Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1898-05-05
TEN NEW GENERALS.
The President Has Decided to
Name Them.
TAKEN FROM ARMY AND CIVIL LIFE
Brief Sketches Ofthe New Commanders
Of the Volunteer Army-Fitz
Hugh Lee Gets a Major
Generals Commission.

w lOll3 va u AZ p SANaSAN
is ready TO send to the senate ten
nominations for major generals. OF
these five are appointments from the
regular army and five are from civil
life to command volunteers. They are:
From the army-W. r. Shafter, of
Michigan; Elwell S, Otis, of New
York; John j. COppinger, of New
York; Henry C.. Merriam, of Maine;
James f. Wade, of Ohio.
From civil life-James II. Wilson,
of Delaware; Joseph Wheeler, of Ala
bama; Fitzhugh Lee, of Virginia;
George r. Snowden, of Pennsylvania;
Charles +. Roe, of New York.
Granville NJ. Dodge, of Iowa, had
been selected by the president for
the senior major general from civil
life. He called at the White House
and explained that it would be inn
possible for him to accept Immediate
ly, on account of his duties in con-
nection with certain interests. Gem
eral Dodge is connected with the Tex
as Pacific and other roads. When he
had heard the explanation, the presi-
dent said:
81 can see that you ought not to ac-
cept, general, and l am very sorry for
It,"
The matter was left so that if Gen.
eral Dodge can find the way open to
take a major generalship later on he
will receive it. The ten selections do
not complete the list. Several vacan-
cies remain.
General Wilson was on General
Grants staff. He is well known in
the West as a railroad builder His
home is in Wilmington, Del.
Joseph Wheeler is representative
from Alabama. He was a major gen.
eral of cavalry in the Confederate
army.
George r. Snowden and Charles F.
Roe are major generals of the nation
al guard of Pennsylvania.
Fitzhugh Lee will probably be NOM
mated. If occasion shall arise for his
services in a civil capacity in Cuba he
can be sent there Notwithstanding his
military appointment.
Another eX-COnfederate is under
consideration for appointment as ma
jOr general or brigader general. He
is ex-senator NJ. G. Butler, of South
Carolina.
Not one of the five officers of the
regular army to be promoted to a
major general is a graduate of the
United States military academy. In
fact, of the three major generals of
the regular army, and six brigadier
generals, there is but one West Point
en- in the lot, and that is Major Gem
eral Merritt, now commanding the
department of the Atlantic:
General Otis came into the regular
army from the volunteers, as did all
the general officers commanding the
line, except Generals Merritt and
Wade. The latter, son of the late
Senator Wade, of Ohio, was appointed
a lieutenant of cavalry in 1861. Otis
came into the volunteers as captain
Of the Fourteenth New York infantry
in 1862. On the reorganization of the
regular army, July %, 1866, New York
was entitled to one brigadier general,
two colOnelcies and two lieutenant
cOlonelcies. Slocum, the commander
of the famous Twelfth corps, that
never lost a color or a gun, got the
brigadier generals star. Daniel E.
Sickles got the colOnePs commission,
and Otis one of the lieutenant colo
nelships. As he had never held higher
rank than lieutenant colonel of vol
unteers, there was no little surprise
among New York's 100000 volunteers
who went through the war when they
heard who had won one of the two
great military prizes of the regular
army. Otis was good officer, but he
was mustered out before the war
ended, as his was a two years regi-
ment, which made his elevation all
the more surprising But Thurlow
Weed was alive then, and the albany
regency" was very much in evidence.
He was promoted from colonel of the
Twentieth infantry to brigadier gem
eral in November, 1898.
John }. Coppinger is an Irishman
by nationality. When a very young
man, through the influence of a very
prominent Catholic prelate, Coppin-
ger received an appointment in the
papal guard, the bodyguard of the
pope at Rome. He was there five
years. There is no better place to
learn ones duty as a soldier, but Cop
pinger knew he could never be an of
ficer, and no one can hold rank in the
papal bodyguard who is not of noble
blood. In 1861, when Archbishop
Hughes returned from Rome, where
he had gone on a confidential mission
at the earnest request OF President
Lincoln, to induce the pope to lend his
influence through the Roman Catho-
lie hierarchy of the United States in
favor Of the war. eminently success
full, he brought with him twelve Irish
gentlemen, all trained in the papal
guards. and asked permission for
their enlistment in fha ra0ular arpnv