The sun., 1896-09-06

A New tommlsanry-G-neraI In Few
Months-Thrre Double stare In the I.,nc.

n
Months-Thrce Double Stnrs In the Line.
WAsHISGT0N, Sept. with the Quarter
master Generals vacancy flied speculation in
the army has naturally turned to the next ap-
pointment OF BrEader- General. which will be
the one due few months hence in the Subsist-
ence Department on the retirement OF Coums-
sary-General Michael r. Morgan for age.
His successor will nnquestionably come from
the Assistant CUmmissaries- eneral. who are
five in number all but one graduates OF the
Military Academy. The senior ot them. alike
in ran, and age, is Col. Thomas c. sullivan, a
native OF Ohio. who served as n subaltern of
artillery until 1901, and then entered the Sub
sistcnce Department. In which he has ever since
remained. He received hrevets OF Major and
Lieutenant. Colonel for faithful and meritorious
services during the war. He rctires In Novcm-
bcr OF next year. or less than ten months after
Gen. Morgan. Following him is Col. W. II. Bell.
native Of Pennsylvania, who graduated two
years after Col sullivan. but retires for age
only about two and a half months later. He
served in the infantry prior to his transfer to
the Subsistence Department in 1862. and re-
ceived the brevet OF Major fer faithful nud
meritorious services In New Mexico. The next
two officers arc Lieut.-Cols. Samuel T. Cushing
and William A. Elderkin. the former n native
n: Rhode Island and the latter of New York. Of
the classes OF 1850 and 1861 respectively. Tho
former served with the infantry on graduation
and tho latter with tho artillery. Col. Gushing
Joining his present corps In ls6l and Col. Elder
kin In lS64. Each received n brevet Of Major
for faithful and mertorious services during the
war. Neither retires until 1903. Col. w. II
Nash OF Ohio was volunteer Commissary Of
Subsistence curing the war, and received the
brevet OF Major In the regular army for faithful
and meritorious services. and in the volunteers
fnr a 81 .l..I
transferred TO the regular army after the war.
and retires in 1903.
In less than three mouths after Gen. NIorgan's
retirement comes that OF Gen. Ruger. and then
both Major General and Brigadier will be
selected. The six BriEadier-Gencrals.B Brooke.
Wheaton. Otis. Forsyth, Bliss, aud Coppinger. all
have fine war records. One OF them, en- w heat
on. is probably out Of consideration as he retires
only about five weeks after Gen. Ruger. Col.
Brooke has unquestionably the advantage Inn
piled not only by seniority but by his selection
for promotion among the Coonels several years
In advance OF all others now in his present
grade. He began his career as a Captain In the
Fourth Pennsylvania Infantry during the civil
war and was breye,tcd Colonel in the army for
Gettysburg and also Brigadier- -Gencral specif.
recent battles OF the old WILDERNESS, and Spott.
eylyania Court House" and Major.ie neral OF
Volunteers for ToIopotomy and Cold Harbor
Gen. Brooke is one uf the fewer than half n
dozen officers still on the active list who have
Gen. Otis was breve,ted m % C"onsI Iei Of i Regulars
and Volunteers for Spott>ylvRnia and rtriga-
di.r-Genrral OF Volunteers for Chapel House
his retirement occnrs In lGU9 Gen. Forsyth
well known for his services on SheriJan's : siatf
retires In lsDs. He hns astrinG OF brevets up TO
Brigadier- General for gallant and mer.torious
services, including ChLckamauga the Shcnan.
doah Valley. and Five Forks. zen. u. X. Bliss.
Academy in 1854. and had a distinsusheI war
record being Dreyetted Major and Lieutenant
civil war. but one or Colonel for zeal and energy
while IN com command o. @ troops operating against
r"tires in 800. but there is no likelihood Of his
being passed oyer @ The heads Of his superior otii-
will receive the double star.
The question who VIII bs the next line Colonel
not so easy to determine The senior now, rs
Tor long time back, Is Col. ". X. Shafter. First
lnfantry' who on March viii have served
eighteen years In that grade. He has been
passed over again and again for junior officers.
but u shonld be said that some OF these have
did not enter the regular forces until tho close
of the civil war. after u previous service in tho
tenant OF Michigan infantry. He was brevet;ed
Colonel for Fair Oaks and Brlgadier. IL eneral of
volunteers for gallant and meritorlouS services
Next to him comes Col. Henry &. Merriam,
seventh Infantry. who retires in 1901. He en-
and was transferred TO the regulars after tho
close OF tho war. having received brevets for An
tietam and the Mobile campaign and also for
conspicuous gallantry at Fort BlaRely. The
third In rank on the list IL Col. Thomas NJ. An
dIsrson. commanding, the Fonrteenth Infantry.
lie entered tho regular army early In 1851 and
rose TO his present command ten years ago He
holds bEeyeis for Major and Lieutenant Colonel
AT the Wilderness and SpottsylvRniu and re-
tires in 1900 Col. H. L. A. Crofton comes next.
but can hardly be considered among probable
candidates, although tho board befors which he
was ordered At Chicago recently for possible dis
ability retirement found him not incapacitated
for service
The neEt three line Colonsls are all cavalry
Gnns,S WA Maus ns Hl .h9 fih, IN COMPTON OF ths
certainly cannot prejudice their chances con
sidering that since the promotion Of Col, For
star. Their retirsments come In 1907, 1900,
and 1898 respectively. Two Infantry Colonies
succeed them Bartlett OF the Ninth and Coch-
ran Of the sixth. II need hardly be said that
all these officers have gallant war records as
have others that succeed them. But doubtless
the names have already been mentioned here
thai viii furnish he next star,