The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-02-23
UNITED STATES ARMY
Limits Prescribed for Courts Mar.
tial Sentences.
Enlisted Men at Post Scholastic Limited Re-
tired List-Promotions in the Service.
Uniformity in Examinations.


ishment for deseItion is announced as fol-
lows:
a. In the case of a soldier who surrenders
within thirty days, confinement and forfeit
ure of pay and allowances for three months;
within ninety days, six months confinement
and forfeiture; after ninety days, forfeiture
of all pay, dishonorable discharge and
eighteen months confinement, except that
where a soldier has been in the service only
three months the confinement shall not eX-
coed ten months. In the case of soldier
who does not surrender the limits of pun
lshment range from dishonOrable discharge,
forfeiture Of all pay ana one years contine-
ment for an offender who has been less than
three months in the service to dishonorable
discharge, forfeiture of all pay and two
years and six months confinement for Of
Tenders who have been more than six
months in the service.
Notifications are authorized for conditions
of previous offenses and conspiracy or in
the presence of an outbreak Of Indians.
The order provides for a specified increase
of the prescribed limit for previous cOnvic-
tons within stated periods, and couTts-mar-
tial are 10 receive evidences OF such convic-
tiOns, Which must lie proved by the records
or orders Soldiers against whom charges
may be preferred for trial by summary
court shall not be confined in the guard
house, but shall be placed in arrest ia quar-
tiers before ana during trial and while await
ing sentence, unless in particular cases re-
straint may be deemed necessary.
The following substitutions for punish
ments are authorized: Detention Of pay
TO four times the amount of the forfeiture;
two days confinement at hard labor for 81
Of fpTfpifpi DAVIS solitary
fnement on bread ana water for two days
confinement at hard labor or for 81 of Tor
te,tsd pay; provided that a nOn-cOmmis-
stoned officer, not sentenced to reduction.
shall not be subject to confinement; and
PROVIDED mat SOLITARY confinement shall not
exceed fourteen days at one time. nor be
repeated until fourteen days have elapsed,
and shall not exceed eighty-fOur days IN one
year. SeTgeants shall not, if they object
thereto, be brought TO trial before Tegi-
mental, garrison or summary courtS-martial
without the authority of the officer cont
petent TO order their trial by general courts
martial.
1t is explained that the order prescribes
the maximum limit of punishment for the
oHenses named and that this limit IS in
tended for those cases where severe punish
ment should be awarded. In other cases
the punishments should be graded down
according 10 the eXtenu&tIng circumstances.
OhenseS not provided for IN. the order re-
main punishable as authorized by the
articles of war and the custom Of the
service. TIE order lessons the severity Of
usual puHiSbmeuts IN the majority Of in
stances, especially so in deSegtlun and the
minor Cffenses, bat III a few uffenses, as
drunkenness on duty aud quitting guard,
the punishment remains as heretofore.
ATTENDANCE AT POST SCHOOLS.
An interesting decision has been made by
the War Department on tie subject of the
attendance OF enlisted men at post schools.
The language is:
Eu sted men are required tOTtend school as
military duty ana par. 800 Of The regulations
makes tAeit instruction military duly Ii is
not easy 10 perceive how language can b
palmer. But II Is apprehended That the con-
StGuctlon Of Ihe regulation IS not the thing mot
deSued. Whether the regulation is IN conform
ny 10 me statute appears TO be Inc main point.
On Ihls point II Is held That tie regulation is
pursuant 10 tie statute, Is in conformity there
with ami intended 10 carry out its provisions. Ii
Is lole 10 SUI pose that Congress intended 10 es-
tabll>h schoO.s tor enlisted men without IequiI-
lug tueir attendance and effective teachers.
