The San Francisco call., 1898-04-03

make the head of the army a lieuten- ant-general, and the three Senators who voted in the negative were Sena- tors Bate, Cockrell and Pettus, all from Southern States.
 Major-General Miles became the head of the army iowa the end of 1895. and the proposition to make him a lieuten- ant-general was brought before Con- gress early in 1S96 General Joseph R. Hawley of Connecticut was chairman of the Senate Committee on Military Affairs, and he sent a copy of the joint resolution to MT. Lamont, then Secre- tary of War. Senator Hawley requested Secretary Lamont to give the commit tee his opinion on the bill.
 In his reply Secretary Lamont, after recalling the fact that but six men had held the title of lieutenant general in the history of the nation said:
 Tn no instance has an officer attained this rank until he has commanded the whole of a separate army in battle and active campaign. The grade has been revived three times since it's first cre- ation, always with the object of con- ferring complimentary rank upon gen. erals who had rendered eminent and distinguished services or those most distinguished for courage, skill and ability in war"
 As for the major generals of recent times. Secretary Lamont wrote: "The present major generals of our army at- tained brilliant regulations for gall lantry while commanding subdivisions of army corps during the late conflict, and have added to their laurels since by the efficient performance of arduous services on the frontier, but it is no re- fection upon those excellent officers to say that the services they have so far rendered are not of that exalted char acter that has hitherto been regarded as prerequisite to the advancement now proposed"
 This opinion of Secretary Lamont evidently prevailed with the members of the Fifty-fourth Congress, for the Joint resolution was passed in neither branch, although it made some pro- gress In the House Since that time, however, the distinguished services performed by General Miles have come to be better understood, and there is a strong feeling that the present head of the. army will be a lieutenant-general before the expiration of the present session, Secretary Alger's earnest ad- vocacy of the joint resolution is cer- tain to have a marked effect, and Gen. eral Miles admirers in the army are losing no opportunity to press forward the project.
 In whatever light one chooses to view the matter. General Miles is a most interesting personality. He won the confidence of the principal men In the Civil War by his conduct during the four years conflict, and he since has made worldwide reputation as fearless Indian fighter. He has the manner of a successful business man when out of his uniform, and is every inch the soldier when engaged in any military function. He is quiet, firm and resolute. and at all times most gen. tlemanly. To the casual observer Gen. eral Miles appears to be man who has had successful business career, rather than a man who had been fighting for two-thirds of his active life and who has recovered from four serious bullet wounds.
 One effective answer is given by the friends of General Miles to those per- sons who oppose making him a lieu enant-general on the ground that he did not attain to sufficient prominence in the Civil War. That answer is that no man, either in the Civil War or in any other conflict, attained to the dis tinction at the age of 26 years that Miles won under Grant. When this of ficer'S age is kept in mind,- what he did from 1861 to 1865 becomes most con- spicuous.
 He was not quite 22 years old when Fort Sumter was fired upon, and was then employed in a store not far from Boston He had come into the pos session of 5000, and promptly devoted this money to organizing a company of volunteers. He succeeded in borrow ing $2500 more from relative, giving his personal note as security. With this money young Miles equipped his company, was elected as it's captain, and made all arrangements to go to the front But the Governor of Massa- chusetts. learning the age of the young captain, refused to issue a commission to him. Instead he made Miles lieu tenant, and in that capacity he joined the Federal forces.