Evening star., 1898-05-06
THE NEW MAJOR GENERAL S
Records Of the Men Who Will Command the
Volunteen
Sketches Of Their Career-Four
ed With Credit DsrInG Late War.

appointed by the President and confirmed
by the Senate are given In the following
sketches:
Fit.huGh Lee.
Maj. Gen. Fftzhu9h Lee 10 a nephew Of
Gen. Robert E. Lee and a grandson OF Col.
| Henry Lee, the revolutionary commander.
He was born at Clermont Fairfax county,
Va. on November 1a 1896 and was grad
| lated at West Point in 1885, He was Sc
verely wounded In a fight with Indians.
and In May. 1850. he " as ordered to report
! at West Point as instructor OF cavalry.
At the beginning OF the civil war In 1861
| he resigned his commission in the United
states army and entered the confederate
service At first he was placed on staff
dIty and was a6jutant general of Ewells
brigade until September. 1891. when he
made lieutenant colonel OF the LIST Virginia
cavalry. and later was promoted TO the
rahk OF colonel. July IS lSsa. he was
made brfgadier general. and September g.
1853. he was appointed major general In
' the battle OF Winchester. September TO-
1854. three horses were shot under him and
he was disabled by a severe wound which
Kept h.fn from dLty for several months. In
March 1855. he was placed I'm command OF
the whole cavalry corps OF the army of
northern Virginia. and month later he
surrendered to Gen. Meade at Farmville
after which he retired to his home in STAFF
| ford county.
In 1885 was elected governor OF Virginia
In April, 1875, he was appointed by Presi-
dent Cleveland collector OF internal reve-
nue., and In April, 1885, consul general at
Havana, in which position he remained
Until near the end Of March. ISIS.
Joseph wheeler.
MAJ. Gen. Joseph Wheeler was born in
Augusta, Ga. in September. 1896. and WAS
graduated at West Point in 1859. He
| served "a a lieutenant Of cavalry in New
Mexico but resigned in 1851 and becar,e q
| lieutenant OF artillery in the confederate
army. He passed successfully to the COM
mand of a regiment. brigade division and
army corps. and from 1862 until the close
or the rebellion commanded the cavalry
corps OF the western army.
William J. scweIl.
Major General William J. Sewell was
born in Ireland in 1S45. At the outbreak
| of the civil war he entered the army as
captain Of the 5th New Jersey Volunteers.
He served throughout the war and was en-
| gagged in many OF the great battles. being
wounded at Charlottesville and Gettye-
burg.
He gained the brevet of brigadier general
for his services at Chancellorsville and at
the cessation OF hostilities was made ma jor
general in reward for gallant services
throughout the war.
In 1872 he entered political life and was
Camden
receiving the compliment of reelection in
| 1878 and 1873. In 1876. 1879 and 1880 he
was president of the state senate and
while holding that office in 1881 he was
elected to the United States Senate as the
successor Of Theodore g. Randolph. for the
term of six years. In 1895 he was again
elected to the United States Senate, his
term expiring In 1901
james H. Wilson.
Major General James H. Wilson was born
| in southern Illinois in September 1887 ana
| was graduated at the Military Academy I'm
| 1860. His career In the Engineer Corps was
interrupted by the rebellion, during which
| he made brilliant record a volunteer
| and had attained the rank Of major general
| at its close. although not yet twenty-seven
| years OF age. He was at the capture OF
| Fort Pulaski. the battles OF South Noun
1 tain and Antietam. the campaign against
| Vicksburg and the battle Of Chattanooga
He commanded q cavalry division I'm the
Army Of the Potomac in 1864 distinguished
himself In the battle Of the Wilderness,
and subsequently In Thomas campaign In
| the west. He was one Of the most active
of Shermans lieutenants in the march to
| the sea and wound up by capturing JEFF
| Davis. In July. 1885, he was commissioned
lieutenant colonel Of the 35th Infantry, but
left the service in December, 1870 and has
| since been actively engaged In railroad and
engineering operations.
John J. COppineer.
Major General John J. Coppinger was
| born In Ireland In 1895 and was not nat.
| turalized in this country until 1891. Hc
Joined the Papal Guards to fight against
Victor Emmanuel. He came TO America
with letters from Archbishop Hughes. and
| in 1861 was made captain Of the 14th In
| fantry. At the close of the war he was
colonel of the 18th New York Cavalry.
| He was commissioned brigadier general by
| President Cleveland in April. 1895.
Joseph C. Breckinridxe.
Major General Joseph C. Breckenridge is
! the youngest son of the Rev. John Breck-
| inridge of the celebrated Kentucky family
| Of that name. He was born in Baltimore
| in June, 1S42, and was graduated from the
University of Virginia In $780, He entered
the Union army in 1890 and was engaged
| In the campaigns OF Kentucky and Tennes~
see ending with the advance on Corinth.
He was promoted to a first Meutenancy In
1853. and served in Florida and afterwards
through the Atlanta campaign with his
battery until July. 1854. when he was taken
prisoner before Atlanta. In September he
was released end served during the re-
mainder OF the war. In 1889 he became
| inspector general with the rank of brigadier
general.
Elwell o. Otis.
Major General Elwell 9. Otis was born in
Frederick city. Md. March 25. 1885, At
twenty years OF age he was graduated at
| the University of Rochester. At the out
break Of the war he entered the volunteer
service.
In 1864, while in command Of a brigade,
he was severely wounded in the vicinity
Of Petersburg. Va He left the army with
the brevet rank OF brfgadier general. He
re-entered the service as lieutenant colonel
and was made a brigadier general In Mo-
vember, 1893.
William NJ. Graham.
Major General William M. Graham was
born in the district of Columbia in Septem-
ber, 1894. He entered the service as seq
ond lieutenant of the % Artillery in June,
1855 He was brevetted major for his gall
lantry in the peninsular campaign and lieu-
tenant colonel at the battle Of Antietam,
end brigadier general for gallant and mer-
itorious services during the war. He was
made brigadier general In May, 1897
Henry c. Merriam.
Major General Henry c. Merriam was