The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-09-05
CL0US, SOLDIER LAWYER.
SOMETHING AMOUR THE RECORDER
OF THE HAHANA COMMISSION.

"a NAo hAN
to Arrange for the Evacuation of Cuba
His Brilliant Services and His Modesty.
Because OF the particular duties which he
has been directed to perform. nobody will have
moro to do with the work OF the Cuba Military
Commission than Lieut.. Col. John w. Clous.
q Deputy Judge Advocated General Of the
army and Judge Advocate OF the Department
OF the East. Early In July Lieut,-Col. Clous
was temporarily relieved OF his department
work to serve as Judge Advocate on the stan
OF Gen. Miles In Porto Rico. Shortly after the
personnel Of the commission had been decided
upon Lieut.. Col. Clous wns appointed secre-
tary and recorder TO the commission, and tele-
graphic orders we're sent to him Mt Ponce to
report to the War Department as soon as pos
slble.
1t so happened that about the time he re-
ceiyed the order Mr.. and Mrs. Alexander Van
Rensselaer, Of Philadelphia we're about TO sail
for the United States on their yacht May. They
invited Lieut.-Col. Clous to be their guest for
the voyage. The May arrived at Fort Monroe
on Sunday. Aug. %. Lieut.. Col. Clous. on being
put ashore. proceeded to Washington. received
his final instructions. and then came TO New
York. arriving at his home on Governors ISL
and on Monday. His orders were to sail for
Havana with the members OF the commission
on the Resolute. It may not now be reveal
ing State secrets to tell Just how Lieut.. Col.
Clous was selected for this work,
Before the selection was made tho President
realized that the man for the place should be
q lawyer with an especial knowledge OF inter-
national and military law. He also understood
the fact that the man selected for the place
might naturally become Judge Advocate Gen.
eral Of the army OF occupation In Cuba. and.
therefore. it was necessary that one OF the
Deputy Judge Advocated Generals OF the army
should be chosen. After advising with those
who should know about such things. the Pres
ident promptly selected Lieut-Col. Clous for
the place. and the Secretary Of War issued an
order detaohing him from Gen. Miles's staff
and ordered him to GO to Cuba.
II one would learn something Of Lieut.-Col.
Clous's career he must obtain It by piecemeal
and from "reminiscences from army officers who
know him. II you ask him to talk OF himself
he will say:
MY friend. my affairs and what I have done
are OF no interest and OF no concern to the pub
lilo. We will now II you please, talk Of more in
teresting subjects"
II the word Of his brother officers may be
taken. therefore. John W. Clous is a unique
figure in the United States Army. A civil en-
Rineer by education. a soldier by preference
and a lawyer by profession. there is said to be
no officer in the army whose career has been
more interesting and varied than has his. He
was born In Kiel. Germany. In 1887. His father
was a civil engineer, we'll known through north
ern Germany. From the time young Clous
entered the gymnasium he was destined to
follow his fathers profession. When no had
completed his preliminary studies he was sent
to the Polytechnic Institute at Carlsruhe. There
he showed particular ability az a mathemati-
clan and skill IA adrauRhtsman. He was eradu-
ated with honors. and entered his fathers
office.
That was in the latter part OF 1857. Stories
Of the untold wealth in the gold mines OF CAL
ifornia had found their way to Germany for
nearly ten years. and no one there was more
Interested in what he heard and read than the
young civil engineer. He finally decidedt to come
to America and seek a fortune in California.
With his technical education and some money
he sailed for the United States and reached Cali
fornia early in 1853. The gold fever was not at
its height then. but neither had It entirely
abated. and young Clous found employment as
an engineer and plenty OF chances to invest his
money. One Of these he accepted. and. like
many another young Spectator Of the times.
he lost all he had.
When the young engineer found himself
without any capital except that which he
carried In his head. the echoes Of the guns at
Sumter had hardly died away. In the Ger
man Polytechnic School young Clous had re-
ceived military training. and he had often re-
GREETED that he had not followed the career OF a
soldier instead Of that OF a civil engineer. The
civil war was his opportunity. and as soon as he
could get to a recruiting office he enlisted and
was assigned to the Sixth United States Infan-
try. There were many things that were I'M
pleasant about serving in the ranks. but the
young recruit had no complaints to make. He
kept his own counsel and had no idea OF re-
naming a private.
His regiment was made u part Of the Army
OF the Potomac. and 1t was not long before the
young man attracted the notice OF his COM
mandlnR officer. In 1852 he was made ReRi-
mental Quartermaster. Tho battle OF Malvern
Hill came on. and it was reported to the Cen
eral In command that o detachment Of our
forces had run out OF ammunition. An ammu-
milton train must be sent at once or the troops
{ESou IdI be in danger e al an thd sGbna To get to
the ammunition train would have to pass
PLACES whSre IT. would be raoksd BY an ertIlsd.
train to the point where II was needed. Young
Clous was the FIRST volunteer. and he was In
was warned oftRe danger and told that even a
small shell from the enemy's guns exploding
eyer1ybody conneoted with Il. ''O'a'
he went, but the train reached, the troops in
time; and Tie young RegimentalQ uartermester
that for this act and for his "p%raiseworthy con-
Potomac from Chickahominy to the James
River" he was appointed by tho President a
Second Lieutenant in the regiment In, which he
was serving. Clous served all through the war
and came ont a Captain Of Volunteers. In 1866.
q the especial REQUEST Of Maj3r-Gen. Daniel E.
Slckles, Capt, Clous was detailed as Adjutant-
General for the Department Of South Carolina.
OF which Gen; Sickles was the commsnder.
Of that department into the Second Military
district, with headquarters at Charleston.
what Is now the Twenty-fourth United States
Infantry, no was relieved. at his own request,
from duty as Acknowledgement and joined his
The building OF the Union Pacific Railroad had
begun, and 1t was necessary that the laborers
Indians. Capt. Clous's company was detailed
TO act as guard and escort to the construction
forces. In 1883. when Gen. Sheridan started
on q winter campaign against the hostile In
dian tribes In the Southwest. Capt. Olous was