The Washington times., 1909-09-08
GENERAL CORBIN
DIES IN HOSPITAL
Famous Army Officer Passes
Away Following an
Operation.
CONTINUED from First Pagel

on November Il. 1858. and on the next
day was made major OF Fourteenth
United States colored troops. Before
the close of the war he had risen TO
the rank OF colonel with the brevet of
brigadier general.
In 1855. Corbin. then only twenty-three
years old, was commissioned as second
lieutenant in the regular army. and
within two months he was made cap
tain.
YounE Corbin by this time had found
his career. Before he WAS promoted
to the rank of major in 1880 he had
served ten years in Kansas, Arizona
the Dskotas. with out one leave Of alb
sence. lie had fought the Apaches OF
the Southwest. the most treaCherous In
dams tho troops have ever encountered,
had exchanged bullets with the warlilSe
brave Sioux and had sat IN grave con-
ference with Sitting Bull and some OF
his red chiefs after the Custer mas
Sacre.
IN 1877 he was assigned 20 duty at the
Executive Mansion and three years
later was made an assistant in the Of
fee of the sdIJtsnt general where he
served almost continuously until 1893
when he was made Commander or the
Department OF the East, the position
now held by Cen. Leonard Wood In
the Pine Ridge campaign in 1SS)-lSsl
when General Miles was sent against
the Indians. Corbin, an experienced In
dian aEhter. was ordered out also.
Major Corbin, a friend Of President
GarfieldS, went with him from the
White House on july .. 1850. when the
Chief Executives started on the tourney
rhst only lasted for few blocks ana
ended in death. General Corbin was at
The station when Guiteau loosed his
fatal bullet he accompanied the
wounded President back Up Pennsyl-
wanna avenue 10 the White House. was
constantly on guard at the mansion
while Garfield hovered between life and
death. and was with him at Elberon. \;
J. when the Chief Magistrate passed
aWAy.
Made Bngadier.
In February. 1895. just a few days
after the sinking Of the Maine in Ha-
vana harbor and a few weeks before
the declaration OF war with Spain,
Colonel Corbin was given his commits
sion as brigadier general and was put
sn charge OF the office OF The adjutant
general Of the army.
Throughout the trying days that fol-
lowed: days that revealed many start
ling things, General Corbin stood the
test. and President Mckinley and Secre-
tary- ofNar Alger came 20 rely upon his
judgment.
After the war Congress was induced in
!. recognition OF General Corbin's services
TO pass a special act giving him a COM
mission as major general. IL was the
first time in the history OF the army
snNadjutant general had been given the
rank Of major general, and while mem
bers of Congress baked at such an in
novation, the friends Of General Corbin
and the influence Of the President over
Swallowed any opposition.
After many years Of service IN the
capacity of adjutant general the usual
orders came, and General Corbin was
Transferred 20 the command OF the De-
partment OF the East. he was sue
Ceeded by Maj. Gen. Anna r. Chadee,
who had commanded the department 20
which Corbin was transferred for sew
eral years.
Commands ManeaYers.
In 1904 General Corbin was placed in
command OF the army maneuvers at
Manassas, and later I'm that year he
was assigned to the command OF the
Philippines division. and in 1906 ne was
put at the head OF the porthern division
With the rank OF lieutenant general.
he was retired in 1906. after forty-fOur
years OF continuous service, during
which time he had fought in some Of
the most severe battles of the civil war,
skirmished through the plains with In
dians, tackled all the problems Of caring
for a few hundred thousand men In
war time and had commanded the most
important divisions Of the service.
General Corbin was a member OF some
Of the best-knOwn clubs in the country.
III washington he was member Of the
ARMY and Navy. the Chevy Chase, and
Country. I'm New York. the Racquet
and Army and Navy, and in Chicago,
the Chicago. In 1901. General COrbin
married Miss Edith Agnes Patten, OF
the well-known Washington family. his
home in this city was AZ Tweuty-second
and . streets northwest
General CorDin was strict discip-
hinarian and through several rather un-
usual orders earned some ntOTicty AT
different times. il was he who recon-
Inended that no army officer should be
permitted to marry without the consent
Of the War Department. and then only
when he could show that he was not
in debt. General Corbin also insisted
that every officer found guilty Of drunk
enness should be dismissed summary
from the service.