Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-08-02
Mighty Few Changes.

clerkshp of the Secretary's office and
during the eventful days of the war was
the acting secretary. In the twenties
Mr.. Graham succeeded Josiah Meigs as
commissioner of the general land office.
But little change had been made in the
personnel other than by addition, as will
be seen.
In this building in the twenties, when
John c. Calhoun headed the Office, were
the following bureaus: Engineers, Gen.
Alexander Macomb in which were George
+. Rhodes. chief clerk, j. S. Smith and
G. A. Bibby. Ordnance corps Col George
Bomford with Reuben Burdine, w. Rid
dell and John Morton. clerks Topographic
cal engineers, Col. Isaac Roberdeau. Pay
master general. Gen. Nathan Towson.
with whom were Timothy p. Andrews and
N. Frye, both reaching the head of the
office. and Allen Ramsey. long resident
of the first ward, whose sons each at
tanned high rank in the army and navy.
COmmissary general. Col. George Gibson,
with whom were Capt. ]. II. Hook, Lieut..
Thomas Hunt and James Mitchell Quar-
termaster general, Gen. Thomas S. Jesup,
with Majs. Truman Cross and j. l.. Gardi
ner.
The Secretary's office included c. Van
derventer. chief clerk; B. l.. Beall and
Thomas B. Addison of Georgetown: E.
Stevens, John E. Frost, Gideon Davis,
Lewis Edwards, S. S. Hamilton, J. P.
Fenner and H. Miller William Mark
ward. who lived on G street near 21st
street, was the first messenger. and after
John McCarty, Jacob Hines and Francis
Catcher, the latter serving nearly fifty
years.
In the Indian Office.
The Indian office, prior to the twenties
under the supervision of the department,
was in charge of Col Thomas L. McKin-
ney of Georgetown, and the office there
located. Jeremiah W. Bronaugh, j. w.
Rich, NJ. Fitzhugh, j. M. Bronaugh and
W. Miles constituted the force.
The pension business of the army was
conducted in the office of the Secretary
of War, but about 1920 Mr.. James l..
Edwards. long a resident of the West
End, who was in charge of the business,
had some assistants appointed.
Other clerks were William Hickey, aft
erWard prominent in loo military
affairs, reaching the rank of general, and
for some years filling the position of
executive clerk of the Senate. Others
then here were William Gordon. who in
the forties was clerk in the bounty land
division and John H. Henshaw.
The second auditors Office on the first
floor of the War Department was estab-
lished with Mr.. William Lee at the head.
Mr.. Lee then resided in the Six buildings
on the avenue west of Dist street. and
Messrs. Eakin and Ellis from the ac-
countants' office and William Michlin. an
original clerk, were neighbors as we'll as
clerks in his Office. Among others were
Brooke Williams of Georgetown. Thomas
Barclay of G street, John Wells of 18th
and K streets, r. NJ. Boyer. Brooke
Mackall. ]. d. Hayden. Leonard Mackall
and William Stewart of Georgetown,
John Peters from the foot of G street.
r. b. Maury, E street near 14th street.
Jonathon Sewer, 7th street north of D
street. and Ignatius Boone of North Capt.
toll and I streets.
Back in the Forties.
In the forties there remained in the
building the offices of the Secretary. the
second auditor. quartermaster general
and Indian Office. and the others were To-
Gated in the neighborhood. There had.
too, been much change in the per-
sonnet. Gen. Macomb having from the
death of Gen. Brown, in 1898. served till
1S41, when he died. Gen. Winfield Scott
was the ocmmander-in-chief;G Gen. Roger
Jones was the adjutant general. Among
the clerks in the offices. which had been
in the building since the death of Gen.
ri