Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-07-14
and Ohio Depot at $50 A. NJ. ana rs'u'"'
,ry vii, leave Old Point at $50 r. NJ.
The Age of Military Command

(New York Journal OF Soni"'e'
This IL an old mems war so far as .nr
army IL concerned. When the INn
broke out Lee, the two Johnstohs' Soo' =,
apa perhaps one or two other me"
wears and rank. Joined the Coniene.aSs,
for most Of these officers were l'o,"
Southern States; few elderly oi'Ie
went into service in the nationai al
but with rare exceptions II was 'ne s- -
tains and lieutenants of the regular 49,,
who became the generals oil the
War. and the civilians who were appo '',,
ed TO military command were "a
Young men. Most OF the genoa "a
feId officers OF what IL known rs tine orc
ermv', were deemed physically unaVdh
ahIe and their names are not known 10
generation that remembers well the nan
~ scores of military commanders ""o -
1851 were company officers. or IL IN Sisn
life at the time, were, just beginning INV"
business or professional careers. ,,,.a
In tse, the patriarchs OF the Oh'teu
states army were Sumner aged o. On.
Mansfield. aged IS. The latter was kiiieu
at Antietam the former soon
fredericksburg. was relieved from serv,Sv
in the field at his own request. Ornisoy
Mcknight Mitchell was o. when tle
began. Hooker AZ. Meade 49, Thomas 20
McDoweu Ord and Buell. 50, sherman 81,
Aueur 40 Grant and Pope 80, HancocN
and burnside g. Logan and McClehan
* Mcpherson 80, Howard 81, sheridan 90
and Merritt 25.
Most OF the general officers OF the pres
ent army were the generals ana coloheIs
of the regular army, few OF these are
under 50 wears OF age The four original
maior-generals of volunteers appomtsu
from civil life achieved high rank IN the
Civil War. A man who was only - "uen
that war closed would now be o. SO tnu1
these commanders are over tnat age ~
the Youngest of them, General Wheelel
was Is at the end Of the VIZ. peusl a.
sewell declined his appointment, prefer
r;ng IN remain in the Senate, and the
president added 10 this list Butler, OF
south Carolina, and Keller, of ONO oo,h
60 those men were not 30 years olu
when the Civil War closed. and ootn OIL
them had distinguished themselves III
that struggle. On ..
Donaldo took Constantinople at 80 or
| over. and Won Moltke was over ~ AT nc
| time of the Franco-German war. SeVerd'
| other German officers were well over %,
but these must be regarded as eNceP'l r''u'
| cases NAPOLEON and Wellington were
ahout AZ at Waterloo, and most or Ma
| roleon's generals were young men Our
officers In the Revolution were generaily
Young. but so were the leaders OF ClNli
| life: the active period of life seemed then
| 70 begin and close earlier than now. scott
| and TAYLOR were past middle LIE IN ,ne
war with Mexico. After 40 man Is haole
10 develop physical weaknesses that inter-
fere with campaigning and man OIL ..
| does not generally take the chances lhd'
a man of 80 does. and In war many
chances must be taken. II General Shai'
ter is to be criticised at all, however. IL i
for being too aggressive and not Tor oeihs
! TOO cautious We do not criticize me
General. but if he were to be criticised II
would be for fault Of youth and not ioi
| a fault of age But he Is over 90 weighs
! over 300 pounds. and on account OF Z
trouble with his legs is unable for days az
! \ time to stand. He is now trying &c
direct the siege Of Santiago from las co.
three miles back from the front. Genera
| Wheeler is g. and was carried forward tC
the fighting before Santiago on litter
but against the protests of the surgeons
he insisted on mounting his horse whef
he reached the front General Nouns
also over GO. has been invaded home be
cause he cannot stand the climate o
Cuba. Men between 30 and 30, the age
most of the generals Of the civil war ar
al present subalterns. Lieutenant-Colone
Roosevelt, who is one Of the boys OF I'M
war. must be 40 or little over.