The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-03-31
LAMONT'S LETTER.
vive the Rank of Lieutenant-Gem-
eral of the Army.

Why He Disapproves the Dill to Re-
vive the Rank of Lieutenant~Gcm-
eral of the Army.
WASHINGTON, March 30.-The let
ter of Secretary Lamont to General
Hawley, chairman of the senate COM
mittee or military affairs, disapprov-
ing the bill to revive the rank of lieu
tenant-general of the army, was made
public today The bill was known as
intended to confer the rank on General
Miles, now commanding the army,
though his name is not mentioned in
the correspondence. Accompanying the
letter are extracts from the military
records of Scott. Grant, Sherman,
Sheridan and Schoheld, who became
Acknowledgements: also of Generals
Miles, Ruger and Merrill, who, under
the bill, would be eligible to the grade
of acknowledgement The secretary,
after acknowledging the receipt of the
bill, says that il no instance has any
officer attained this rank until he has
successfully commanded the whole or
a separate division of the army in bat
tie or in active campaign.
THE grade has been revived always
with the object of comforting comph-
mentary rank upon generals who had
rendered eminent and distinguished
services or those most distinguished
for courage, skin and ability in war.
Five besides Washington were thus
honored, of whom four had received
the thanks of congress by name for
most distinguished military service,
while the fifth had attained the high
est regular grade thirty years before
mis- promotion, had held the chief COM
marrd of the whole regular army for
! ~ "A full fc-
charged most delicate and responsible
civil duties
Secretary Lamont refers to the re-
organization act of 1866 fixing the
strength of the army at sixty regi-
ments, and, to the fact that four years
later the force was reduced to forty
regiments, and says:
"At the time of the enactment of this
statute forbidding further promotion
to lieutenant generals, there still sur
vived on active duty several officers
who had successfully commanded the
armies or army corps during the civil
war, and as such had rendered most
distinguished service, but the power
to reward by further promotion such
men as Halleck. Meade, Hancock and
others was deliberately taken away
when 1T was enacted in 1870, during the
administration of President Grant,
that the offices then held by Sherman
and Sheridan when 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 the Indian frontier; but
II is no reflection upon these excellent
officers to say that the services they
have so far rendered are not of that
exalted character that has hitherto
been regarded as prerequisite to the
advancement now proposed.
Noting that the grade Of lieutenant
general has not been regarded as a
permanent office necessary to our army
organization and has been conferred
only upon a few of those officers who
have rendered marked services in war,
that the complimentary rank. when be-
slowed has often been withheld until
long after the demonstration of their
superior ability, and has only been
voted as q reward of great military
genius and most conspicuous leader
shin. the conclusion is reached that
whatever the merits and promise of
any officers of our peace establish
mEnt who as yet have had no oppor-
tunity to demonstrate their genius
and capacity as commanders of large
armies. by the measure heretofore re-
ouired the existing conditions do not
demand it's revival at this time.