Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-06-05
COLONEL COOSSON RETIRED
The Commander of the WASHINGTON Bar
racks Closes His Active Service.
Record of Which He Has Reason
to Be PrOud-PrOmofions That
Will Follow.

Col. Henry w. Closson, fourth artillery,
commanding the artillery post at Washing
ton barracks, d. c., ends his active career
in the army today. He will be siXty-four
years of age tomorrow, and the operation
of law places him on the retired list. His
retirement makes the following promotions
in the artillery branch of the service:
Lieut.. Col. Francis l.. Guenther of the fifth
to be colonel of the fourth; Maj. William
Sinclair of the second to be lieutenant col
onel of the fifth; Capt. Edward Field of
the fourth to be major of the second; First
Lieut.. Harry r. Anderson of the fourth to
he captain of the fourth; Second Lieut..
Wilmot E. Ellis of the fifth to be first lieu
tenant of the fifth, and Additional Second
Lieut.. Brooke Payne of the fourth to be
second lieutenant of the fifth.
Col. Guenther is stationed at the Preside
OF San Francisco, but is at Honolulu at
present on leave of absence. Until his as
sumption of his new duties colonel of
the fourth artillery Maj J. b. Rawles, the
senior officer of that regiment will be in
command of the garrison at the Washing
tor barracks.
Col. Blossoms Record.
Col CICsson has a record of which he has
reason to be proud. He entered the Mill
tary Academy from Vermont September l.
1850, and was @ppCinted a second lieuten-
ant OF artillery July /. 1854. His first SER
vice was with the first artillery at Fort
Yuma, Cal. In November, 1S55, he was on
escort duty with Lieut.. MichIer's boundary
survey, after which he vas engaged in the
operations against the L;pan Indians in
Texas After short service at Baton
Rouge he was transferred to Florida. where
he took part in the hostilities against the
Seminole Indians in 1881. He next served
successfully dr. Fort Adams RI, in Texas
at Fort Taylor, Fla, until May, 1861. when
he was ordered to Fort Pickens, Fla. where
he was engaged during the bombardment
1862
Since that date is service is recorded at
the War Department as follows:
During and Since the War.
Chief of artillery of the district of Pen
sacoIa May 16 to December "a. 1852; COM
manding battery al Baton Rouge. La, De
cember -, 1SG2, to March 49, 1868; on Teche
campaign, Department of the Gulf, in COM
mand of artillery of Gen. Growers division,
nineteenth corps, March to August, 1861
being enga ged in slirmish at Grand Lake
Landing April Is, 1STi: action of Irish
Bend. April IA. 1855; skirmish at Vermilion
Bayou, April Il, 1853. and siege of Port
Hudson, May "a to july 5. 1853, including
the assaults of May ~ and June IA, 1863;
on leave of absence, August to October,
1863; chief of artillery of the nineteenth
army corps, October 1, 1868, to July 81,
1864; in Red river campaign. being engaged
in the action of Sabine Cross Roads April
$, 1SGl; battle OF Pleasant Hill, April 49,
1864 and action of Crane River Crossing
April 80. 1871; chief of artillery in the Mo-
bile expedition in August, 1864, being en-
gagged in the siege of Fort Gaines, August
~. 1864 and siege of Fort Morgan, August
1923, 1864: chief of artillery and of ord
nance of the cavalry corps, in the field, of
the middle military division, November !
to December 81, 1864; inspector of the horse
aVtI 1ts.F lNF.tP 10 ,ril
commanding battery at Winchester Va
April to July, 1866; at Fort McHenry, Md.
TO October, 1Si5; Fort Schuyler, n. Y, to
June, 1866 and Fort Porter, n. Y, to Au-
gust, 1855; on recruiting service to January,
lStjS; with regiment at Fort Hamilton, n.
Y, on leave May to August, 1868, to No
vember, 1872; a Savannah, Ga, to Decem-
Der, 1919; at Plattsburg barracks, to Octo-
ber, 1876; at Edgefield, $. c., to November
1876. at Tallahassee, Fla, to December
1876; Plattsburg barracks, n. Y, to jan
uary, 1871; at Barrancas, Fla, to June,
1879, and at Atlanta, Ga, to July 1, 1879;
on leave to October 30, 1879; commanding
Fort Barrancas, Fla, to June 1850; Little
Rock barracks, Ark, to November $780,
Fort Barrancas. Fla, to November, 1881 :
Fort Niagara, n. Y, to September, 1882;
command of regiment and Fort Adams
n. Y, to May, 1889; Fort Mcpherson Ga,
to May, 1888, and Washington barracks
d. c., to date.
Brevets fer Gallant Service.
He was brevetted major July 8, 1863, for
gallant and meritorious services at the
capture of Port Hudson, and was brevetted
lieutenant colonel August "A, 1854, for gal
liant and meritorious services at the cap
ture of Fort Morgan, Ala. He reached the
grade of colonel of the fourth artillery
April -, 1SSs, and has been in command of
the Washington barracks since May 1893
a
a member of the board of ordnance and
fortilications
INDIAN SCHOOLS.