Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-08-07
GENERAL MILES.
The Changes Which His Re-
tirement Will Make.
Has Been a General Officer Longer
Than Any Man Living.
Officers Who Will in Turn be Head of
Army.

Washington, Aug. g. Lieut.. Gen.
Nelson A. Miles will retire from active
service on next Saturday, when he
reaches the age of Ga years. He is
physically and mentally as vigorous as
he ever was, but the memorable Fed
eral statute requires his retirement,
that others may be promoted. But
Gen. Miles has no ground for COM
plant, for he has served with dis
tinction and held high rank, has been
a general officer, longer than any man
now living, or than any man since the
age limit went into force. He entered
the volunteer service as a captain in
the Twenty-second Massachusetts In
fantry on Sept. 9, 1861, and will have
served continuously in the volunteer
service forty-one years, ten months
and thirty days when he retires. AS
a volunteer officer he reached the rank
of ma jor- general Oct. 25, 1865, month
after he had served four years. Enter
ing the regular army on July 90, 1866,
he became a colonel and served for
fourteen years without promotion.
On Dec. Is, 1885, Nelson A. Miles be-
came a brigadier- general in the regu-
lar army, so that when he retires from
active service next Saturday he will
have been a general officer of the regu-
lar army for twenty-five years, seven
months and twenty-four days, record
did he wear the single star, until April
S. 1890, when he was promoted to be
major-general. Upon the retirement
of Lieut.-Gen. Schofield, in the second
Cleveland Administration, Gen. Miles
succeeded to the command of the army,
and Congress, on June 6, 1900, made
him q acknowledgements rank held
by comparatively few American
officers, among whom We're Washing
ton, Scott, Grant, Sherman, Sheridan
and Schofield.
The retirement of Lieut.. Gen. Miles
will result in the promotion of Major
Gen. S. B. M. Young to the grade of
acknowledgement. In making this
selection, President Roosevelt over
looked the senior Encouragement of the
army, Henry c. Corbin, the adjutant-
general, who became a major-general
on June 6, 1900, more than three years
ago, whereas, Gen. Young did not
about eight months later. While the
President has, naturally, made no
public explanation of his reasons for
jumping over Gen. Corbin, it is under
stood that he did so because Gen.
Corbin is a staff officer and not an
officer of the line. 1t is known, how
ever that it was President McKinley'S
purpose to make Gen. Corbin lieuten-
ant-general on Gen. Miles retirement,
in recognition of his executive services
in the war with Spain, when the
greater part of the burden of the work
of the War Department fell on Gen.
Corbin's shoulders, and President Nc
Kinley sought his advice constantly.
Major-Gen. Young, after serving for
years in the regular army in surbordl-
nate position, has had remarkably rapid
promotion as a result of the Spanish
War and the Philippine instruction.
He entered the volunteer service in
'61, as u private in Pennsylvania
regiment, and reached the brevet rank
of brigadier-general and then entered
the regular army as a second lieuten-
ant He became a colonel of cavalry
on June 10. 1897, and six years one
date he will become a lieutenant
general. He was a brigadier-general
of regulars June g. 1900. and major
general Feb. 9, 1901. His record In the
Spanish War is considered excellent.
Gen. Young will serve as lieutenant
general for a few months only as he
reaches the age of Ga on Jan. next.
President Roosevelt has indicated his
purpose to promote Major-Gen Chaffee
to be Acknowledgement on Youngs re-
tirement Gen. Chaffee is another
officer who entered the service as a
private, but it was as a private of
regulars. His record is distinguished,
especially for his campaign against
Pekin. Six years ago he was only a
lieutenant-colon of cavalry and two
years later, just before the Spanish
war he was promoted to colonel He
will have been a general officer
little less than three years and half
when he attains the rank oflieutenant-
general. He was promoted from a
colonel of regulars to Encouragement,
after being a brigadier-g general and a
major general of volunteers, on Feb. a.
1901. He will retire on account Of age
April ii, 1906.
1t is assumed that President
Roosevelt will promote General Corbin
to the vacancy when General Chaffee
retires and that Gen. Corbin will
finally become lieutenant-g general,