The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-11-25

1888. He is outranked by three colonies
of cavalry and ten colonies Of infantry.
The dis CrimnatiOn against the artillery
in the selection of general officers Is at
tributablc to the fact that the other two
branches of the military service have all
the hard work on the frontier, while the
artillery are comfortably quartered near
the large cities on the sea coast Col. Clos
son is being pushed by the artillery, but
the indications are that the vacancy will
so to one of the other two branches.
Col William II. Shafter, of the First in
fantry, is the ranking colonel of the line
He has held his present grade since
March, 1879. Tho ranking colonel of
cavalry is Col. James w. Forsyth, of the
Seventh regiment who was Sheridan s
most trusted stan officer during his opera
tions in Virginia and for some time after
the close of the war. Although Col.
Forsyth. in order of rank, stands behind
six colonels of infantry, he has claims for
recognition in connection with the coming
vacancy which will make his case a
strong one with the President. In select
ing brigadier generals heretofore rank
and service during the rebellion have
been taken into consideration.
In the line of the army no officer has
been appointed brigadier since the civil
war who had not held higher rank than
who held such rank, except Col Forsyth,
has been promoted and he is the only
officer left in the army below the grade
of bPigadier general who ever held COM
mission above that of colonel. OF the 10
general officers now on the army register
only 10 of them outranked Col. Forsyth
during the war.
Coils Shafter. Otis, Blunt, Swayne,
Merriam and Bliss, of the infantry, rank
nj xrfb INIT ~ n
than either of them during the war. Col.
Shafter entered the volunteer service in
August, 1861 and rose to the grade of col
onel At the close of the war he was
made lieutenant colonel in the regular
army dropping one grade. Col Otis en-
tered the volunteer service in 1862, be-
came lieutenant colonel and was trans
ferred to the regular army with the
same grade. Col. Merriam entered in
1862, attained the grade of Lieutenant
colonel. and was appointed a major in the
regular army. losing one grade, Blunt,
SWayne and Bliss entered from the Mill
tary academy anead Of Forsyth. Blunt
entered in lS49, Swaine in lS41, Bliss in
1850, and Forsyth in 1851. Forsyth rose
to the grade of briGadier general during
the war, and at its close went back to the
regular establishment with the grade of
major losing three grades AS no one has
been appointed brigadier general in the
line since the close of the war who had
not been a general officer, and as all such
officers above Forsyth have now been ap-
pointed, his friends are hopeful that the
President will not depart from this rule,
and that he will select Col Forsyth for
the next vacancy
President Cleveland viii have the Sc
lection of two brigadier generals next
year, through the enforced retirement of
Mai Gen. Howard and Brig. Gen. Haw-
kins, of the subsistence department. Gen.
Howard will retire Nov. s, 1894, and Gen.
Hawkins Sept. 20 Of that year. How
ards retirement will promote Brig. Gen.
Ruger, who is the senior of his grade.