The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-04-02
PAY OF ARMY OFFICERS.
GREATLY INCREASED SINCE nj WAR
or THE REBELLION.
Half n Century Ago n Great Portion of Their
stipend Was ompose of Extra Allow
ances for Horses, servants and Rations-
Present Rntea md MeIhod of RNment

W~AsHINoToS. April lin 1912 a resolution Of
Congress directed that'a table setting out the
pay OF army officers OF every grade and de-
s~cription should be annexed to the annual
Army Register. In 1S43. for the first time.
this pay table appeared In that official publi-
cation. An examination OF this little volume,
a mere pamphlet Of fifty pages. and its prede-
cessors. shows that UP to that time.dating from
about the close Of the last war with Great Brit
ain. there had been little or no change in the
pay OF army officers.
In lS43 the pay OF a Maior-General wac 5000
q month. but he had communications which ran
the amount AZ to- sos o month. For instance.to
him we're allowed fifteen ratlons a day-that is.
the rations OF fifteen common soldiers. He was
entitled 10 draw and eat them. but he did not.
preterrins to furnish his own table. There
fore. these rations we're commuted into money
at the rate Of 20 cents a ration. or So a day.
The nxed amount Of his ration communication
was 800 a month. Then his expenses for
horses. the number OF which was fixed by stat
ute at seven. were at S56 a month.
He probably never used 50 many as seven
horses. any more than he ate up fifteen ra.
lions q day OF tho sort Of grub issued to the en-
listed men. 30 tho amount was paid to
him In money. and he employed land fed as
many horass as he pleased. or as few. Four
servants were allowed him at $3.50 a month.
which was the monthly pay. cost OF subsis-
tence and clothing OF a mounted private soldier.
This allowance was also into money
-SB2-the General probably getting along
with less than the statutory allowance 81 SER
wants. or more likely detailing private soldiers
for the service. In short. these allowances
voiced the design OF the Government to equip
and feed its officers in active service. At S4OS
q month. which includes 5000 paw proper and
all The foregoing items OF allowance. the Ma
jor-Geperal's pay was S4.SG a year.
This system OF examinations for ~rattons,
horses and servants applied to every branch OF
the military service. the officers OF the stan
bureaus in Washington and elsewhere. as we'll
as to officers in the neld. The Brigadier-Gcn-
erals paw proper was but SlOi a month. To
him were allowed twelve rations. Eve horses
and three servants. committed In money at
$72. $40 and $40 80 a month respectively. max
ing a total OF S262. 80. or SO. $50 a year.
The pay and allowances Of a Colonel Of
Dragons sixty years ago we're as fol-
lows; Paw proper. $40 a month: ratious g..
S3i: horses 80. $40; servants t2l, 1913; total a
month. $3.50: a year. 1883. The Lieutenant
Colonel OF dragons rated as follows: Pay
proper. S75; rations ~. $50: servants ~. 1873;
total a mouth. $40; q year. 5000. The Ma
jcr Of Dragons received: Pay proper. $50:
rations a.. S24; horses a.. s32: servants t2l.
1913: total a month. Sl49: a year. 81. 7SS. The
pay proper OF a Captain OF dragons was $50:
iations a.. S24: horses %. S16: servant ~.
$3.50: total a month. 800. 50; a year. SIPS.
The pay Of a First Lieutenant OF dragons was
S33.33a month rations a.. S2+; horses t2.
SIG: servant IL. $3.50: total a month. $500:
a year. Sl.O79.16. The pay and allowances Of
the Second Lieutenant were precisely the same
as those Of the First.
The pay and allowances OF the artillery and
infantry Offices were equal. but less than
those OF the office s OF Dragons. The Colonel
OF artillery or infantry received a. ray proper
SIS a month rations 81 S3b; horses a.. So:
servants o.. S3l total a month. Sl7i; a year.
S2.USa PAY proper Of the LIeutenant-Colonel
was $50 a month: rations ~. $50: horses go.
