The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-02-12
LEI OTIS, IN COMMAND At MANILA.
He's Never Caught OF His Guard, and When
He FIghts IT'S for Keepn.

ho rights lLs TOT heeph.
MaJor-Gen. Elwell S. Otis. o.. g.. ", Military
Governor OF the Philippines. and commander
OF the United States troops In those islands.
was a man much talked about in these parts
on Monday. Though officers Of the regular
army don't go much on hero worship. 1t was
impossible tn fnd one hereabouts who hadn't
something pleasant to say about the man who
IS largely responsible for the last triumph OF
American soldiery. There are not a great
many Of the army officers stationed in New
York who know Gen. Otis personally. Since
the civil war his stations have been almost al
together in tho West. By the time q man gets
to be a BriGadier-Genera in the regular army.
however. he gets O general reputation OF one
kind or another. and Otis has q reputation
throughout the army as one OF the ablest all
around general officers In the service.
When the civil war began Gen. Otis. who was
born in Maryland. had finished his college
course and had just been admitted to the bar
In this State. He went to the front as a Cap
tain OF the 140th New York Infantry. That
was in September. 1852. In n little more than
q year he was Colonel OF the regi-
ment. and he was honorably mustered out on
Jan. -. 1855. In the following March he
was made n Brigadier-General OF Volun-
teers by brevet. During the war he was
twice brevotted for gallant and meritorious
services ut the battles Of Spottsylvania and
Chapel House. during the Penlnsular cam
paign. In July. 1886. he was commissioned
Lieutenant-Colonel of the Twenty-second In
fantry. and he served with thai regiment until
1880. when he was made a Colonel and trans
ferred to the Twentieth Infantry. In 1893 he
was made a BriGadier-General.
When the war with Spain began he was the
senior brigadier OF the army. in command OF
the Department OF Colorado. When Shafter
,-n, 1rl.r,I 80 ,r,r no a., . T. ,-na a;-
TO the Department Of California, with head
quarters at San Francisco. and there he re-
NAMED until he sailed for the Philippines In
command Of the second expedition. An officer
| who knows him well told a reporter OF THE
Sun how Gen. Otis happened to be chosen
as Gen. Merritt's chief lieutenant. The
work OF the court-martia which tried Capt.
Oberlin N. Carter. Corps OF Engineers. had Just
been completed. Gen. Otis was tho President
OF that court. having been selected both be-
cause he was a lawyer 10y profession and be-
cause he was known to have q judicial mind.
The President, imagined that the man who
was to be second In cOmmand In the Philip
zines might come into closer contact with the
spaniards than the commanding General, He
wanted a man capable Of quickly whipping into
shape the volunteers. who were in the majority
have q man recommended to him. Gen. Otis's
was the one name considered after several had
OF So strongest supporters and Gen. Otis was
selected.
has been married twice, and has two daughters
hy his first wife, who died several years ago.
One ofthe daughters is married, His second
artermaste Generals Department. Gen.
Otis moves like a very nervous man. He APP
Yet, when he has any question under cOnsid-
Grafton. he is a MAJ, OF Infinite patience and at
teristic particularly when sitting on court
martiaIs. 1t is sud Of him that he has pre-
sued over more OF these courts than any other
He is a man Of great. personal bravery and
s sttaeh aSdft To- Che T%onty IN lSnai T ThSn ne G was
ting Bull and the hostile Sioux. His head
Montana, Otis, with 1870 men. had beer. or
drred to take ur a sunply train to Gen. Milcs
erals headquarters. ON the way and while
P . t1rGHEh a E r,i OTIS and his train
braves. The Sioux chief ordered Otis to turn
over the train and surrender his co,mmand
reply, Fly chief wants these supplies. I
intend to take them 70 him. and L you don't
ct S our si Of, ,h Gn wag III rem r%mG4 iSs y yIi,os oho,t Ct,
20 one. They began to surround Otis'S little
band. leaving his train. with q few Of his men
Ia iaSttsSa d all 4ne tm"I day dHy S ittit tho b RGTt lad P Shd cS snnsGt
many others had ,emn wounded. Otis lost
about q doA"n IN killed and wounded. The
Gen. Miles.
As "A post commander. Otis was considered
the most eXac'ing man IN the army, 1t came
command. there would he the best 'policed"
o. noatest post in the department, Adcpart-
ment commander once said ofhim:
THAT man Otis spends more time scrubhing
and polishing and drilling than any other
officer in the service
Owing 10 this characteristic, he was attached
TO the lSpectOr-Grncruli Oflicc.ioT a time. and
80 eNactlng was he In tho matter OF discipline
aud personal appearances oi officers and men
that the regiments he Inspect d came 10 be
known as Otis'S lighting dHndics."
He il u man who Is always busy. A friend of
his said that Otis usually worked about
P hs 6Geia h" WnTk oR Row S @ sy Sd Ore tT Ee Eyd Ia:
Manila was, always completed each day before
nightiall, lie has q nm" library. and there.
ing me- evenings; He has never given
II was said of him that Ia j. IA let
ter International and constitutional law
Yer then many in active practice. On the