The morning times., 1896-02-29
RECORDS NOT AvAILABLE.

hECORDS MOI "A A / LA BILE.
The original bin introduced has had the
effect of calling our attention 10 the large
number Of officers, both retired and active,
who served during the civil war, many OF
whom were taken into the Regular Army
from the volunteers, because of their gal
lantry and merits. The record of the
service OF Colonel Gordon. produced from
the War Department, shows the arduuus
character OF the service, which has no
doubt been performed by many.
To obtain like detailed records as 10
each Of.these officers would be absolutely
impossible. II suffices To say that Of the
Il colonels, appearing in the army regis
ter, only one, staff officer, did not serve
in the war. The same is true of the 81
lieutenant colonies. or the 2C9 ma jors,
$50 served in the civil war, including all
officers OF the line, except one each in
cavalry and infantry, the other exceptions
being staff appointments.
There are 20 veteran captains in the
staff, 80 in the 10 regiments of cavalry,
36 in the 8 regiments of artillery, and ! 27
in the 25 regiments OF infantry, all of
whom likewise served in the war. No less
than eleven war veterans are still first
infantry. or the higher grades, about
half were volunteers in the war. or the
captains and lieutenants, almost all were
taken for their merit from the volunteer
regiments OF the Army, the few excep-
tons being in the artillery, where the
promotions appear TO have been slower
than in the other branches.
II is impossible TO think without emotion
that veterans of the war, after forty years
service, should still be captains or lieu
tenants, who, after years OF danger and
hardship, constant devotion TO the service
OF their country, and many OF them with
honorable wounds, should he retired for
age at the small pay that is received by
retired officers of that grade.
CANNOT DISTINGUISH.
We must presume that such retirement
will soon take place in all these cases. No
man could have been of age for service
during the civil war, which began thirty
five years ago, without being now OF an age
which would render his retirement com
pulsory within the next few years.
Among such large number of officers,
many promoted from the volunteer army,
it would be probably invidious and GER
as to the quality of their services. All
have done their duty as it has fallen to
their lot. Those who have been in the
regiments which have been the most active
in service. have likewise had the most active
promotion, as the men who are unable 10
stand hardship have fallen out and retired.
The indiSpositi0n of Congress to legislate
specially in this class of cases is shown by
the fact that the only officers now APP
peaTing i'm the list who were retired by
special acts of Congress, embrace two
brigadier generals, three colonies, three
ajors. seven captains and two first lieu
tenants The acts date from 1873 to 1894
One of these bills was debated several
sessions.
Neither the committee nor the House
have the time or tie pIorer facilities 10
institute q searching and careful investiga
tion Of All these cases and 10 select those
which are the most deserving. SpecialbiIis
for that purpose are likely TO come before