The Brunswick daily news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1903-1906, 1903-08-08
SUCCESSOR TO
PEACOCK MILES
-
Something About Career
of New Commander
in-Chief
SHOUtNRED A MUSKET
AS COMMON SOLDIER
Was Given Rank of Brigadier General
at Outbreak of Spanish War
Was Made Major General
Before it Closed.

Washington, D. c., Aug. 7.-Al.
though Americans who started in life
as day laborers have become Presi
dent of the great Republic, no man
who shouldered a musket as COM
mon soldier has ever attained to
the position of Commander of the
Army of the United States until to-
day. Major General Samuel Baldwin
Marks Young, who today succeeds
to the command of the army on the
statutory retirement of Lieutenant
General Miles, began his career as an
enlistd man in the Twelfth Pennsyl-
vania Infantry. All of his twenty-one
predecessors as commander of the
army began their military careers as
commissioned officers. 1t has been
stated frequently that the chief OBJ
lection TO General Miles on the part of
his brother officers was due to the
! - that he was not a West Point
The same cause for complaint
, he found in the case of the new
c5mmanding general General Young
is the third man who has come from
civil life, as distinguished from those
who have gone through the academy,
to attain the copmand of the army
The first after it became possible to
appoint West Point graduate, to
achieve that position was General
Winfield Scott, who became com
mander in 1871. thirty-nine years af-
ter the establishment of the academy.
He entered the army from civil life
as a captain of artillery. Since Scott
all the commanders of the army eX-
cept Miles have been West Pointers.
But the new commanding general
is a soldier from the ground up, with
out any fuss or feathers. He is not
a medal of honor man, but one who
quietly and faithfully performed his
duties at ali times, and is recognized
as a tireless fighting general who is
ready for duty day or night. He
emerged from the civil war with the
respect of all his comrades, and per
formed excellent service during the
Spanish war, later distinguishing
himself in the PHILIPPINES.
Five months after ne entered the
Pennsylvania regiment as a private,
April rs, 1861, he was made captain
of volunteers. One year later he was
nromoted to the grade of major. In
October, 1864, he had reached tne
grade of liutenant colonel, and TWO
months later he was placed in com
ma;nd of his regiment. April 9, 1865
he was brevetted brigadier genera
of volunteers for conspicuous gal
lantry. and was honorably mustered
out of the service July 1, 1855.
A year later he was appointed II
the regular establishment, with the
rank of second lieutenant OF the
Twelfth regular infantry. July 20
the same year, he was transferred
to the cavalry arm Of the service witt
the rank of captain and was assigned
to the Eighth regiment. He was no
promoted again until April 2, 1883
when he was commissioned major
He held this rank until August 1t
1892. when he was promoted to
lieutenant coloncy, and was trans
Ierred to the Fourth cavalry In lS9
he was given another promotion, thl
tine TO the colonelcy OF his regiment
Upon the outbreak of the Spanlsl
war Col. Young was given the rank
brigadier general OF volunteers an
assigned to duty at Las Guaslma'
Cuba, where there was lively pa
tie in which Sergt. Hamilton Els
and Captain Allyn Capron, in con
mand OF light battery, were KILLED
This is the battle in which Col, Cal
ron, the father Of Capt, Caprol
fought so desperately after his 90
had boea killed. During the campaig
tatner and son los. their lives
Before the close OF thh Spanish wa