The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1910-04-09
NEW COMMANDER
OF WEST POINT
Is General Thomas H. Barry,
Once a Barefoot Boy Of
the Bowery.
Has Risen Step by Step to
Prominence on His Own
Personal Merits.
His Military Record Without
a Blemish and Hence
the Promotion.

Major General Thomas II. Barry has
been selected for duty as superintend-
ent of the military academy at West
Point, succeeding Col. Hugh l.. Scott,
who will be relieved OH August 3lst
next. General Barry was formerly in
command of the army of Cuban pa
cification, and Is now serving at San
Francisco as commanding officer of
the department of California.
A barefoot boy who was running
around the Bowery 40 years ago is
now the commander of the national
military academy after an active mill
tary career that showed his real worth.
There wasn't any spare money around
the Barry homestead 40 years ago and
Tommy" had to get out early in the
game of life and earn his living. The
Barrys of the old First ward, New
York., were good Catholics and Tom
nay was brought up in the faith.
Barry served with the Seventh cav
airy in Dakota and Minnesota. The
opportunities for more telling serv-
ice appealed to him elsewhere, SO at
his own request he" was transferred
to the First infantry, which was en-
gagged in Indian campaigns in the
farther west. Geronimo and his
f, bloodthirsty apaches were raising
havoc inslArizona. and Barry jumped
into the middle of the fray and got a
taste of real fighting. Later he re-
ceived his second baptism Of fire in
! the Sioux campaign in the winter of
1901 in South Dakota. He had
learned some lessons in scouting with
| the Seventh cavalry around Sitting
Bulls territory, all Of which stood him
in good stead, for his first promotion
came in 1891 during the Pine Ridge
| campaign.
The plodder had begun to get no.
ticed. His name found it's way into
the war office and Secretary Lamont
one day put his finger upon it, called
his secretary, and Capt Barry found
himself berthed in Washington for
| duty in the office Of the secretary OF
| war. Washington wanted to get into
closer touch with trans Mississippi af-
fairs and the executive work of the
young officer spoke for ITSELF
The hardy Irish lad was set to
work, in company with a New York
in the war department. That he did
some vigorous cleaning up" no one
will doubt who knows him. Lamont
kept him at work as long as he re-
mained at the head OF the war office
and when he left 1t was major Barry
SIR" of the adjutant generals Office.
This was the critical period in Ma.
jor Barry's life that led on to fortune
l-or good fortune, for his career since
has been full of activities. This di.
rect effect of his advance was to make
him adjutant general OF the depart.
ment of Columbia, of the state o.
Washington, where trans Pacific af.
fairs were Of moment Barry was thu
logical man to send to the Philippines
as General Otis adjutant general, ant
he has been the logical man for man,
posts since. Affairs in the Philippines
were in terrible moil and Barry hat
to work like q native caraboa to hau
order out Of chaos. In 1900 he cam,
back to the United States, under Otis
recommendation. to his appointment
as a brigadier general Of volunteers
After General MacArthurs successio,
to the military governorship of tn,
Philippines, Barry was sent back ant
appointed to a brigadier generalshil
and ordered to be chief Of staff of tn,
corps. He went on to the Philippine
and served out his appointment a
chief Of staff, retiring from the volun
teer service and re-enterng the regu
lar army az adjutant general of tn
department Of the east, with head
quarters at Governors Island, Ney
York. When there he was appointe
a brigadier general Of the Unite
States army 0n 1903) and chief Q