S24; servants ~. S3l: total a mouth. S145; q
year, 81. 40. For pay proper the MAJOR re-
ceived $50; rations a., S24 horses 80, S2+
servants ~. s3l; total a month. $129; q year,
Sl,54S. A Captain received a total Of $3.50
a month; a year. $3.50. A First Lieutenant.
SG9.5O a month q year. 1884. A Second Lieu
tenant 8 4.o0 a month a year. STA. 1t will
be observed that the allowance for servants
Is 81 each les. than for those Of Dragons.
In those days OF rigid economy the staff de-
partment Jared little better. The AdIutant-
General of the army. who ranked In 1913 as
Colonel. received the same ray and commuta-
tons as the Colonel OF dragons. So did the
Inspector General. also a Colonel. The As
sistant AdIutants General. ranSinR as Majors.
of whom there were only two. received the
same pay and allowances as the MAJOR OF dra-
Roons. Four assistants ranking as Captain
received a total OF Slii.IU d monta. VIZ. pay
Hf%er3ant Il. $l0.5O; a year. 81 374, This shows
a difference OF one horse in favor OF the stan
Captain:as against the Captain OF dragons.
The Quarternaster General received the pay
and allowances o. "a BrlS~aiiar-General. which
was then. as now, his rauk the Assistant guar
etmastercNene.p a Tolonsi; the lame as the
I Observation-Disclosures. who ranked a. Lieu
, tenaAt-C oloRel. received a. follows. Pay proIer,
I. So; Fat'q 39ia ia a S mon; Hot $40 = a yea year st sS,A4n
TIE Carthin and Assistant Vuartermaster re.
= ceived the same a. officers OF like rank in the
!. AdJ-taut. Generals corps.
> The Surgeon-Genera reserved $500 per
, apuum there are no dalt n the register to
= sum any allowances. ard he probably Gid not
:, Surgeons .ranktng AS Mars; nresnm e,!ye.y,
vice received as follows Fay proper. so "a
lions : s4s,: h9rse- = So servant "a 8
= ton, than officers OF like rank IN other corps
r than ten years service received the same pay
! and allowances less four rAtions. amounting &c
; cisely the same as that OF a MAJOR il The AdJu'
! tant-Geuerais bureau. Assistant Surgeons
I Of Ave years service the same as a 5aptain in
the AdI utaut-GeneIal $ bureau.
\ a i reer rl SypTnaTe1riy w inc at? s fyssni i!@w are,
-; Pavma.ters had, The same pay and allowances
!. as the MAJOR OF the AiJutant-GeneFaI corps.
, The Chief of Engineers. who ranked with
= the AdJu ant General as a colonel, received the
. san q ray aud allowances "a that bureau chief
! a Iieulenaut-JO lUuel OF engineers The same "a
l a L.ieuteuant-Cul, mel in the IUartermaster'
bureau. AMI the MAJOR % engineers the same
as a MAJOR and Assistant Acknowledgement
= The blood Of a First Lieutenant Of engineers
: al the cl SO OF the century Will run cold wheL
q his eye dWe!lS on tLesu items of the pay and al
. lowances Of a First Lieutenant OF the CORPS
. sixty fears ago: Pay p!oper. $685.; ration
a. S24: horses =. SlG; servant ! $500
: total pay and allowances a month, sStSt; q
: year. Sl.OII!D. L. j. more than double tina
: now. The second LIe4tenants pay was the
a same a. the fIrst's.
1t is clear. upon An examination 81 these
| rates OF psE; tn't me nnaGrahi tuIu.enTpts /,
a service back in the tnltl-s were MT great. fpI
= the salaries are certainly VeTY moderate,
hardly sufficient 10 mulutain an officer acne
II not to mention the family depeudcut ON hin
a for suupur,. Yet. Notwithstanding the mea
= grencss Of his Iay in those days. | nell sam
army was uernaps Ar well officers. IN ISi
:, as II /, to-day. No better results could posi-,
I1y Ia anlfnral lao FIa Lat rg.ta II tIp yylFIt