The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-02-27

ss-e Chs-e.s - the Asp-esshise Ret'rs-
seat OF Gss. Howard FEES Cs-.sss-

WASHINGTON. Feh 26.-It seems very early
for army officers to be discussing who OF their
number shall succeed to the vacancy on the
active list to DO created By Maior-Gen.
Towards retirement in autumn; but perhaps
the consideration Of the subject has been
somewhat advanced by the report that Gen.
Howard eontemplates anticipating his age
retirement by applying within short time Tor
n leave OF absence. with n view to n summer
trip in Europe which would include the re-
riod then remaining up to the date OF HE re-
tirement. Should such an application be made.
Il would presumably DO granted. and probably
changes would then be ia order to OH his inn
portant command. The thought AZ therefore
suggest itself that In such REIMBURSEMENT
OF department commands forecast might be
given Of the ultimate choice OF n Brigadier-
General to be promoted to his vacancy as
Major General when It should como about
1t is true that. as in former cases. ono de-
partmcnt may remain vacant. its command
being temporarily assumed by Con. Schoneld
and this might leave the ultimate choice OF the
new Major-General as much ia the dark as
ever. Besides. II seems highly improbable
that a Nero assignment to department com
mand shoLld in any war forecast the Presi-
dents subsequent use OF his own appointing
power However. II IL enough 10 say that
there is already speculation on the probable
hWAtu " tHe hUulllOuul 40
General and OF the single star as BrlGadier
which will sin, ultaneously fall to some Colonel
For the Major Generalship. while all the six
Brgadier- Generals are available. those near
est the top are naturally considered to have
the best chance. The senior among them is
Gen. Thomas II. Ruger. who has held his
present grade nearly eight yoars A native OF
New York. he was appointed to the Military
Academy in 1850. and graduated with high
honors. receiving brcvet as Second Lieuten-
ant in tho Engineer Corps Within year.
however. he resigned and went into civil lie.
from which the outbreak Of the war OF seces-
sion recalled him. Appointed Lieutenant
Colonel OF tbs Third Wisconsin Infantry In
the summer OF 1851. he was made BriRadier-
General OF volunteers toward the end OF 1S02.
and a brevet Maior-G General two years later.
this last for gallant and meritorious services
at franklin. while a brevet OF BriRadier-Gen-
eral in the regular army wa. accorded TO him
organization OF the army after the close OF the
war he received the nigh rank OF colonel ot
the Third Infantry. and In that grace remained
nearly twenty years. meanwhile. however.
having heen transferred to the Eighteenth.
His present command is the Department of
Next to him in rank is BRIG: Gen. Wesley
Merritt, s'so a., na, M,, OF New dorE Th9 Vas
Srahuatin: i've years later. he entered the
?uuhkei OilSeis ~ 'hV wv
His appointment as First Lieutsnant 10 the
Second Cavalry came In May. 1851, and as
mer OF 1855 his services had made him Brig
adier-General OF volunteers. while the brevet
liant services at Winchester and Fishers Hill.
and the full rank Of Major-General followed
army Tor H cal ant and mesitorious SERVICES in.
clude these: MAJOR for Gettysbura. Iieutenant-
Colonel for Yellow Tavern; Colonel lor HAYES
aior-tieneral for the final cam paign against
lee. His commission IS Malor-General OF vol
vicss." Alter the war he beeams fisut.nsnt-
Colonel Of the Ninth Cavalry Colonel OF the
emit command is the Department Of DAKOTA
Third on the list is Brig. Gen. John r.
fs aoT IS nut o. %es1 fon
and began his army record as a Captain IN the
ESah tpn % S.ns e. as o 81 tSs
comm lssiSned BIssdlT[: General ; q yolHn;
i sssT oia wSe4ns.ss asd S His
were those of Colonci and Brigadier General
In the regulars for Gettysburg and Spott:
IL the volnhtsers ' Tor ToioDotomS and coli
Harbor. After the war he gotta good start IN
Thirty-seyenth Infantry. was Transferred to
the ihird became S9'o is o. the Ihir,sSsn;a
his present emit grade s4 c'"' 1000 "a' e"'t'eu
The oldest Gde Of r. list Of Ssnads
the Military Academy in lS47 from his native
appointed TO the Thru Infantry. rising IeGu.
Then he was made Colonel OF the First Ohio
Infantry. Brigadier-G General OF Volunteers
His war services began in Virginia. ana were
transferred TO tho Western armies His
SsEfs !ns FsGT Mss GS c. sasn! M s@4
for Bull Run: Lieutenant Colonsl for the cap
(taneral for PeFTYNille and MAJOR ii for
services during the war. Made Lieutenant
Colonel OF the Twenty-.ixth Infantry after the
tor in Infantry tactics at Yes, Point lust betose
Sherman's stafr after the war ana was Com
mandant OF the Infantry and Cavalry School
commands the Department OF Arizona.
pI d9e Iwo LATER Spp Ss e the Grade OF
and Elwtl ;. Otis. The former a native OF
Rhode Island entered the army from civil life
in 1900 as First Lieutenant in the First Caval-
Major q tho Second in 1854 In July he was
male Iieutenant- Colonel and Colonel of the
BriGadier- General OF Volunteers in 1852. His
breve's or gallant and meritorlons services In
Wilderness. Colonel for Cedar Greek. BriEa-
dier-Neneral for the capture OF Petersburg;
in the volunteers, Msjor.Iiensrai for the
nprGuon, Fishers Hin, and MidLletown. After
Thirty"ninth and TSentyaHrst Inisntpy a md
Colone! OF the second, and he became Briga-
dier'uegeral not quite two years ago.
few %qnths ago iss Hstils Ms aSf S1 Who
hogan his army career in 1852 as a captain in
the enc Hundred AMI Fortieth New York In
regulars and volunteers for Spottsylvania and
Of BrGadier-Gen-ral In the volunteers for
Onel OF the Twenty second Infantry alter the
wal and then Colonel o. the Twentieth. and he
com manded the Infantry and Cavalry School
from N.yemher. 1881. to June, lSN5
II will he seen, Therefore. that there il no
lack Of ability and experience from which 10
rhoos" the new Major GeneTal when the time
comes.