Evening journal., 1898-10-03
AN OLD MEMS WAR.
Ont Few of the Commanding Officers
in the Field To-day Are
Youthful.

This is an old mems war, so far as
the army is concerned. When the civil
war broke out, Lee, the two John
stons, Cooper, and perhaps one or two
ether men of years and rank, Joined
the confederacy, for most of these OIL
GERS were from the southern states;
a few elderly officers went into serv-
ice in the national armies, but with
rare exceptions it was the captains
and lieutenants of the regular army
who became the generals of the civil
war, and the civilians who were ap-
pointed to military command were
usually young men. Most of the gen
eral and field officers of what is known
as the old army were deemed phys
ically unavailable, and their names
are not known TO generation that re-
members well the names of scores OF
military commanders who in 1861 were
company officers or, if in civil life at
the time, were just beginning their
business or professional careers.
In 1861 the Patriarchs Of the United
States army were Sumner, aged Ga,
and Mansfield, aged So. The latter was
killed at Antietam; the former, soon
after Fredericksburg, was relieved
from service ip the field at his own re-
quest. Ormsby Mcknight Mitchell
was 80 when the war began; Hooker,
47; Meade, 46; Thomas, As; Mcdowell,
Ord and Buell., 43; Sherman, Al; Aufur,
20; Grant and Pope, 80; Hancock and
Burnside, 81; Logan and Mcclellan, 35;
Mcpherson, SO; Howard, 81; Sheridan.
80, and Merritt, 25.
Most of the general officers of the
present army we're the generals and
colonels of the regular army; few of
these are under 60 years of age. The
four original major generals of the
volunteers, appointed from civil life'
achieved high rank in the civil war.
A man who was only q when that war
closed would how be 60, so that these
commanders are over that age, for
the Youngest Of them, Gen. Wheeler
was 2s at the end of the war. Gen,
Sewall declined his appointment, pre-
ferring to remain in the senate, and
the president added TO this list But
Ter, Of South Carolina, and Kiefer, OF
Ohio. both GO; these men were not 30
years old when the civil war closed
and both of them had distinguished
themselves in that struggle.
Dandolo took Constantinople at 81
or over, and Won Moltke was over Il
at the time Of the Franco-Germar
war. Several other German officers
wero well over 60, but these must be re-
gar6ed as exceptional cases. Napoleon
and Wellington were about 45 at Wa
terloo, and most of NapoleOn's gen
erals were young men. Our officers
in the revolution were general!
young, but so were the leaders of civi
life; the active period of life seemed
then TO begin and close earlier thar
now. Scott and Taylor we're past mid
dlelife in the war with Mexico. After45i
man is liable to develop physical veal;
nesses that interfere with campaign
ing, and a man of so does not general.
take the chances that man of 80 does
and IN war many chances must b.
taken. If Gen. Shafter is to be crit
icised at all, however, it is for being
too aggressive, and not for being TO,
cautious. We do not criticise the gen
eral, but If he were to be criticised, I
would be for fault of youth, and no
for fault of age. But he is over &C
weighs over 300 pounds. and, on aC
count of trouble with his legs. is un
able for days at a time to stand. Ger
Wheeler is go, and was carried for
ward to the fighting before Santiag
on a litter, but, against the protest
of the surgeons. he insisted on mount
ing his horse when he reached tn
front. Gen. Young, also over GO, ha
been invalided home because he car
not stand the climate of Cuba. Men be
tween 30 and 40, the age of most O
the generals of the civil war, are a
present subalterns. Col. Roosevelt
who is one of the boys of this wal
must be 40 or little over.-N. Y. Con
mercial Advertiser.