Washington sentinel., 1899-01-14
Increased Rank in the United States
Army.
Written for the WASHINGTON SENTINEL by
WEST STEEYER.


planned in a former issue, provides
for one lieutenant general, SIX
major generals, and twelve briga'
dier generals, while the Miles bill
makes provision for the appoint
ment ofone general, two lieutenant
generals, six major generals Of in
fantry, one major general OF artil-
lerY, eighteen brigadIer generals
OF infantry, two brigadier generals
Of cavalry, and two brigadier gen.
erals Of artillery.
1t would be difficult TO under
stand on what theory these high
appointments, as to number and
rank, was based. Politically the
people OF the United States have
always had a strong prejudice
against bestowing rank requisite
to command above division.
Washington, Scott, (bY brevet
only Grant, Sherman, Sheridan
and Scofeld form the only excep-
tions. trace it to their strong
dislike to a standing army and fear
Of possible military despotism.
The tendency of the whole civil
lied world to mIlitarism has in
creased recently this prejudice.
We must remember that the writ
Of ha6eaS corpus only issues out Of
The courts OF the United States,
England, Wales and Scotland.
The rest OF the world is virtually
but an armed camp, where the only
law is the will Of the commanding
officer. Besides we are not the
only nation that pursues the same
system. France, that maintains it
can put five million of men into the
field in three weeks, has no rank
above that Of general OF division.
Napoleon laid down the rule that
victories could only make mar
shals, so France has to await the
necessary number OF victories be-
fore another crop Of marshals. 1t
may be a shrewd dodge Of the Re-
publican party in France, but so
far it has proved successful.
From a military standpoint
it is best to bestow rank in pro-
portion to the number OF troops
commanded. The appointment
OF generals and lieutenant-gen-
erals IN the Confederacy added
undoubtedly to the efficiency Of
the army and stood the test OF
experience. The law on the sub
ject conferred the rank Of iull
general on the FIVE brigadier- gen.
erals Of the regular army. The
former rank was to be in the Pro-
viSional Army Of the Confederate
Army, as it was designated. 1t
was further provided that they
were take rank as previously
held in the United States Army,
from which they had resigned.
This was unfortunate as four out
of the FIVE appointed, all claimed
seniority under this provision of
the law. Samuel Cooper claimed
it on the ground Of having held
the rank Of full colonel as adju-
tant general OF the United States
Army, date Of appointment being
earlier than that Of any of the
others. Albert Sydney Johnston
claimed it as brevet brigadier-
general. Joseph (. Johnston,
claimed it as having resigned the
position oil quartermaster-general
OF the United States Army, with
the relative rank of brigadier-gen-
eral. Robert h. Lee claimed it as
senior colonel in the line of the
United States Army, which was
the rank that he had resigned.
The eventual construction OF this
provision Of the law was to place
Samuel Cooper as first in rank,
Albert Sydney Johnston as second,
Robert E. Lee as third. Joseph +.
Johnston as fourth, and q. I.
Beauregard as fifth. This deci-
sion of the War Department was
the subject of much discussion at
the time it was made, as it virtu-
ally decided the matter in accord-
ance with dase of graduation at
West Point, instead OF the senior
ity and rank in the United States
Army at the time of acceptance of
their resignation. 1t also made
a New Yorker the senior general
Of the Confederate States Army.
1t was also the intention that all
lieutenant generals in the ProVis-
ional Army of the Confederate
States should hold the rank Of full
colonies in the regular army. This
provision was only in part carried
out, as before the regular Confed-
crate army could be organized, it
was merged into the Provisional
army and the former existed then