford He was made commodore
In 1886 and during his command Of the European
station held the appointment Of acting rearadmiral
Commodore Greer, on his return from Europe, was
made president Of board having the responsible work
Of revising the Organization tactics ana drills OF the
Navy, duty he held until he was detailed rs president
Of tho board charged with the examination OF Officers
for promotion and retirement.
The examination OF the hull Of the Boston at the
Norfolk Navy Yard Is awaited with interest She has
not been locked for six months and the constructors
curious to the result Each side OF tle
vessels hun was painted with a different Kind Of
paint the solicitations and the represent atons OF
two rival NewNOrk concerns. The enterprlslns hrls
warfare between the houses has been vigorous. In
previous tests there has been good opportunity TO
Compare the antifouling qualities Of the compositions
There was always a difference conditions which pre-
vented fair conclusion. The Department - a
remedy and to preserve the peace Of mind. If not
safety Of body. Of Its Officers, applied the rival paints
to the same vessel, and now an official report VIII
preserved and the FREQ from marine growth
Upon that report the destinee N two NewYcrk paint
firms viii depend 50 far the naval eonstru.toTs
free from the excrescenoes Of the sea. Naval Con
as a remedy for this natural evil has just received
specimens OF huge barnacles rs large a. mans fist
and coral formations taken from the hull Of the
Ranger after a year without docking.
Captain Harry Wright and Leutenants William H.
Baldwin and p A. Bottoms, Of the Oh Cavalry have
K from which they transferred when that troop
was ordered 10 station at Fort Myer, near this city
service IN the recent Indian campaign but General
schohed thought the officers OF Troop l. also In the
campaign. should come with Troop K The transfer
of officers was disappointment 10 those who were
TO stay at Fort Robinson, where Troop was posted
The friends OF the officers concerned underworld TO
have the order revoked. Inasmuch the order was
issued AZ the Instance Of General schofed and Quarter
master-G General Batchelder, there is likelihood OF
It's revocation