/ bis ought rot 10 be "A '-VeNed question" or to
give rise TO controversy and WORK Tor courts
martial. Like all laws aud regulations, II
should be administered with discretion aud an
UnCer Competent 10 command a post COM
pauy ougLt 10 have sufficient discretion to maui
age The schools Without serious friction. Men
should attend because Interested, not because
compelled, and tleie are uut few men who can
not lie interested IN lheir own imuIoyeme ld If
properly managed. schools are Tor the un-
leaned. and hose WHO do not need them should
be teachers. II does not follow that q mau or
nou-cC mm!ssOned officer should be Inundated
by being made o appear ignorant.
instructions Is mot TO be restricted TO the ele-
mtnlny branches specified In TIC statute, but
Viii extend 10 and INCLUDE any subjects IN which
enlisted men uuceT instruction may have an ap-
uIude, OF which Hey can puisu Will advantage
10 lin mselyes or 10 lie service" An old solder
or DOn-CunnIsSOned officer without knowledge
Of his letters can be Interested IN the history and
geography OF his country, and The wants ana de
hands Of lie service, and m many other subjects
and ways, and he can sometimes be made useful
I e y ntI ~ Elu
change Of the books aud implements or OF mIIteis
pertaining to lie order ana decoium OF tile
school.
Brigadier-General John Gibbon, COM
handing the Division of the Pacific, has re-
ceiVed for several years IS month as pen
sion as survivor OF the Mexican war A
recent act Of Congress Will take this away
from him, as by the new law no officer Of
the army, on either the active or retired list,
can receive pension.
Captain Francis L. Pierce, First Infantry.
has been relieved from duty as Indian
Agent at Pine Ridge Agency, 5. OAK, on ac-
count Of sickness.
TIE RETIRED LIST.
The bill transferring from the limited to
tie Unlimited retired list officers when they
shall have attained the age Of. 81 years, and
limiting that limited list t. $50 instead of 400
has passed the House. The transfer will be
Of benefit TO the army. AT present there
are 3gl officers on the limited list, about %
of which number have reached the age OF GA.
Ike new law decreases the number TO $50,
. leaving over 80 vacancies to be filed by Off
GERS recOmn ended for retirement. Of which
class there are 50 awaiting retirement. The
express object Of this new age law was to
secure TO juniors the promotion which
otherwise could not be hoped for in time of
peace. 1t was not pretended that an officer
reaching the command, for example, of
regiment or a stan corps at the age Of Ga is
unfit for his duties. On the contrary re-
tlTrupnt made PQmnI1lspTU hppauSa n
many officers at the age of GA are at the
height OF their powers and usefulness, with
the prospect of so continuing perhaps
twelve or twenty years more. Congress IN
that act sought To retain the services of ex-
perienced junior officers, many of whom had
to remain twenty years in a grade, and
might be tempted by the greater chance to
rise offered by civil pursuits.
First Lieutenant john +. Morrison, pro-
noted from Second Lieutenant Twentieth
Infantry, has been assigned TO Company /,
First Infantry, vice AlauS, promoted, but
until further orders will continue as teul-
pOrarily attached to the Twentieth.
The House has passed the Senate bill to
provide for the selection of site for mill
tary post at San Diego, Cat
CONSEQUENT PROMOTIONS.
Colonel Elmer 0tis Of the Eighth Cavalry
has been retired on account of disability in
cldent to the service, and the promotions
consequent are Lieutenant A. X. Arnold,
Ihob NdNdlIN, MAJOR JOlQ A. WILCOX,
EEhlh Cavalry, Captain c. Z. G. Carr, First
Cavalry, First Lieutenant George s. HoYle.
Captain Carr entered the service in 1862 as a
private In Company + Of his resent regi-
ment and Within one year passed through
the various grades of noH-commssioned Off
Ger OF the company and Sergeant Major of
the regiment. In November, 1868, he was
commissioned Second Lieutenant promoted
First Lieut., nant in 1864 ard Captain in
1869. For gallant and meritorious service
in the battle Of Todd's Tavern, at Winches-
ter. Va, he received brevets, and he has
served In many of the Indian campaigns Of
Arizona ana the Northwest territory.
The retirement of Colonel Black, Twenty
third Infantry, promoted LieutenaGt-Co Colonel
John j. COppluger of the Eighteenth to that
regiment; Major Jacob F. Kent of the
Fourth to be Lieutenaant-Colonel of the
Eighteenth, and Captain George N. Randall
of the Twenty-third TO be Major Of the
Fourth.
Recently confirmed promotions in the in
fanny are those of Lieutenant Colonel r.