Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-05-29

i
| accuracy In nomenclature, and have large
armies and navies, general is an officer
who commands an army of two or more
| corps; Northumberland is one who
| commands corps OF two or more d.
visions; major-general commands a d.
vision Of two or more brigades. We are
the only people who have permanent
brigadier- generals, and we are logical in
| having them. In other countries senior
| colonies command brigades, as Temporary
| brigadier-generals, and when they have
! finished their work as such they are like
| ly to be promoted major-generals. 1t is
\ the same way with the naval rank. An
| admiral commands a fleet, a vice-admiral
| the leading squadron, a rear-admiral the
| rear squadron. Commodore is simply the
| senior captain, who as such commands
| one or two vessels on detached service.
Now in the army we have a system OF
| comforting brevet rank on officers who
| have distinguished themselves. That Is,
we give them the right to be called by
| the title of a grade higher than that
which they hold. It's not a cheap honor
in the regular army by any manner of
| means, yet sometimes ii is too cheap, for
several officers now in service have de-
clined to receive brevet rank, because
their 'self-respect forbade them to do So
In the navy the only form of bTevet rank
is that to which Captain Sampson has
been subjected. The chief result of 1t is
that Sampson, instead OF flying the senior
officers pennant a blue swallow-tailed
flag, displays the same as Dewey does--a
square blue flag, with two white stars
on 1t.
We have on the active list of the army
neither general nor Acknowledgement
and on the active list of the navy neither
admiral nor vice-admiral. Sheridan was
the fourth and last general; the others
were Washington, Grant, and Sherman
T David 3. Porter was the second and last
of our admirais. His predecessors had
been Farragut, and old Stephen c. Rowan
was the third and last vice-admiral, pre-
coded in the rank by Farragut and Por-
ter.
For some reason the pay OF army officers
is higher than that of naval officers even
when the latter are at sea. Thus, a gen.
eral gets $1,000 year; an admiral, $l3, 900;
a neutenant-general, $l1 600; a vice-ad-
miral, 5000; a major-general gets $500;
a rear-admiral, $500; a brigadier-general,
$500; commodore, $500; a colonel gets
$500; captain the same; a Lieutenant
colonel gets $1,000; a commander,
$500; a major. $500; lieuten-
ant-commander, from $3.50 to 5000.
A captain In the army gets $500; lieu
tenant in the navy from 800 70 $500;
first-lieutenant in the army gets 5000;
lieutenant, junior grade. in the navy gets
from $3.50 to 5000: a second-lieutenant
gets $3.50; an ensign gets from 1920 to
81. 400. Even the cadet ar West Point
gets $40, as against 500 for the naval |
cadet at Annapolis. on shore, the navy |
pay is cut down by from one-sixteenth TO |
one-fifth. |
The insignia OF rank in the two SER
vices are the same-with difference.
All the naval officers wear foul anchors" |
on their shoulder straps and collars; apart |
from the anchor the badges are the same. |
Thus a colonel wears a silver eagle on |
his straps naval captain wears the |
same between two foul anchors. and so |
all the way down and all the way up. The |
marine officers, like their naval brothers, |
draw less pay than their army relatives.
Even when there was a brigadier-genera /
of marines, he had less than his army |
friends of equal rank.
Now, what the various duties of the
various ranks are is told here: but II must
be remembered that in our army, navy,
and marine corps. the average officer is
doing the work that belongs to a higher
grade and receiving only the pay of his
own rank; and further that when an
army officer is assigned TO duty by his
brevet rank, he draws pay as an officer
of that rank, while In the navy nothing
OF that kind ever happens. Here are the
duties on paper:
A general has no specified duties. nor
have we a general. The same state of
affairs applies TO the ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.
or-general should command a diyi-
sion. With us he has a department,
which is really the command of a lieuten-
A brigadier-genera should
command brigade OF two regiments,
but with us he has department or a
division OF anything else. The colonies
command their regiments, as rule. |
though some OF them have commands
that In other armies would be held by
of higher rank. Lieutenant
,olonels command regiments and other
senior officers commands, and so all the
way down the line.
In the navy the ranks are better differ
initiated. Flag rank is tho rank OF COM
nodore and all above 1t. "a commodore
Commands a fleet. though his rank should
dive him only squadron OF fleet; he
nav also command naval station. A
aptain commands a ship. and. as In the
ase of Sampson. feet sometimes. A