Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-09-08
Long and Distinguished
Service in the u. S. Army

Long and distinguished
Service in the U. S. Army
Excepting Lieut.. Gen. Arthur Mac
Arthur, Gen. Corbin was the last officer
of the army to reach the grade of iieuten-
ant general. There are still living. how
ever, several officers of that grade on the
retired list, including Gen. Miles, Gen.
Chaffee, Gen. Young. Gen. Bates and
Gen. Macarthur. All were veterans of
the civil war. Gen. Corbin had remark
ably active career. and during his iater
services was prominently before the pub
lie because of the importance OF his
services. His military career began as a
volunteer in the civil war, in which he
rendered gallant service, and afterwaro
included active service in Indian CAM
paigns the Spanish war and the Phlilp-
pine instruction. He rose from the po-
sition of second lieutenant of volunteers
to the rank of lieutenant general, the
highest grade in the army existing at the
time. For twenty-six years he was at
tached to the adjutant generals depart
ment, and he was at the head of that I'M
portant department during the excitlns
period of the Spanish war and the Philip
pines instruction.
Gen. Corbin had particularly close re-
ldtiOnS Wltn 6TcSiutHtS ooi
Arthur Mckinley and Taft, especially
the first two named. He came to WASH
ington during the administration OF Pres
ident Hayes and was one OF MS ciosest
military advisers and was a member Oh
the unof1cial cabinet OF President Gar
field He was with Garfield at the time
he was shot by Guiteau and was at his
bedside at Elberon when he died When
the weakened and dying Garfield was re-
moved from the White House he made
condition of his removal that MS
friend Corbin should help carry him from
the White House to the special train
awaiting him at the Pennsylvania sta
ton. He was the invited companion OF
ex-Presidents Grant and Hayes to &C
company them to the Senate chamber
to witness the administration of the oath
of Office to President Arthur. and with
them pay their respects to the remains
in the Capitol. He was the right-hand
man of President Mckinley and Secre-
tary Alger before and during the Span
ish war.
As Civil War Volunteer.
Gen Corbin. a native of Ohio (born Sep
TENDER Is, 1922, entered the volunteer
service of the United States during the
war of the rebellion a second lieu
tenant in the SD Ohio Volunteer Infan-
try. July %, 1862, but before the organiza-
ton was completed ne was assigned to
the 18th Ohio Volunteer Infantry. serv-
ing therein as second and first iteuten-
ant, respectively, until November IA. 1853.
when he was appointed major of the
14th U. s. Colored Infantry. In the fol-
lowing year March 4, 1864 he was pro-
NOTED to lieutenant colonel, and Sep
TENDER % 1885, made colonel of the 14th
L. S. Colored Infantry. He was hon
orably discharged from the volunteer
service March 26. 1885. with the brevet of
brigadier general, which honorary rank
was bestowed upon him in recognition of
meritorious service ten days prior to mus
ter-out. During this service Gen. Corhin
was with his company of the 10Th Ohio
Volunteer Infantry, in the Army of the
Ohio. from date of entry into the service
until the 30th of November, 1857, when
he was transferred to Company 4 OF that
regiment then attached to the Army or
the Cumberland, joining at Murfreesboro,
Tenn.
He served, in the field, until November
1863, when, having. been appointed
major Of colored- troops he Joined his new
regiment at Gallatin. Tenn. Upon com
pletion Of its organization the regiment
was attached to Gen. Steadman's Reserve
Division OF the 18th Army Corps (com-
manded by Maj. Gen. George H. Thomas.
and participated in~the campaigns tnci-
dent to the operations in eastern Tennes-
see and Georgia until 1884. when the
Confederate Gen. Hood assumed the ag-
gressive and made an active campaign
paign Gen. Corbin (then lieutenant COZ
oneD was engaged in action'with his regi-
ment at Pulaski, Tenn, and In numerous
affairs during the movement of Gen.
Steadman's division from Decatur to
Huntsville, and thence to Murfreesboro.
and to Nashville, Tenn. At the opening
of the battle of Nashville Gen. Corbin.
then in command of his regiment, led
the 14th. 18th and 18th of December. and
followed in the pursuit of Gen. Hoods
army from Nashville until 1t was cap
tured and dispersed In Tennessee and
Alabama.
For gallant and meritorious services
at Decatur, Ala" the brevet of major
was conferred. and for gallant and
meritorious services at the battle of
Nashville. T,nn.." he received a brevet
of lieutenant colonel
His Regular Army Service.
In 1866, upon the muster out of the
volunteer army. and upon the recon-
mendation of his military commanders,
he was commissioned MAY IL, 1860 a
second lieutenant in the regular army.
He was appointed to a captaincy of the
line December 81, 1866, and from that
year to 1876 he was continually in COM
mand of his company on the western
frontier in campaigns against hostile
Indians.
He was appointed to the adjutant
generals department. June Is, 1850, and
served therein nine years in the grade
OF major. seven years in the grade of
lieutenant colonel and two years in the
grade of |, colonel, and was, when APP
pointed brigadier general and adjutant
general of the army February %.
1899, the senior in the corps, having
served on the STATS of Gems. Hunt.
Schofield, Terry, Crook. Miles with
whom he participated in the Sioux In
dian campaigns). McCook, Kruger. Mer-
rift. and in 1891 conducted a success
full campaign against the MoQui In
dians in Arizona territory.
During the Spanish-American war Gen
Corbin was brought into close relations
with President Mckinley and was by him
consulted on all questions of policy re-
lating to military affairs. He was prac-
tically the head of the army in Washing
Instruction following, Gen. Miles having
been sent to Porto Rico with an army of
invasion. In addition to his duties as
adjutant general of the army, Gen. Cor
bin supertntended the organization OF
10000 soldiers, and within six months
superintended the muster out of 100000.
Subsequently $4,000 additional volunteer
forces were mustered in, equipped and
made effective for the Philippine sryice.
they In turn disbanding the regular army
having been increased during that period
to threefold its former strength.
Honored by Congress.
In recognition of his services and the
active part he took in the Spanish war
and the Philippine instruction Congress
conferred on him the rank of major gen.
eral. In 1904 he was placed in command
~-slf H.fn 1r a.