The Hawaiian gazette., 1898-08-02
Commander Who Was Called From
Editors Chair.
WAS IN The CIVIL WAR
Made a Fine Reoord-In Two Ohio
Reslments-Knew Sergeant"
Mckinley Wounded.

Brigadier-General II. G. Otis has his
headquarters on the Rio de Janeiro
which arrived Sunday morning. When
in the field he will be in command
OF the troops on the ship Rio de janet.
70, Philadelphia and st. Paul. In port
when the expedition is united, how
ever, Major-General Otis Is comman-
der over all. The Brigadier- General
is a very large man of the Shafter
type and looks like a soldier. He
wears n mustache and Imperial, both
gray.
Following Is an authoritative state
ment from the records. showing the
military service rendered by Colonel
Otis during the War of the Rebellion:
He served on the Union side through
out the entire conflict, entering as a pri-
vate and rising by successive promotions
in the field through all the Intervening
grades to that of lieutenant colonel of u.
$. Volunteers by brevet, this distinction
being conferred upon him by the Presi-
dent for gallant and meritorious SER
vices throughout the war" as his com
mission reads. This promotion. as also
that of brevet major. was given him at
the close OF hostilities upon the unsolic-
tied recommendation OF Major General X.
II. Hayes subsequently President Hayes
During his ~ months service in the
field. he took part In fifteen engagements.
received two wounds In battle, gained
seven well-earned promotions, and COM
manded his regiment while yet a captain
being at the time the senior officer pres
ent for duty).
His military service was rendered In
two of the proudest of Ohio's regiments
First, in the Twelfth Ohio Volunteers.
for three years and next in the famous
Twenty-third Ohio Veteran Volunteer
Infantry, TO which he was transferred in
1864 through the consolidation of the two
commands.
The Twelfth had its just fame pre-
served In the archives of the War Depart
ment In the form of "A battle roll en-
bracing fourteen engagements with the
enemy. with total losses In killed and
wounded acgregating 5S officers and
men. The Twenty-Third participated in
seventeen engagements, and lost I'm ac-
ton, from first to last. JG7 officers and
men killed and wounded, out of n total
enrolment of 2,03o. being more than %
per cent. The Twenty-third IL classed in
history with the celebrated "Three Hun
dred Fighting Regiments" whose mill
tary record IN given In Colonel FoX's val
liable work-"Regimental Losses in the
American Civil war, lS6i-lsG5' Of
which three hundred regiments lost over
1870 officers and men killed and MORALLY
wounded In action.
The author of the above named author
tive work says of the Twenty-third ohio: |
"A regiment remarkable for the famous |
names of its various commanders, while |
others with brilliant national regulations
also appeared on the rolls in subordinate |
capacities" It's original colonel was Will
lam H. Rosecrans: II. J.. Scarmon sue
ceeded him; Rutherford b. Hayes was the |
third colonel-cach succeeding the other |
when promoted to a higher command. |
Stanley Matthews served for u time as |
major. and subsequently became "A jus |
tice OF the supreme Court of the United |
n nh.E Il ..lxE
q. Lyon were officers in the regiment and |
later became lieutenant governors of
ohio. Russell Hastings as captain and
then lieutenant colonel served on the stan
OF General Hayes, and was desperately
at the battle of Opequon. Will
lam Mckinley, Jr., served as IA private, as
sergeant, and as "A commits
stoned officer respectively: he was brew
rted by the President, upon muster-out.
for gallant and moritorious conduct |
throughout the conflict, and Is the same |
william Mckinley who Is now President |
Of the United States.
Otis served In Rosecrans' first cam
paign In West Virginia uS6D and subse-
lucntly with the Kanawha Division,
Eighth Army Corps (SchenCk): the Army
II West Virginia; Mountain Department,
crook: the Ninth Army Corps, Army OF
The Potomac Cox and Burnside); and In
he Army of the Shenandoah. (Sheridan). |
His service ended In 1865 under Hancock, |
the middle military depart
Il
years and over he participated in the
general engagements, battles
and affairs:
Scarey Creek. w. Va. July II. 1861:
'arnifox Ferry, Sept. 10, 1861: Bun Run
Bridge, Va. Aug. "a 1862; Frederick. Md,
Sept. IL, 1862; South Mountain, Sept. II, ,
s62; Antietam. Sept. II, 1852, (wounded);
3iue sulphur Springs. w. Va, Sept 1868;
soyer,s Ferry W. Va, Nov, 1868; Mead
Nv, BLUM. w. ", Dec. II, 1863, bloody
Dicket fghD; Princeton, Va, May, 1864:
lloyd Mountain. Va, May .. 1864; New
River Bridge, Va, May To- 1864: quaker
,hurch uynchburgl, Va, June l7-ls. 1864.
Va, July 20, 1864; Kemestown. |
"a, July a, 1864. severely wounded.
lie also rendered service as a member
II various military boards. courts mar ;
ial and military commissions, and re-
'eived at the close of the long conflict |
an honorable discharge and the COM
nendation of his superior officers.
Col. Otis came to California In 1876 and
;inCc 1872 has controlled and conducted
he Los Angeles Times. As citizen |
business man and journalist, his life -
IL