Daily Kennebec journal., 1906-02-08
NEW HEAD OF THE ARMY.
Stories Of the Career Of Lieutenant
General John c. Bates.

new army chief was nominated by
| the President last week-MaJor Cen
| eral John c. Bates, to be lieutenant
| general. and in command of the army
| of the United States, second 10 the sec
| retary of War. General Bates sue
ceedS Lieutenant General Adiia *.
Chaffee, whose long career as an
American soldier was closed by his re-
tiremcnt on account of the age limit
General Bates, the new mead of the
army, was not reared as Il soldier, ncr
was he The son of one. Educated as Il
| civilian, the Civil War was responsible
for his entrance into military NE.
Once having taken up arms in behalf
of his country lie never laid them
down.
Soldierly, brusque. rugged. stanca
| Misso,lrian, General Bates is a striking
| figure wherever and whenever seen.
| lie is a man of strong personality. WIN
| an enviable army rccort, ba:k OF MIN.
| One of the most interesting ..vfrtS III
| the career of The new commander o.
| the army surrounds his negotiation o;
a treaty with the Sultan oi, SUM. Cen
eral Bates has a fund of int crest nl@
| anecdotes concerning the picturesque
| pctentate. He relates that the sultan
at first was reluctant to trust the
| United States. During the time Inc
| treaty was being negotiated he refused
| to put in an appearance, repeatedly
sending word by the DattO Isa5ah
Muda, heir apparent, saying he was
engaged in religious observances and
| begged to be excused.
| The tact and patience of Bates final
| ~ impressed the sultan, and the
| American officer at last was invited to
the imperial palace.
| The one great objection of the Sultan
| to the treaty was that he could not
float his own flag above all others rs he
went cruising about the islands, but
| General Bates overcame the objection
| in his characteristic manner.
| General Bates is the youngest living
| son Of the late Edward Bates, the erli-
nent MisSourian who was Il member of
Lincoln's cabinet during the President
first term, filling the position of Attor-
| ney General
| General Bates was born in st. Louis
| August &c, 1S42. He received a thor
| ough education in the best schools
there. and in 1861, when he was - years
| old, was commissioned a tirSt licGtcn-
| ant in the Eleventh United states In
| fantry.
| He served with his regiment in the
| Army of the Potomac until April, 1853,
| commanding a company at Gaines
Mill. Malvern. second Bull Run.
| Antietam and Fredericksburg. Oates
| was adlutant from December, 1862. un-
til April of the following year, when he
| was appointed ;:;d-de-carlp To the COM
| mdnCer of the Army of the Potomac
| and remained in that capacity until the
| army was reasSignod and distributed
| in 1865. virtually disbaEded and used
| for reconstruction of the regular army.
| During the last few months of the war
he was on duty as chief cOmmissary of
| nuSters of the Army of the Potomac.
| While on duty as abide camp Bates
| was i'll the battles of Chancellorsvilie.
| Gettysburg, Rappahannock Station.
| Bristow Station. Mine Run. Wilderness,
| Spottsylvania North Anna and i'etars-
| burg, in the operations which resulted
in the surrender of General Leo. For
his gallantry and services he received
the brevets of major and lieutenant
1
| colonel.
After the war Bates served in Min
| nesota. North and South Dakota. Mon
tana. Nebraska. Missouri. Kansas. in
| dian Territory. Texas and New McSlro.
| ana one year was in Washington. ID. c.,
as chief Of the tactical board.
In iS11 he was second in command of
| the escort sent with the first survey
| ing party west of the Missouri river
to locate the linc Of TIE Northern
| Pacific Railroad. In 1854, Whila in
charge of four troops of cavalry and
two commands of infantry, he cap
| tured about 500 Creek Indians WEo
| made war on the recognized Creek gov
| crnment and tlelicd tn" United States.
For this service he was commended fy
General John Pope, the department
! commander.
For the next four years he was on
du,y with the National Guard Of the
state Of New York. after which he
| served on the board of snail arms.
| In 1891 he was sent in charge of four
| teen companies of infantry AMI four
| troops of cavalry t. quell the riots 1T
| Butte City. Mont, during :he .Tcat
| railroad strike. In 1896 lie WIS az
| pointed president of the boarl to pre-
pare firing regulations for the army.
| His promotions came regularly after
| the war. BY 1882 he had risen 10 the
| position of 4 major III the reglilr
army. In 1856 he was made lieutenant
| colonel. and il 1892 colonel. He served
through the Spanish WHY. taking 4
prominent part throughout the struG-
gle.
The Su,' 'cSaOr to General Bates as
| major general of the hiin will be
Brgadier General a. W. Grecly. chief
signal officer. Colonel James -Allcn is
| appointed briG.ldier general 10 succeed
| General Grccly.
| 1t further was announced tnat I:riGa-
| dier General J. Franklin E"ll. now in
command of tho Infantry and cavalry
School at Fort Lcavenwo,rh. Kansas.
| would be apponted chief of S,1fr to