The times., 1898-11-20
AMERICAN GENERALS.
Men Who Have Commanded Our
Army Since Washington.
from the Philadelphia Press.)

The illness of Gen. Miles, commander
of the army of the United States. and
his approaching retirement in 1903, brings
into public thought the next commander
of the army.
At resignation of Gen Miles, Gen. Wes-
ley Merritt, who is the next in rank,
would succeed to the command. Gen.
Merritt is now>in charge of the army of
the Philippines.
The salary of the head or the army of
the United States is 1850 year. with
the rank of major general. His station
is at Washington. though it must be con-
fessed, he is seldom at the station. His
post is the post OF duty, and he must
constantly visit each of the eight mill
tary departments of the United States
During the recent war Gen. Miles found
ii necessary TO go to Cuba and to Porto
Rico. and If there were serious land
trouble In Manila he would visit the Phil
ippines.
From his headquarters in Washington
he keeps in constant communication with
his generals and he knows to a man.
where his regiments are stationed. the
number of men in each regiment, and
the present army duty of each.
The post OF commander of the army of
the United States is exactly 10s years old
1t was established by George Washington
in l7ss, on his Inauguration to the Presi-
dency. Previous to that time Washing
ton had himself held the post of COM
mander of the army; and, although new
er formally elected to that position. he
assumed 1t and held 1t by the unanimous
vote of the soldiers of the struggling re-
public.
After the nomination, triumphant cleo
tion and glorious inaugura tion of Wash
ington, it was suggested by the first Cab
inet "A haa La 0;nt-
ed, and Joshua Harmar took command.
Gen. Harrnar was appointed in Septem-
ber. 1883. and served 10 March. 1871. He
held the rank Of lieutenant colonel of In
fantry, the President OF the United States
being honorary general of the army.
March 4, 1871. Maj. Gen. Arthur st.
Clair was appointed, and he held the post
for one year. In 1872 Mad" Anthony
Wayne took command of the United States
troops and for four years was their lead
er.
Gen. James Wilkinson succeeded Wayne
December Is, 1896, and greatly developed
the army during the two years he was It's
head. July 3, 1928. his term having expir-
ed, Gen. Washington was persuaded to
accept the post OF army head. and ac-
cordingly he took 1t from l1es to Decem-
Der, 1879, which was the date of his death
James Wilkinson was appointed in 1900,
and for twelve years. until the beginning
OF the war of 1872, he succeeded in de,
veloping the army until. at the breaking
out OF that war, it contained a large body
of regulars, as well as several regiments
of very well-drilled volunteers.
Gen. Henry Dearborn took command in
1872 and was commander until 1915, when
he was succeeded by Jacob Brown, whose
tenure of the post was long and honor
able.
Gen. Brown was head OF the United
States army fifteen years, and it was he
VINO succeeded in introducing a regular
army uniform. Up TO this time the young
republic had not ventured to spend great
deal of money on Its men, and the sol
diers were allowed small salary, out
of which they purchased their own uni
forms. The result was. as may be i'm
agined, a collection of uniforms which,
while all of a color. were not always
alike in material.
Gen. McComb took command in 1928,
and served until 1871. q period of thirteen
years. Gen. McComb carried the army
through several Indian wars, and adopted
a new musket, which at that time was
quite a rapid-fiIing one. He also began
the study of cartridges, and he created a
sensation by inviting bids from foreign
ammunition manufacturers for the pur-
pose of properly equipping the soldiers
of the United States.
Gen. Winfield Scott was head from 1SiS
to 1861. His prosperous rule is well re-
membered in this day; and when Gen.
Mcclellan took the army of the United
States. in 1861. he found himself in charge
of splendid command Gen. Halleck
succeeded Gen. Mcclellan. in 1862 and
held the post until he was succeeded in
1864 by Gen. L. S. Grant.
Gen. Sherman commanded the United
States army from 1869 to 1884, and then
came Sheridan, from 1884 to 1885,
Gen. Schofield had the honor of follow
ing Gen. Sheridan, and in 1895 Gen. Scho-
field retired.
There is a law that no general can
command the United States army after
he has reached the age of sixty-two
years. This retires some of our best
tacticians at an age when they have ma
ture judgment and sound wisdom But
bodily fatigue is supposed TO touch them
at that age, and hence the retirement
law.
Gen. Miles, in the ordinary course of
events. will retire in 1903, but Gen. Mer-
.itt is on the retired list of 1900.