The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1891-11-01
THE ARMY AND THE NAVY.
ARMY NOTES.


General of the Army, in his annual report,
shows that during the year ending September
30 there were 1907 trials by courts-martial,
including eight commissioned officers by
general courts, showing an increase OF 125
cases as compared with last year. There
were 13, ,S35 trials by garrison and summary
courts, an increase Of 8, ,305 over last year, and
thirteen acquittals. The number OF enlisted
men tried was S,110, some having been tried
more than once. Colonel Lieber highly ap-
proves the new law providing uniform scale
OF punisbments for military offenses. The
substitution OF the summary court for the
garrison and regmentGl courtmartial, he
says, has given general satisfaction. In one
particular, he says, the summary court act
seems to be generally defective. Under 1t the
post commander has not the power to remit
or mitigate sentences, as he has in garrison
courts-martial, and the sentence OF the sum-
mary court when approved Is beyond the
reach of all authority except the pardoning
power Of the President.
BY direction of the President, Captain
George LIE r. Brown, Eleventh Infantry has
been designated to perform and execute the
duties of Indian agent at the. Pine Ridge
Agency, s. D., vice Captain Charles G. Pen
ney, Sixth Infantry, relieved at his own re-
quest.
The Ordnance Buwau of the War Depart
ment has just completed some tests Of French
~. h. ouOhelesS p0WueT Will Tlueu uelu
guns. The guns were 32 inches calibre. The
service charge of ordinary powder is 81
pounds, giving velocity to the shot of 1850
feet per second, with a pressure In the gun of
from $4,000 to $4,000 pounds per square inch
One pound and fourteen ounces of the smoke
less powder gave the same velocity with a
pressure of only $4,000 pounds. With full
charge of two pounds and eight ounces of
smokeless powder q velocity of 2, ,050 feet was
impaired to the shot with pressure of 35, 900
pounds, well within the safe pressure for the
gun.
An Army retiring board is appointed to
meet from time to time, at the call of the
president thereof at the Army Building, in
New York City, for the examination Of such
officers as maybe ordered before it. The de-
tail for the board is: Colonel Alexander
j. Perry, assistant quartermaster general;
Colonel George Bell, assistant commissary
general of subsistence; Lieutenant Colonel
Henry Q. Wood, assistant adjutant general;
Major johnson V. D. Middleton, surgeon;
Captain Edwin f. Gardner assistant surgeon.
The following officers will report in
person to the Army retiring board for exami-
nation: Captain Francis M. Gibson, Seventh
Cavalry; First Lieutenant Ernest s. Robins,
Third Cavalry.
Captain Charles A. II. McCauley, assistant
quartermaster, will, upon the expiration of
his present sick leave of absence, repair to
Vancouver Barracks, Washington, and report
In person to the commanding general Depart
ment of the Columbia, for assignment to duty
at Portland, Ore, relieving Major John II.
Belcher, quartermaster, of his duties at that
place. Major Belcher, upon being so relieved,
will settle his accounts, retaining station at
Portland, Ore.
BY an order issued yesterday the Secretary
of War, has reduced from 35 to 30 years the
maximum age at which recruits will be ac-
cepted for the Army.
board of officers will meet at Fort ASSN
naboine, Mont, for the examination of Lieu
tenant James A. Irons, Twentieth Infantry,
to determine his fitness for promotion. De
tail for the board: Lieutenant Colonel John
G. Bates, Twentieth Infantry; Captain John
N. Coe Twentieth Infantry; Captain William
8. McCaskey, Twentieth Infantry; Captain
Walter W. r. Fisher, assistant surgeon; First
Lieutenant Allen NJ. Smith, assistant surgeon,
and First Lieutenant Henry B. Moon, adju-
tant, Twentieth Infantry, recorder.
The Secretary of War has approved allot-
menJs made by the fertilization board as fol-
lows: $4,000 for the purchase of powder and
shot for testing the pneumatic gun carriage,
for experimental fuses, for storage magazines
and charging room for experiments with high
explosives, and $2,5C0 for the purchase Of
small amount OF smokeless powder to be
tested In the new 12-inch breech-loading rifle
at Sandy Hook. letter has been received
from the Second Comptroller OF the Treasury
announcing his refusal to allow the travelling
expenses OF the civilian member Of the board,
General Cutcheon. The board adjourned to
meet December ! next.
Captain Charles Richard, assistant surgeon,
has been relieved from duty at Fort Logan,
Col, and ordered to report to the comman-
dant of the military prison, Fort Leavenworth,
Kan, for duty.
Second Lieutenant Charles G. Lyman, Sec
ond Cavalry, will report to Brigadier General
Thomas H. Ruger, San Francisco, CAL, for
duty as aide-de-camp.
Second Lieutenant Frank Tomkins, Eighth
Cavalry has been transferred to the Seventh
Cavalry, Troop l.
Captain George II. Palmer, Sixteenth In
fantry, and First Lieutenant John M. Stot-
senburg, Sixth Cavalry, have been ordered to
report to the superintendent of the recruiting
service, New York City, for temporary duty.
Captain Henry j. Haynsworth, assistant
quartermaster, has been retired from active
duty.
Major James g. G. Lee, quartermaster, has
been detailed as a member OF the Army re-
firing board at Los Angeles CAL, vice Major
Amos s. Kimball, quartermaster, relieved.
By direction of the Secretary of War, Pr-
vate William E. Conner Battery X, Third
Artillery, now at Washington Barracks, d. c.,
has been discharged without character from
the service of the United States, with for
felture OF retained pay, under paragraph 1903
of the regulations.
Post Chaplain John D. Parker will report
to the Army retiring board for examination
by the board.
The following assignments to regiments Of