Omaha daily bee., 1895-09-28
COMMANDERS OF THE ARMY
General Scott the Last One Without a Mil
itary Education,
MILES MAY BREAK IN ON THE RECORD
First senior Omcer was n Quaker
md Most of the Early Commanders
Had No Military Training he
fore Entering the Service.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 27.-(Special)-Tak-
ing for granted that which Is generally con-
coded, that Major General Nelson A. Miles viii
be appointed to succeed Lieutenant General
Schofeld In command Of the army. II is note
worthy that he is the first general officer
without a military academy education to be
placed in command of all the armies Of the
United States since the voluntary retirement
of Brevet Lieutenant General Winfield Scott,
who resigned in favor OF his young friend,
George B.. Mcclellan.
There have been six generals in command
of the army since General Scotts retirement,
all of whom have been graduates Of the Mill
tary academy at West Point, namely: Major
General George b. Mcclellan, Major General
Henry w. Halleck, Lieutenant General and
General Ulysses S. Grant, Lieutenant General
and General William T. Sherman, Lieutenant
General and General Philip IL. Sheridan, and
Major General and Lieutenant General John
NJ. Schofield.
From the incipiency of the colonial indie
pendence and the organization of the United
States of America there Rave been seventeen
commanders of the army. and six OF them
chose just named) have been graduates of
the Military academy. The others. eleven
in all. were never favored with early educa-
ton in military science in that institution.
FIRST WAS A QUAKER.
The first commander of the army was a
Philadelphian, in the person OF Josiah Har-
mer, who was born in the City of Brotherly
Love in 1853. and who breathed his last in
the city of his birth August 20, 1913, during
the second war with Great Britain. He was
incapacitated from participation in that war
because of age and inirmities, just as Gen
eral Scott was incapacitated from service dur
ing the recent civil war. General Harmer
was educated in the Quaker school
conducted by Robert Proud. In H1d
he entered the continental army as a
captain in the First Pennsylvania infantry
He was made lieutenant colonel of his regi-
ment in 1777, and served until the close of
the war for independence. He was in Wash
ington's army in the campaigns of 1850,
and in General Greene's division in the south
in 1912. In 1888 he was made brevet colonel
Of the First United States infantry. 1t was
General Harmer who took the %ratifica-
ton Of the definite treaty to France in 1884.
He was Indian agent for the North
west Territory when the treaty was made
at Fort Mcintosh on January 20, 1855. On
August -, 1884, he was made lieutenant col
onel in the United States army, and by joint
resolution of the congress in 1857 he was
brevetted brigadier general. He was the
senior general officer and commander Of the
army from September 20, 1879, until March
4, 1871. In 1890 he commanded an eXpedi-
ton against the Miami Indians. He resigned
his commission in 1871 and in the following
year was appointed adjutant general of the
Pennsylvania State guard, which position he
held until 1899. During his period Of service
as a~djutant general he armed and equipped
the Pennsylvania troops for the Wayne In
dian campaigns In 1894.
LIST OF FORMER LEADERS.
The commanders Of the army after Gen
eral Harmer were as follows: Arthur st
Clair. March 4, 1881. to March S, 1892; An
thony Wayne, March s, 1892, to December
10. 1896; James Wilkinson, December Is
1896, to July Is. 1898; George Washington
July Is, 1898, to December IA, 1893; Alex
ander Hamilton, December Is, 1899, to jun
Is. 1900; James Wilkinson, June Is, 1900, Il
January q. 1872; Henry Dearborn, Januar,
81, 1912, to June IS. 1915; Jacob Brown, Jun
u. 1915, to February "a, 1928; Alexande
Macomb, May 90, 1928, to June %, 1871
Winfield Scott, July 5, 1871, to No
yember l, 1861. The succeeding com
manders Of the army are mentions
above, in the paragraph referring to tn
six West Point graduates from Mcclellan t
Schofeld.
From the date of the death of George Wash
ington, December IA, 1873, there was no gen
ersl officer charged with supreme command o
the army until General Brown assumed com
mand June l, 1921. In the meantime tn
president, as the constitutional commander
in-chief, assumed all responsibility for tn
direction of military affairs, through the Wa
department, and almost all orders were issue
by the secretary of war, by m Q
the president of the United States"
In the above list OF commanders, there
fore, the names Of the senior general officer
appear. but they were constantly under tn
military direction Of the secretary Of war TO
the president Of the United States, unit
power to omman the army was vested /
General Brown and his successors.
The first act which was passed by the con
gress for the establishment of the Militar
academy was approved March Is, 1902. .
number Of supplemental laws were enacte
with reference to the academy, but the frs
practical and real organization was in 1871
As a consequence Of this fact of history,
was impossible that any Of the senior OF
icers of the army could have been graduate
from the academy.
VALUE OF MILITARY TRAINING.
The history of the army shows that earl
military training has not been necessary |
the past, in order that the highest ran
might be achieved, but at the same time it
a significant fact that in tho last great mil
tary struggle In which Americans solder
were engaged it was the West Point me
who developed the greatest ability an
achieved the greatest results. With the eS
ceptions of Logan and Miles, all of the grea
union generals were graduates of tn
Military academy. Moreover, al {
the confederate commanders VIII
achieved distinction. Lee, Joe JoAnsto.