The herald., 1898-07-03

OF the three regular army major-gen-
erals, Miles, Merritt and Brooke, Mer-
rift alone is q graduate from the Mill
tary Academy.
Following out the present plan the
American army will be mobilized in
seven army corps. Each corps will be
composed of three divisions, and there
will be at least three brigades in each
of these divisions. The major-generals
will command the corps and divisions,
while the brigades will be commanded
by brigadier- generals. Perhaps the
greatest interest centers about General
Merritt and his division at present, for
1t is the first time in our history that
we have had occasion to send troops
thousands of miles from our shores.
General Merritt goes to responsible
ties and difficulties such as no soldier
of the United States army has ever be-
fore been called upon to meet. 1t is
true we had military governors
during the Civil war, but their burdens
were trifling compared with those he
has gone to take up in a strange land
and amongst strange people, having
customs, language and habits widely
different from our own. The nature of
his position renders it unique and strik-
ing. No other military governor ap-
pointed by the United States has ever
had anything like the power he will
WELD in the Philippines. 1t will be alb
solute and final. No civil authority will
exist to question his acts. 1t will be as
he sees fit and as necessity demands.
General Merritt was born in New
York City, in 1886. While he was yet q
mere child, his parents moved to Illi-
nois, where the boyhood Of our military
governor in the Philippines was spent
on farm. Young Merritt entered West
Point at seventeen years of age, gradu-
ating just prior to the breaking out Of
the Civil war. He was one of the boy
generals" of that tragic struggle, cap
tain of cavalry in 1862; just one year
later he was serving as a brigadier-
general of volunteers. 1t was his gal
liant fight at Beverly Ford that won
him his rapid promotion. The newspa
pers of the period TEEN with accounts
of his bravery and courage on that oc-
casion.
He was in the Richmond campaign
of 1864, serving with Sheridan as the
latters chief officer, and with that
dashing leader he did plenty Of hard
fighting for the Union.
He was present with Grant and Sheri-
dan when Lee surrendered, and he was
one of the three commissioners appoint
ed by the government to carry out the
terms of the treaty.
At the close of the war he was mus
tered out of the volunteer service and
transferred to the permanent establish
nent as lieutenant-colonel of the Ninth
Cavalry.
In the West Colonel Merritt soon
made a name for himself as an Indian
fighter. 1t was Merritt who rescued
Thornburg's command at the time Of
the White River Agency massacre,
when the troops were being slowly but
none the less surely starved to death
and shot to pieces by the Ute Indians.
who hemmed them in on all sides.
One of the soldiers succeeded in es
Gaping the vigilance Of the savages, and
made his way to Rawlings Station on
the Union Pacific.
A telegram was sent to Colonel Mer-
rift, then in command of the Fifth Cav
airy, stationed at Fort Russell. He
hurried down to Rawlings with his men
and then there began one of the great
est cavalry marches on record. For
four days and nights the soldiers rode
almost without pause, led by their tire
less colonel.
When they reached the White River
Agency it was to find poor Thornburg
dead and his command in pitiable
plight from hunger and wounds. In
April of 1887 Colonel Merritt was made
a brigadier- general. and in 1897 a major
general.
Next in point of interest to General
Merritt and his division is the Fifth
Corps, otherwise the army of Cuban in
vasion, and it's commander.
General Shafter was farmers boy
out in Kalamazoo county, Michigan,
when the Civil war came. He enlisted
in the Seventh Regiment Of Michigan
Infantry in 1861, and was made first
lieutenant of volunteers. He distin-
guished himself at the battle Of Nash
vile, and received promotion for gal
liant and meritorious services" in the
battle of Fair Oaks, and was awarded
a medal by Congress for heroic conduct
at Piney Ridge. When the war ended
he became q part Of the permanent es-
tablishment. and did no end of rough
work and hard fighting in the various
Indian wars in the West and Southwest