Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-08-08
The Lieutenant eeneraIship.


General Nelson A. Miles reaches the
age limit of GA years, today, and retires
from the head of the army, the posi-
ton which he has held for almost eight
years. It is a pity that this officer has
persistently followed a course in the
past few years which has done much to
dim the luster of his earlier service.
He has not only been at variance with
the administration but also with prac-
tically all his subordinate officers. He
has not been progressive, but has stood
in the way of all improvements in the
army and has INDUCED in criticisms of
his superiors which were, to say the
least, both unseemly and unsoldierly.
He deserves credit for his services in
the Civil War and in the Indian wars,
particularly the latter. but at the desk
he has lost what he gained in the
saddle.
In his retirement, General Miles has
no ground for complaint. He has had
AZ years of service and from a captain
of volunteers has risen to the head of
the regular army. He has been a gen.
eral officer almost % years, longer
period than any man living. For 10
years he was a brigadier- general and
for 10 more a mayor-general. That
was all he had earned or had a right
to expect, but Congress in an hour of
generosity and sentimentality, made
him Acknowledgement in 1900. That
was a grade which does not as many
suppose, belong to the head of the
army, but was created by Congress in
1898. The original idea in creating the
rank was to bestow it upon the most
eminent commanders, men who had
won it by conspicuous talent in hand
ling large armies, as well as by person.
al courage. When we recall that it was
created for George Washington, not
during the war of Revolution, but by
President Adams and the Congress
when war with France seemed immi-
nent in 179S-in fact, Washington was
nominated July and commissioned
July Awe at once get an idea of it's
high significance.
The rank was not held again after
Washington's time until it was confer
red on Gen.. Winfield Scott in 1862, al
though four generals commanding the
army interviewed. 1t was reward for
SCOTS services in the war of 1912 and
the Mexican war, and was a brevet
generals of the army after Scott-Mc-
Clellan and Halleck-but this grade
was not bestowed upon them, and was
not revived until Grant was made
| acknowledgement, for reasons no one
| today needs to ask, any more than
they do why William T. Sherman and
! Philip II. Sheridan received it. 1t was
refused to Major-Gen. George Fl.
Thomas, despite his achievements,
| WHICH IlldIkcu Hill DIS one VI lIe STcdl-
est generals of the war, and the only
one of whom it could be said he an
initiated an entire army in one fight.
1t was also denied to Gen. John R.
Brooke more recently, but fell finally
upon Gen. Miles, whose claims were
nothing like those of Gen. Thomas.
| Thus it is easy to see that in compari-
son with those who had previously been
given this grade, and in fact with sew
eral who had been denied it, General
Miles had DOPE little to deserve the
honor. The action of congress only
| cheapened the rank. Under the new
army reorganization bill, the rank of
| lieutena ant general loses it's old signfi-
will belong to each officer in succession
who becomes head of the army. Gen.
eral Young, who will now bear it is a
brave fighter who has risen from a
private in the ranks; and General
| Chafeec. who will succeed him, next
January, is another who enlisted as a
private and has earned his promotions
by work in the field.
The Yachting experts have figured it