The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-07-07
West Point and tho Army.

Probably the popular impression is that
large majority Of the highest Offices in
the army are filed by graduates Of the Mil
itary Academy. But what the actual fact
is a little examination will show.
OF the Major-Generals, two, Gen. MILES,
commanding the army, and Gen. BROOKE,
Gen MERRITT Ia the only one OF the three
that started at West Point Out Of the six
Brigadiers, five, OTIS. SKATER, WADE.
MERRIAM and ANDERSON. began their SER
vice in the civil war as volunteers, andGen.
HENRY Is the only West Pointer.
Turning to the EMBELLISHMENTS COM
manding staff departments. Adjt.-Gen.
CoRBIN began in an Ohio regiment, and
Inspector-(ieneral BRECKENRIDGE, Judge
Advocate General LIEBER and Quarter
master-General LUDNGToN are also not
West Pointers. Both Gen. EAGAN, the titu.
lar head OF the Subsistence Department.
and Col. WESTON began with the civil war
volunteers, as also did Gen. GREELY. the
Chief Signal Officer. In short, of the entire
array OF heads Of staff corps and depart
ments, only Gen. WILSON, Chief OF Engi-
beers. Gen. BURLINGTON. Chief Of Ordnance,
Ind Paymaster-Gencral CAREY were edu-
Gated at the Military Academy.
Extraordinary as IS this percentage Of
non-graduates. we find it continued no less
remarkably among the commanders Of
regiments. The cavalry starts off with two
West Pointers, Col. ARNOLD OF the First
and COL MOVES Of the Second; but Col.
YoUNa OF tho Third, Col CooNEY OF tho
Fourth. Col. CARPENTER Of the Fifth Col.
SUMNER Of the Sixth, Col. BALDWIN of the
Seventh, Col. CHAFFEE Of tho Eighth Col.
MCGREGoR Of the Ninth, and Col. WHIT
SIDE of the Tenth, that Is, eight out OF the
ten, were not cadets. The same was true Of
Col COMPTON Of the Fourth, Col. +. V. SUM-
EER OF the Seventh and Col BACON OF the
Eighth. to whose places three OF the fore
going officers have succeeded this year, 80
making tho contrast still moro marked. 1t
Ia interesting to note that nine CoONEY,
CARPENTER. s. S. SUMNER, BALDWIN, CHAP
PEE, MCGREGoR, WHITSIDE. BACON and F..
Y. SUMNER all began their service in the
regular cavalry, though mono OF them had
been cadets. and that CooNEY, CARPRN-
TER, BALDWIN. CHAFFEE. McGREGoR and
wHITsIDR six out OF the ten present
Colonies Of cavalry. began as privates in
the regular army.
When we turn to tho artillery there is a
decided change, since Col. FRANK of the
First, Col. PENNINGTON OF the Second, Col.
RAwLE of tho Third Col. GUENTHER Of tho
Fourth, Col. RopGERs OF the Fifth and Col.
HAsBRoUcK OF the Seventh are all from the
Military Academy. The one exception Is
Col. WILLIsToN of the Sixth, who began
his career as a subaltern OF regular artil-
lery, but had not been a cadet
The infantry however, once more shows
an overwhelming army OF non-graduate
commanders. They include EVAN MILES
OF the First, BATES OF the Second, PAGE OF
the Third, GONNA OF tho Fifth, KELLOGG of
the Sixth COATES of tho Seventh, RANDALL
Of the Eighth, LIsCUM OF the Ninth, EwERs
OF the Tenth DE RUssY OF the Eleventh,
McKIBBIN OF the Twelfth, BIsBEE OF the
Thirteenth, DAadFTT Of the Fourteenth.
MoALR OF the Fifteenth, HOOP Of the Six
teenth, POWELL OF the Seventeenth, OAR
PEWTER OF the Eighteenth, SNYDER of the
Nineteenth. WHEATON OF the Twentieth,
KLINE Of the Twenty-Hrst, FRENCH Of tho
Twcnty-second, OvENsHINE Of the Twenty
third, FREEMAN Of the Twent y-fourth and
BURT of the Twenty-lfth.
Some OF these began their service in the
regular army, as officers or enlisted men,
and no fewer than eight OF the present
commanders of infantry regiments Com
BA, KELLOGG. EwRRs, L1scUM MCKEE
BIN. BrsBEE, CARPENTER and FREEMAN, en-
listed as privates although some had first
seen service ma volunteers. But tho re-
markahl" point is that only one Of tho
present twenty-five infantry Colonies. Col
HALL Of the Fourth, is "A West Pointer.
summing up, then, We find only two OF
the nine general officers, only three Of the
heads OF staff departments and staff corps
and only nine OF the forty-two Colonies o.