Evening star., 1895-04-25
ARMY PROMOTIONS
A Major General and Two Brigadier Cen
erals Named by the President.
The First is Gen. Wesley Merritt-The
Two ColOnels Advanced Are
Bliss and Coppfnger.

The President made the following i'm
portant army appointments late last night:
Brigadier Gen. Wesley Merritt, to be
major general; Col Zenas R. Bliss, twenty
fourth infantry. to be brigad:er general;
Col John J. Coppinger. twenty-third in
fantry, to be brigadier general. To be
captains in the quartermaster's depart
ment: Lieut. John J. French, jr., fourth
artillery; Lieut.. Isaac W. Littell, tenth in
fantry; Lieut.. Jas. B. Aleshirey, first cav
airy. Chaplain, to be assigned to the ninth
regiment of cavalry (colored), Rev. George
w. Priolean of Wilberforce Ohio. The ap-
plication of Lieut.. Col. John S. Billings of
the medical department to be retired Octo-
ber ! has been granted.
The New Major General.
Gen. Merritt. the new major general, was
born in New York and entered the Military
Academy from Illinois in July, 1855. grad
uating July /. 1860. While serving in the
field with the Utah expedition, in July, 1861,
he was ordered to Washington as aid-de-
camp to Gen.. Cooke and later to Gen.
Stoneman. Thenceforth he served with
the cavalry Of the armies of the Potomac
and the Shenandoah to the close Of the
war, occasionally on the staff of the COM
manding general of the cavalry, and took
an active part In all the raids and battles
engaged.
He was commissioned brigadier general
of volunteers June %, 1853. and given COM
mand OF the regular brigade of cavalry
which he commanded in the operations in
central Virginia. Rejoining the armies
operating against Richmond he was in all
the cavalry actions In that campaign; was
present with his command at the capitula-
ton Of Lees army at Appomattox Court
House, April 0, 1865, and was one Of the
three commissioners appointed to arrange
the terms Of surrender. He has been sue
cessively promoted to brigadier general in
the regular army and brigadier general
and major general of volunteers. the two
last named promotions for gallantry in
action. He also received a number Of bre-
vets for gallant and meritorious services.
Reverting to the command of his regl-
ment, the fifth cavalry, he served success
sively in Louisiana. IN Texas, in the Big
Horn, Yellowstone and Ute expeditions. He
was superintendent Of the United States
Military Academy from September l, 1882,
to June 80, 1887, and was in command Of
the department Of the Missouri to July, 1881,
and Of the department of Dakota, which
command he holds at present.
OF the great cavalry leaders in the Union
army which the war produced. viz, Sheri-
dan, Cooke, Pleasanton. Grierson, Stone
man, Wilson, Merritt. Fitzpatrick. Custer.
Buford, Gregg and Devin. Gen. Merritt Is
the only one still in active service.
Brig. Gen. Bliss.
eral, is now colonel of the twenty-fourth
infantry, at Fort Bayard. N. M. He grad
uated from West Point in 1854. AS second
lieutenant he served on frontier duty in
Texas until 1861. In 1850 he was made
first lieutenant Of the eighth infantry, and
in 1861, while captain in the same regi-
ment, he was surrendered to the Texas In
surgents under Gen. Van Doom and remain
ed prisoner Of war until April 5. 1862. He
was engaged in the defense Of Washington
as colonel of the tenth Rhode Island voiun-
teers in 1862. He was at Falmouth. Rap
pahannock and Fredericksburg and went
to Vicksburg in July, 1853. He was also
in the expedition to Jackson, Miss. and
afterward participated in the battles of
Spottsylvania, the Wilderness and the siege
of Petersburg. He was brevetted major at
fredericksburg and lieutenant colonel at
the Wilderness for gallant and meritorious
service. and became colonel of the twenty
fourth infantry April 20. 1886
brig. Gen. CoppinEer.
Col John ]. Coppinger. promoted to
brigadier general. was appointed captain
of the fourteenth United States infantry
in 1861, and subsequently commanded the
fifteenth New York cavalry. He was COM
mended by Gems. Sheridan, Forbert, Wright
and Custer for gallantry on the field. and
the second battle of Bull Run, where he
was left for dead on the battlefield He
participated in thirty odd Of the severest
battles of the civil war, and was brevetted
not only for gallantry in that war. but
also for conspicuous acts of bravery in
operations against hostile Indians. He is
at present in command of his regiment, on
a practice march in the field along the
Texas-Mexican border. where he has been
stationed for some time past. He married
q a n a