Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1898-07-14
Rank In the
Army and Navy.

Inc documentary principles or mill
tary rank are known to most well in.
formed people. They are aware that a
colonel commands a regiment; a brga-
der general. several regiments. or n
brigade; major general, several bril-
gades, or a division; a lieutenant gem
eral, several divisions. or u corps, and a
general, strictly speakir.. an army,
though the United States has had many
armies, but only few full generals.
Naval rank is not so generally under
stood by the majority of people, though
the main principle is the same. 1t will
be of considerable assistance to remem-
Der that miltary and naval rank corre-
spends in this way:
Admiral (when the office is created)
to general
Vice admiral (when the office Is cre-
atedD to lieutenant general
Rear admiral to major general
Commodore to brigader general
Captain to colonel.
Commander to lieutenant colonel.
Lieutenant commander to major.
Lieutenant to captain.
Lieutenant junior grade to first lieu
tenant.
Ensign to second lieutenant.
Considering only the two highest
grades now actually held. the number
oG officers in each since 1852 until Dew
cy's promotion for his victory at Manila
has been six rear admrals and ten
oommodores. The present rear admi-
rails in order of seniority are:
Joseph n. Miller, commanding Pacific
station, retires Nov. 90. 1895
Montgomery Sicard. president of the
board of strategy, retires Sept. 30. 1898.
Edmund O. Matthews. president OF
the examining and retiring board, re-
tires oct Il, 1898.
Charles S. Norton. commanding Wash
inston navy yard. retires Aug. TO- 1898.
Francis VI. Bunce commanding Brook
| Ign navy yard. retires Dec. 25 1898.
Officers of the navy may be retired on
their own application after 40 years
service, and those above the rank OF
| lieutenant commander must retire upon
| their reaching the age of g.. All Off =
ccrs are naturally retired at any age for
| physical or mental disability. The pay OF
| retired naval officers H. three quarters
of sea pay of the rank they held at the
| time of retirement. At sea a rear adj
miral receives $4,000 a year, on shore
| duty $1,000 and on leave or waiting
orders $4,000 Commodores are paid
81 600 less in all three lines of employ
| ment.
Retired officers of the navy cannot be
| assigned to active duty except in time
| of war; and the purpose of the admin
/ istratiun so far has been not to assign
retired officers in the army or navy to
| field or sea duty. but to let these posts
| Of danger be held by those still on the
active list. OF course such work as the
| command of the mosquito fleet along
! the coast is excepted. This has been
given to Admiral Erben. who was re-
| tired four years ago.
| Until the second year of the civil war
| tho highest naval rank was that of
| captain, though generally the title of
| commodore was given to a flag officer
! who commanded a squadron. In 1862
the rank of rear admiral was created
by congress, and to this grade We're APP
pointed Farragut and three other active
cautains and about a dozen retired cap
tains. In 1864. for his capture Of Mobile
| and subsequent successes. Farragut was
| appointcd To the newly created rank OF
vice admiral, and later ID. ID. Porter and
stephen c. Rowan were given the same
rank.
| After the war ended congress went a
step further and made the grade of adj
miral and to this grade promoted Far
ragut and Porter. There was a specia
provision of the laws creating 1dmrals
and vice admirals which caused the
grades to die with the men holding
them. When Porter and Farragut va
Gated their commissions as vice to ac-
ccpt the higher office. it left Rowan the
only holder of the second place. and
upon his death in 1890 the office lapsed
Farragut died in 1870, leaving Porter
sole possessor of the commission of full
admiral. and upon his death in 1891 both
grades were vacated until congress shall
lrevive them perhaps for the heroes OF
,b