New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-05-30
FRANCIS VINTON GREENE.

Pr,padicr-General Francis Vinton Greene en-
tered the military service as a cadet al west
Point nearly tnirty-two years ago. and with
the exception Of short interval between HIS
resignation from the Army and his entrance
e. ,,a National Guard he has been continu-
ou.ly IN the military service during this entire
time He was graduated from West Point, at
Tho head of his class in 1870. and was appoint
"A saco,d lieutenant in the 4th Regiment OF
ar,u,erv His regiment was then stationed IN
tho South and before he twenty-one years
o,d he had command Of detachment or forty
men partly from his own regiment ana parity
from, the 7th Cavalry and with this detach-
,nent he passed nearly two years service IN the
mountain region of North Carolina, engaged IN
s..,s,ing the officers Of the United states courts
IN enforcing the United States laws In 49,
he was transferred TO the Corps or Engineers
and assigned to duty with the international
Commission for marking the boundary line along
the northern border of the United States from
the Lake Of the Woods to the ROCKY MOUNTAINS
TIE next four years were spent on the "es'e'"
plains in surveying and marking THIS oouhoaiS
line. During one winter he was left IN COM
mand OF the field force OF the survey ior 'ii0
purpose OF marking the boundary line through
ninety miles OF swamp. which was entirety i'i'
penetrable in summer. The winter was pasSeu
g., ,ar,s although the thermometer for several
weeks was below Zero and at one time reacheo
the minimum of 81 degrees below zero
On the completion Of the boundary survey III
1916 ne was ordered TO special duty al the y" al
Department in Washington. and during 'ne 40 ,,
wear of Grants Administration occupied d C0i'
6dartjal nlaoe in the office of the Secretary OF
war and was brought into intimate relations
with President Grant and with Generals Sner-
man and sheridan and other princpai ollicet'
of the Army In 1871 ne was selecteu " -
sart the Government at the headquarters OF tle
Russian Army, during the war In turkey. nc
remained with the army throughout tne eaiii
paign present at the battles OIL Sp 1864
Pleyna and various minor engagements crOsssu
the Ralkans with GOurko. and reached Coh-
stantinople with the advance guard unoeI
SkobelefY. He received three oecorauohs I ltu,m
the Emperor OF Russia anu '"o ioi" '''S S
Of Rumania- ..oS s.varo,
After the close of the war he passed several
months as military attache to the tniteo states
Yeeation at st. Petersburg. on MS RETURN IA
1870 be wrote military history OF the war
between Russia and Turkey. which was pup
Ushed by the War Department, ana was aiso
republished in Europe ana the ialssr pp pa ~
It translated into French. German and RUSSIAN an
II was everywhere received as the STANDARD mill
tary history Of the War. For the next SIX years
he was stationed in Washington as assis'ant ~
the Engineer Commissioner IN charge or the
highways and bridges within the Distrlct OF
Columbia During this time he wrote ana pup
Iished Army Life IN Russia" and The MIS-
sissppi," being Vol. VIII Of the Scribners series
of the campaigns Of the Civil War The PROOF,
sheets of this latter book were reao IN 1ull
both to General Grant and to General sherman
prior to it's publication, and had their full ap-
proyal Since leaving the Army he has written
and published a biography OF his kinsman' cen
eral Nathaniel Greene. or the ReVoiutioIi "hici,
ia published as one of the Appleton Series OF
Great Commanders.
In 1885 he was ordered to West Point. IN
command Of Company y of the Battalion OF
engineers and also as instructor Of practical
military engineering. In 1886 he resigned from
the Army, to engage IN civil pursuits.
In 1889 he entered the National Guard on the
invitation Of General Fitzgerald. as major and
engineer of the First Brigade In 1872 he was
elected colonel, and was IN command OF the regl-
ment when it went TO Camp Black preparatory
to its departure for Florida and received high
praise for the appearance Of his command when
II arrived at Tampa