The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1896-03-31
LIEUTENANT GENERAL
Secretary Lamont Opposed to Re-
viving the Office,
HIS REASONS CLEARLY STATED.

The Grade Has Been Conferred on Only
Six Generals, and Always TO Reward Dis
tinguished Services in Active Service
Not Advisable in Time of Peace.
WASHINGTON, March 31.-The letter Of
Secretary Lamont to General Hawley,
chairman Of the senate committee on mil
itary affairs, disappearing the bill to re-
vive the rank of lieutenant general of the
army, is made public. The bill was known
as intended to confer the rank on General
Miles, now commanding the army, though
his name is not mentioned i'm the CORE
spondence. Accompanying the letter are
extracts from the military records of Scott,
Grant, Sherman, Sheridan and Schoneld,
who became lieutenant general; also of
Generals Miles, Ruger and Merritt, who
under the bill would be eligible to the
grade of lieutenant general.
The secretary says that in no instance
has an officer attained this rank until he
has successfully commanded the whole or
Il separate army in battle and active cam
paign. He proceeds:
"The grade has been revived always
with the bbiect of oonferring compliment
tary rank upon generals who had rendered
/ eminent and distinguished service or
those most distinguished for courage skill
and ability in war. Five besides Wash
/ ington were thus honored, of whom four
had received the thanks of congress by
name for most distinguished military SER
vice, while the fifth had commanded a sep
arate army during the late war, had at
tained the highest regular grade thirty
years before his promotion, had held the
chief command of the whole regular army
for seven years and had successfully dis
charged most delicate and responsible
civil duties"
Secretary Lamont refers to the reorgan-
ization act of 1856, fixing the strength of
the army at sixty regiments, and to the
fact that four years later this force was re
duced to forty regiments, and says;
"At the time of the enactment of this
statute forbidding further promotion to
lieutenant general there still survived on
active duty several officers who had sue.
cessfully commanded the whole army
separate armies or army corps during the
civil war; and as such had rendered most
distinguished SERVICE but the power tC
reward by further promotion such mer
as Halleck, Meade, Hancock and other;
was deliberately taken away when it was
enacted in 1870 during the administration
of President Grant, that the offices ther
held by Sherman and Sheridan, wher
next vacant should not be filled.
"The present major generals of our army
attained brilliant regulations for gallantry
while commanding subdivisions of army
corps during the late conflict, and have
added to their laurels since by efficient
performance of arduous service upon tht
Indian frontiers, but it is no reflection
upon these excellent officers to say tha
the services they have so far rendered ar'
not of that character that has hitherto
been regarded as prerequisite to the ad
vancement now proposed.
Noting that the grade Of lieutenan
general has been regarded as permanen
office necessary to our army organization
and has been conferred on few of thos
officers who have rendered marked ser
vices in war, that the complimentary rank
when bestowed, has often been withheld
until long after the demonstration of thi
superior ability, and has only been voteC
as "a reward of great military genius anC
most conspicuous leadership, the conclus
ion is reached that whatever the merit
and promise of any officers of our peac
establishment, who as yet has had no op
portunity to demonstrate their genius an,
capacity as commanders of large armies
by the measure heretofore required the ez
isting conditions do not demand its re
vival at this time"