The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-11-05


fused commission as major general OF
volunteers at the beginning of the war,
and 1t is asserted that he did so with
the understanding that his hard and
faithful office work was to be rewarded
by promotion to the vacancy caused by
Merritt's retirement"
Gen. Corbin is known In Washington
as the politician of the army His ca,
reer has been one of constant ard rapid
preferment In the year 1890 whsn ths
Sioux broke loose at Standing Rock. the
rosebud and Pine Ridge. Gen Miles left
Chicago and took the field. With him
went Lieut. Col. Henry c. Corbin. Of the
adJutant generals department. As q
matter of fact the position OF an aetna
assistant adjutant general Is but IittIs
moro tnan that of a clerk At that time
the relations between Miles and Corbir
were close and friendly now thew are
at daggers drawn. Then there were a
oozen niles between COrbin and the rank
ing position IN the adtutant generals de-
partment. But his youth began n taTI
one by one the officials above him died
on or Were retired on reaching the age
unit. CoTbin became the adiutant oa1-
efaI OF the army and in position. bscked
by the fact of his close intimacy U-itb
the president, to make things exc edine-,v
uncomfortable for his old chief Cen
mics and to aspire to succeed him upon
his retirement
CONVICTED OF COwARDTcE
Gen Corbin occupies the UNIQUE posi-
tion or being the only man in the bis+or,
" tne army VINO, having been tried and
ColVlcted OF coWardice in the face of the
enemy, ever succeeded in reaching tn
position of the command of dS,ar+-
ment. The findings of the court-martiaI
when convicted Corbin were disannrovad
py the reviewing officers, and as a copsa-
quence he was restored to duty. When
snort time ago the public documents civ
ing the details OF the trial of Gen. COR
ON were sought for in the war DEPART
ment they were found to be MISSING A
copy OF the proceedings was eventually
discovered elsewhere and went to show
that witnesses testified that the then
capt. Corbin sought shelter behind a
tree while his company was under fire
of the enemy
1t Is curious fact that almost at the
same time that Gen. Corbin was under
charges of misbehaving in the face of
the enemy one OF the line officers whom
he would cut off from preferment If he
succeed in getting his transfer. but for
his recent death, Brig Gen. Guy V.
Henry was winning promotion and
medal of honor st Cold Har
Dor. 1t has been said that the personal
courage shown that day by Henry was
as great an exhibition of valor as anv
seen during the Civil war Henry was
leading his men in an awful charge
against heavily manned breastworks
lie was mounted. One horse went down
under him. He jumped upon the back of
another and led on. The eneuy's breast
works were reached and Henry spurred
his horse at the obstruction The steed
was killed in midair and with its rider
feA in the enemy's lines. The place was
carried, Henry was promoted and decor
ated with a medal
TO STEP OVER GOOD MEN.
Many of the other officers whose
chances of promotion to the head of the
army will be killed If the comparatively
youthful adjutant general succeeds in
getting back into the line wear either
medals OF honor or carry certificates OF
merit and promotion for conspicuous gal
lantry in the face of the enemy. Gems
Wheaton. Macarthur, Merriam and Law
ton all have deeds put down 10 their
credit. the performing of which left them,
so it appeared at the inception. little
chance of coming out alive. Wheaton
jumped through an embrasure at Fort
Bradley Ala, from which bullets were
simply raining. He was the first man in
the fort, and prior to his jump into thu
Oredcn he ndu leu Ile ttSHI wing OF nla
regiment across the flre-SWept field.
Macarthur, q lieutenant of a Wisconsin
regiment, picked the colors of his COM
mand out of the hands of the seventh
color bearer who had been shot down and
carried them up the buuet-swept slope
of Missionary ridge. The deeds Of Law
ton and Of Merriam are as noted.
Gen. Corbin may be able to secure pre-
cedence in rank in the line of these Of
flcers and scores of others, and IL he does
so succeed army officers unfortunate
enough to be born in other states sa5
that it will show the Ohio idea still pre-
walls.