New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-04-02
ARMY NOTES or INTEREST.

,r ,,,s oro The Trlbnne said that Colonel
John NJ Wilson who has been superintendent "l III"
West Point Military Academy for several years
ro,la soon l., transferred TO Washington as >nlsr-
,nteud.nt Of Public Budings and Grounds. the same
duty which Colonc, Wilson had during Prcsld'n'
,1.vrIands first Admin stralion. TIL, prediction hS
t..n confirmed Major Oswald II. Ernst, OF the
Engineer Corps who has been on the du'y 10 "h''n
Colonel Wilson l. now assigned goes To III" Nh'arN
Academy al West Point. Major Ernst VIII commune
~ hold the rank Of colonel IN his new place. The
,r,ns..r Of Colonel Wilson 70 the post which h"
before filed under President cleveland removes one
ea,,s, of anxiety from friends Of candidh- Tor
the vacant b1glher renr'hip but ,%In M' amy
mean. and NAV vet get additional hon0rs. Nh"r,N'r
Colonel Wilson gocs be- VII taN ~ih MN nod '' frnnd
wishes of the cadets and his many "'h"r s"'i ,
Al West Pon, for his continued prosperity anu 200"
fortune.
Army officers especially those wcl up on the list.
arr. looking anNiously forward to the disposition oil
honors that President Cleveland has In BIZ keeping
During hi, term of once h. Will hav" III" air"h'
mcni Of Successors TO Major-Gcnerals John W. sch"
field and O. o. Howard. who VIII bc retired within
the next two year,: -four bngn1iorg'neral' III the
line. a. many ~ SIX brisldirrrcncr;,ls Of the STAFF
with the possibility of five NOR" II the appointment
10 the ,ix should De- made from me h'id "l ,n'
,in. five major I'm the Adjuiant- Generals Depart
mrni eight majors In the Pay Department. TWO
majors In the Judge c-''cncrlis department
Two uo,i chaplain, nine captains in the Quarter
masters Department, and hvc captains III inc '""
sistencc Department.
Promotion /, necessarily slow In the Army In time
If n,,c. and CAPTAINS and ncutcnants who hav"
served long aud faithfully naturally charactcrz" 1t rs
unjust 10 them tlas the s;di place, which they
have earned by faithful service should be- given to
civilians TO- personal and political r1s'hs. The
law has long required appointments TO III" Adlu
tant- Generals. lnspectorGenc ana onar'crhas
fcr-Gcneral's department TO h. made from officers IN
A. Inf he La i,,~
Corps nor to the Subsistence Department. IL l. the
mlrpos" of the officers 10 Try 10 get law passed NJ
the next sess,on against giving civilians appointments
TO vacancies In the stan corps An amenhmrn, to
the laws was made at the last scsslo that here
after no appointm.nt shall b. made to the grade
Of major In the Pay Department OF the trmy Until
the number Of majors In that department l. REDUCED
below twenty five: and thereafter the number Of
officers Of that grade in the Pay Department shall b.
fixed M twenty five Tie maximum limit OF pay
mn,i.rs has Seen reached lbs rcllrcIlrnls. hence
vacancies hereafter made may b. filled 10y the Pr'Si
dent he chooses either from the Army Or from civil
life.
There Is much disappointment that many Of th"
candidates for cship, West Point should have
failed In their examinations. Of the 1876 candidates
designated 10 appear before the examining boards at
the fourteen Army posts. only forty three were success
ful. altcrnatcs qualified, but rs the prime llir
also successfully passed The examinations thcr" arr no
vacancies for the alternatcs. OF the nine NcwlOlk
candidates only two were successful.
The sad case OF Lieutenant Virgil J. Brnmback.
of the I'd Infantry, to which attention called In
these columns Il few weeks ago. Is again Il subject
OF current inter, st. II VIII be- remembered that his
brother officers appealed to the War Department
not 10 accept his resignation he WAS evidently
not mentally responsible. He had cxilcd himself TO
the mouniairs. and party from Fort
sherman, Idaho. to search for him. lie found In
the woods, six miles from any habltation. and living
in a hut Of his own construction. lie exhibited an
aversion seeing talking with any one. and the
miners In the ncghl0rhood spoke OF him rs the wild
main. After reading 10 him the orders Of the War
Department that h. should BE- brought back to his
post he readily packed his traps and went back with
Hospital AT Washington, hut n. u 30 clear headed
intelligent ana natural In his conversation. that
one would suppos, his mind To he unbalanced
Ills father says he has been rccluse since boyhood
general order issued by the War Dcpartrn mt
declares that ii soldier Is liable TO he tried for
dcsertion although than two years after the
expiration Of his term OF enlistment may have elapsed
This order was Issued because the amended law Of
April IL. 1890 has been misunderstood. This amend
mcnt reads that no person may b. tried or pun.
i>hed by ourtmartla for dcsertion In time Of
peace, and mot In the face Of an enemy commit ed
than two years before the arra.gnment Of such
person for such offence unless he shall meanwhile.
have absenied himself from the United states in
which case the time OF his absence shall be- excluded
IN computing tie period Of limitation" II 4, pro.
vided In the same law that the limitation shall moi
begin until the end Of the term Of enlistment.
Another general order provides thai IN order IN
give the new drill regulations u more thorough test
than II possible to give them last year. the tests
extended for another drill season.