Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-03-29
MAI. GEN. KENT
IS HERE TODAY.
Popular Army Officer Formerly
Stationed at Fort
Douglas.
PAID VISIT TO THE POST.
lie Believes the United States should
Have Larger Regular Army
100000 Men Not TOO Many

Maj, Gen. j. r. Kent, formerly
colonel of the Twenty infan-
try regiment when It was stationed at
Fort Douglas, is at the Knutstord ho-
tel today, en- route from the Pacific
coast to his home at Troy. y. Y. The
general was one of the most popular
commanding officers ever stationed at
this post, and he use OF the word be
loved" is not AZ all forced ia connec-
ton with the estimation with which he
was held by the Salt Lake public. Gen.
Kent did not hold himself aloof from
the public as some commanding off.
GERS arc won't hut he was man of
the people, though he was tho COM
manding officer. and took personal
interest In the troops entrusted to his
charge. When reminded this noon, at
the hotel by "A representative of the
News that he had left a host of adj
miring friends in Salt Lake. Gen. Kent
replied that Salt Lake people always
had warm place In his heart. and
he would ever remember them with
feeling OF affection.
General Kent arrived this morning,
mediately after breakfast on return
ing al noon he remarked to News"
representative that he had not been
IN salt Lake since he left at the head
OF MS regiment on the breaking out Of
the spanish war; consequently he had
round there We're so many changes I'm
the city that he felt really lost AT
Fort Douglas, he was pleased with the
new barracks, but the oblitera ton OF
certain landscape features that had
tended so to make the post a beautiful
spot by reason of the physical altera-
tons going on up there, seemed rather
saddening TO him. The general found
number of old army friends at For,
Douglas who were glad to see him, and
made his short stay there welcome
one General Kent greatly regretted
not being able to remain over longer
He wanted 10 stay here at least two
weeks. but business matters REQUIRED
his attention In the east, and he felt
Obliged 10 leave In the course OF con-
Nersation the general remarked his be-
lief mat the United States should have
"A larger regular army. one OF about
1907 men for all branches of the SER
vice. He did not think that too large
by any means. and held that there
ought to be no complaint from critics.
Behind such an army the militia or vol
unteer service Of the country could very
well be grouped, and association with
such body Of regular soldiers would
have the best results in the tra!niag
of militia soldery.
II viii be remembered that Gen. Kent
was commander of a division OF 'lln
Seventh army corps that went TO Cuba,
and II was to his command that the
New York Seyenty-flrst regiment was
assigned The action Of that regiment
I'm lying down In the face of the enemy
while the Sixteenth regulars actually
walked over them, il matter OF his
tory, and when brought out In Gen.
kents report to the war department.
created an intense sensation I'm New
York City, where the newspapers hal
been scattering printers ink 20 the
winds In writing up" the exploits OF
the gallant Seventy-frst," were put to
the blush. When the matter was refer
red to this noon. the general remarked
that while It was all so. the regiment
hardly deserved the odium that had
been heaped upon 1t, and that one real
ly gallant officer Captain Rafferty, Of
X company, rallied with his company
ana rushed to the front IN the face OF
the enemy and amid the flying bullets.
General Kent said that at the first bat
tie OF Bull Run he noticed more than
one regiment In fact. pretty much all
Of the volunteers, fed before the Con-
federates, and that II was tho regulars
who held UP the line OF battle for the
Union forces, and saved the volunteers
utter rout. General Kent had sympa-
thy for the Seventy-irst, and called at
tentiou to the fact that troops who had
acted IN this way, at the outset shortly
afterwards often behaved with great
bravery in the firing line.
General Kent was brave officer. and
served his country with distinction both
IN the Civil and the Spanish wars. He
graduated from West Point IN 1861, and
went TO the front as q second lieuien-
ant in the Third regular infantry. He
was made a captain in 1854 a major OF
the Fourth regulars in 1885. lieutenant
colonel Of the Eighteenth infantry, and
became colonel OF the Twenty-fourth
infantry IN 1895 General Kent was
made a brigadier IN 1895, and shortly
thereafter a major-general Of volun-
teers He was retired IN October OF
the same year. In 1864 while captain
of regulars, he was made a brevet colo
mel Of volunteers for gallant conduct,
Many Salt Lake friends are shaking
hands with the old veteran today.