The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-08-01
Gently Implies President
Was to Blame
If Any Cnwise Staff Appoint
ments We're Made.

Washington, July 3l,--One of the last
official acts OF Secretary Algsr, who to-
morrow win relinguish his portfolio, was
to prepare statement covering several
matters regarding the conduct Of the war
In the public press, particularly with ref
erence to the appointments OF statf officers
In the volunteer army. Tho statement
follows;
81 am led to make the following state
ments on account Of many criticisms
which have have been made by the public
press and especially on account OF re.
cent article which appeared in the Lon
don Times containing assertions which
have no foundation In truth.
"At the commencement OF the war
with Spain and for several years prior 10
that time, the regular army consisted OF
only %, 900 men with the minimum num-
Der of officers prescribed by law. The. sit
uation can be partially appreciated when
1t is rememb cred that within sixty days
from the declaration of war, the strength
Of the army was increased to 275, 900 men
and everything for the equipment Of this
great force, including clothing, tents,
transportation, medical supplies. camps
and Damp equippaae and all that per-
tains to equipping an army for service
had TO he manufactured. transported and
distributed for tss.
From the statement referred to, the
public might lie led to beiisve tnat the
volunteer army wns oflloered by men Sc.
looted by political influence by the score
tary Of war, by special favor and without
any regard to fitness for the duties they
were TO perform. As is well known. the
volunteer force, with the exception OF
three regiments of engineers, three regi-
ments of cavalry and ten regiments OF
immune infantry was made up of regi-
ments from the various states, the officers
of which were all appointed exclusively
by the governors Of the respective states
from which the regiments clme and any
oil.cer found untitled for service and ais
charged was replaced by another in the
kame manner The PRESIDENT had no
voice or control In the matter.
The returns of the volunteer army
show that in August, 1858, there were
s01, S44 enlisted men and g. 7S5 officers In
those regiments. ThiS, with the regular
army recruited up to the war strength
Tnnde AN aggregate force of about 275 900
officers and men. The volunteer officers
appointed by the President mum bered
all told .033. OF this number 44t were
taken from the regular army and 59l
from civil life The scarcity Of regiment
al m ,ers In the regular service owing TO
appointments in the volunteers, special
recruiting and mustering details hai so
reduced their number that TO have taken
larger number for service with the vol
unteers would have seriously impaired
the efficiency of the regular regiments
For little over thousand appointments
made by the President the number OF an
piications was over 90 900 and every M.
plicntion was accompanied by oertifi-
cate OF his ability and In most instances
OF military service. either In the regular
army or q state organization and not in
frequently In both. These certificates
showed that ench one was we'll qualified
for the position he sought and to which
he was appointed as could be possible for
men In civil life in this country. Of the
number appointed there were for instance
20 major generals, of whom 10 were taken
from this regular army and seven from
civil life.
'Of these seven all but one were gradu-
ates of West Point military academy and
all had distinguished themselves during
ths civil war.
"Of Brigadier generals there were 10,
appointed, % from the regular army and
80 from civil life.
"Those from civil lifa had all seem SER
vice during the civil war or on our West
ern frontier. and all had proven them
selves competent to command.
"It has been stated and repeated many
times. that the secretary OF war made
these appoints, when the truth is that
very few were made upon his recon-
| mendatlon, although he caused the entire
list with the recommendations to be COM
piled and placed before the President for
his selection. would be only too glad to
have the honor to have made these ap-
pointments. No Better, no more loyal or
more patriotic sat OF men as whols ever
served their country and their appoint
inents were credit not only to the ap-
pointing powers, but to the country they
served. There were exceptions but that
could not have been foreseen. In every
walk OF life men are found who cannot
carry out successfully the work they have
undertaken. There were three regiments
OF cavalry the officers Of which were ap-
pointed by the secretary of war. C)l.
Leonard Wood. now hrigadier general
and commanding the departments of
Santiago and PGeftosPrir cipe. was one OF
these. Col. Grigsby aad Col. Torrey,
! both good officers, were the other two.
There were three regiments of engineers
the colonels OF which were al graduates
of the military academy and not only the
o1flcers, but the enlisted men tgere
selected with view to their special fit-
ness and In mort instances npon the
recommendation of the oolonels them
selves and all proved themselves most
| efficient.
There were also ten regiments OF i'm
mune infantry, OF whose coloneis eirht
were graduaSes Of the military AZ ,das, =
who were selsctel fur special fitness to
command and In the short time thsss