The National tribune., 1901-12-12

MAI. &c EN-. ELWELL -. OTIS.
the organization of the regiment, he was
| in command of it, with the rank of Lieu
tenant Colonel. BY that time the 140th
had been so reduced by casualties, mainly
at Gettysburg, that it was not strong
enough to muster Colonel under the law
| then existing, and this fact held Otis III
the rank of Lieutenant Colonel during the
rest of the war, though he was brevetted
Brigader- General in 1865. The 140th n.
Y. was brigadcd with the remnant of
the "Old Regular Brigade" on the reOr-
ganization OF the Army of the Potomac
in the Winter of 1S63-'G4, as was also
the 10th. This brigade was at the be
ginning of the Wilderness campaign com
manded by Gen. Romeyn B. Ayers, and
formed the Second Brigade, First (Grif-
fms Division, Fifth Corps. The brigade
suffered severely-particular in officers
of field rank-during the campaign from
the Rapidan to the James CNIay to June
10, 1860; also in the assaults on Peters
burg June 49, %, etc). and at the Wei
don Railroad (Aug. 1921, 1863. This
CONSTANT depletion of officers in. the higher
ranks brought Lieut.-COl. Otis in com
mand of the brigade soon after the bat
ties of the Weldon Railroad and Globe
Tavern. He retained command Of it until
the battle of Poplar Spring Church Oct.
/, 1864. In this action Otis exhibited
brevct of BriGadier- General. But he was
also dangerously-at first supposed to be
mortalIy-wOunded, and did not recover
in time to resume duty before the sur
render. At the end of the year 1864 the
Fifth Corps was considerably reorgan-
lied, and Gen. Ayres, who commanded
the Second Division, desired that Otis
should be made permanent commander of
the old brigade This would have been
done had Otis recovered in time: but as
he did not, the brigade was given to Fred.
Winthrop, who was killed while leading
it in the final and decisive charge on the
Confederate works at Five Forks, April
/, 1863.
The behavior of Col. Otis at Poplar
Spring Church involved not only personal
gallantry OF high order, but quick mill
tary perception, prompt action and tact
ic1l skill which evoked unstinted praise
from such masters of the art as Warren,
Griffin and Ayrcs. He was the third
Colonel Of the 10th y. Y; his two pre-
decessOrs having fallen in action-Pat-
rick II. O'Rorke, killed the second day
of Gettysburg, and George Ryan, killed
May s, 1864, in the first assault ON the
Confederate works at SpOttsylvania. Ills
successor, William $. GrantSynn, was
wounded twice, once at Hatcher's Run,
and once at Five Forks: but not severely
enough to make him quit.
all commands in the Army of the POtO-
mac at the end of 1861 may be formed
from the fact that Otis's Brigade at Pop
lar. Spring Church was composed Of the
remnants of nine regimcnts-Jth, 18th.
140th and 146th n Y, and the 10th. 11th,
18th, 18th and 18th Regulars. Yet the
brigade was not more than 1000 strong,
its ranking officer and commander was
Lieutenant Colonel, and when he was dis
ablcd the brigade command devolved on
a Major-Jamcs Grindlay, 146th n. Y.
During the Winter of 1SG1-'65 Otis was
promoted to the rank of Colonel and
brevetted Brigadier- General; and in July,
1866, was appointed Lieutenant Colonel
Of the 22d Regulars. From that time un-
til the present his career is we'll known.
While serving in the Regular Army Col.
Otis kept up his studies of law and juris-
prudence and ultimately became known,
in addition to his splendid fighting rec
ord, as the best lawyer in the Army"
1t was this peculiar equipment, with his
known capacity for civil administration,
that led the President to select him for
the communicated in the Philippines
at the most crucial period Of our Occupa-
ton; and the sequel has proved both the
ability Of Gen. Otis and the wisdom of the
President.
TTo he cuutinunI)