Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1899-03-11
N NUMBER 80
RANK BY BREvET.
In Uncle sam's Army IN Honorary
Title, With Nothing Else.

Title, With Nothing Else.
Among the nominations which were
sent to the senate recently by the presi-
dent. were many for brevet ranks, and
the fact that the lists included many
pames Of officers who had died in the
service caused some surprise in circles
where the full and true meaning Of the
brevet rank was unknown.
The brevet rank is given by the pres
ident ''for gallant action and meritori-
GUS services and is always one grade
higher than the officer held at the time
he earned the distinction. Brevet ranks
have been conferred in the United
States army Of all grades from first
lieutenant to lieutenant general, but
the titles, high or low, bring neither
additional authority nor increased pay.
An officer who received breyet for
distinguished services in the Spanish
war said: 1.-The brevet is simply Uncle
Sans way of saying to an officer: you
did your work we'll Bully for you'll
Take this paper to show your folks
what 1 think of you. The paper, or
commission, gives the officer higher
grade, and it has often happened that
an officer has received several brevets.
Thus major may be brevetted lieu
tenant colonel and then may have that
honorary title supplemented with
brevet colonelcy In the early days OF
the army the uniform of the brevet
rank could be worn by the officer, and
he was also addressed in official COM
munications by his brevet rank. It was
nothing unusual in those days to see a
letter addressed to Lieutenant John
Smith. Fifth Inantry. Brevet Brigadier
General. That has been done away
with, and the brevet is now nothing
more than a title the possession of
which shows that its holders name has
appeared on one of Uncle Sans rolls OF
honor.
The fact that man fell while in the
discharge of his duty does not debar
him from being remembered for bre-
vet, and the recent brevet appointment
lists contain many names after which
are the bracketed words, "Killed in
action, y ''Died of wounds received in
battle" "Died in the discharge Of
duty, ETC.
The brevet rank is conferred on rare
occasions In England, but not lower
than captain nor higher than lieuten-
ant colonel There it carries with 1t
corresponding advance in command,
but in other European countries meri-
torious services in the field are reward
ed by the gift of medals and decora-
tions. Nearly all of these decorations
carry with them membership in some
order, and many bring pensions or GER
tain rights and privileges.
"There's the difference between our
honor men, said regular army Off
Ger. '.and those in European armies.
The German. French or Russian honor
man wears his decoration where it can
be seen. while the American officer has
only his brevet commission. which he
keeps stored away, and there is nothing
about his uniform to indicate that he
has figured on the roll of honor. The
only return that the brevetted officer
receives comes from the social world,
where courtesy has decreed that he
shall be addressed by his brevet title.
It has been said that the brevet rank
comes only to those officers who distin-
guish themselves under fire. This is an
error, as may be seen by the lists, which
include the names of surgeons who did
only hospital work.-New York Trib-