The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1899-08-05

statements ON account Of the many crit
icisms whidl have been made 10y the
public press, aud especially on account
Of recent article which appeared in
/ the London Times containing assertions
which have mo- foundation IN truth
at the commencement Of the war
with spain. and for several years prior
o. that time. the regular army consist
ed Of only OF. GOO men. with the mimi
mum number of Ulcers prescribed by
law The situation can be partially
appreciated when 10 is remembered that
within sixty days from tae declaration
nl war the strength of the army was
increased Oh 2ll. 600 men, and every
thing for the equipment ot this great
force. including clothing tents, trans.
p1rtstion. medical supplies, camps and
camp cquiplsc, and all that pertains 90
cquippiug an army for service had %
be manufactured, transported and dis.
fributed for use.
APPOINTED UY GOVERNORS.
.Frm tine statement referred % the
public might Dee led % believe that the
volunteer army was clicerod by mon
selected through political influence Toy
the Secretary Of War 10y special favor.
and without any regard % fitness for
the duties they were 90 perform. As is
well known. the volunteer force, with
the exception q three regiments # cav
alry and tn regiments OF immune i'm
fautry. was made up If regiments from
the various States. the officers Of which
were all appointed exclusively by the
Governors Of the respective States from
which the regiments came. and any
officer found untitled for service and
dischMged was replaced by another I'm
the same manner The President had
no voice or control in the matter
The returns Of the volunteer army
show that i'm August. lo9S. there were
20, pa enlisted men ond S 1S5 officer,
in those regiments. This, with the
regular army recruited up 90 the war
strength, made an aggregate force Of
about 275 eco officers and men The
volunteer officers appointed by the
President numbered. all told. 052 Oh
this number AL were taken from the
regular army and 59l from civil life.
The scarcity Of regimeutl officers in
the regular service. owing to appoint
ments in the volunteers. special recruit
ing and mastering details, had so re-
duced their number that TO have taken
a larger number for service with the
volunteers would have seriously i'm
paired the efficiency Of the regular reg
iments. For a little over thousand
appointments made by the President.
the number Of application, was over
5000. and each Application was ac-
compauied by q certificate of ability
and IN most instances the military ser-
vice. either in the regular army or -
State organization. and not infrequaut-
IL in both
APPOINTMENTS OF GENERAL OFFICERS.
These certificates showed that each
one was is well qualified for the posi-
tion he sought and TO which he was ap-
pointed as could be ~ 1UIe for men ia
ciyl1--l T. -1 - ms country OF the num-
Der appointed. there were, for instance,
| 26 Major Generals. Of whom l9 were
taken from the regular army and from
civil life. OF these all but one were
graduates If West Point Military AcAd-
envy. and an had distinguished them
selves in command during thecivii war.
OF Brigadier Generals, there were lo2
appointed. G5 from the regular army
and 36 from civil life Those from civil
life had all seen service during the civil
war or on our Western frontier and al-
had proven Themselves competent to
command
1T has been stated. and repeated
many times, that tine Secrotry Of War
made these appointments, when the
truth is that very few were made upon
his recommendation, although heclused
the entire list. with the recommenda-
tons, to be compiled and placed before
the President for his selection. l would
be only too glad TO have had the honor
to have made these appointments No
better, no more loyal or no more patri-
otto set II men, as a whole ever served
their country. and their appointments
were a credit, not only to the appoint
ing power, 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 HAYS undertaken.
THE sECRETARY's APPOINTMENTS.
There were three regiments Of cav
airy, the officers Of which were appoint
ed by the Secretary Of War. Col Leon
ard Wood, now a Brigadier General and
commanding the Departments of San
tiag0 and Puerto Principe, was one Of
these. Col Grigsby and Col Torrey,
both good officers, were the other two.
There were three regiments Of engin-
GERS, the colorels Of which were al
graduates Of the Military Academy,
and not only the officers, but the en-
listed men were selected with a view
to their special fitness, and in most in
stances upon the recommendations OF
the colonies themselves, and all proved
themselves most efficient
"There were also ten regiments Of
immune infantry, Of whose colonies
eight were graduates Of the Military
Academy, who were selected for special
fitness 70 command, and in the short