The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1917-11-08
HAD BUT FIVE GENERALS
Why RANK WAS CREATED
GIANT WAS FIRST TO RECEIVE
HONOR-THEN SHERMAN,
SHERIDAN RAISED.


seen either General Tasker II. Bills
ar General John ]. Pershing. A recen
oct of congress revived the rank tina
has been held hitherto by only tire,
officers of the United States army
r. s. Grant, w. T. Sherman and Phil.
In r. Sheridan
The amendment also provided the
rank of lieutenant general for corps
commanders These changes We're
made when Secretary Baker said that
Major General Pershing would be han
dicapped by the fact that he would
he brought into contact with allied
commanders who, while holding infe-
rior positions, would outrank him
pershing can be considered as subor-
dinate only to General Petain and
Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig, but
each of these leaders has under him
officers of higher rank than the Amer
lean commander held.
Washington's Rank.
The statement is sometimes made
that there have been four generals of
the United States army, adding George
Washington. The United States army
was organized September 20, 1889, but
it was not until nine years later, July
g. 1898 that Washington was appointed
lieutenant general and commander of
the army. which rank he held until his
death, December IA, 1893. That was
the highest rank Washington ever held
in the United States army. The rank
of general and commander in chief "of
all the forces raised OK to be raised"
otherwise the continental army was
held by him from 1775 to 1888, but
that was in the continental army.
In times past the government of the
United States has tried to subordinate
the army's importance. A civilian,
the president, was made commander
in chief of the army and navy by the
constitution. 1t is significant that
the rank of general recently conferred
on Pershing and the chief of staff is
only for the period of the war.
Grant Made General.
In February, 1864, congress- created
and conferred upon Grant the rank
of lieutenant general in recognition of
his victory over General Bragg at
Chattanooga A month later he as
sumed command of the armies of the
United States and moved against Lee.
At the close of the civil war he was
the chief citizen of the republic AS
reward for his illustrious services in
the field congress in 1866 awarded him
the grade of general, a higher rank
than before had existed in the army.
Conflict with President Johnson over
reconstruction of the southern states
had begun before this. At first the
president was very bitter against all
who had fought against the union.
Johnson became estranged when Grant
opposed the terms of the parole at APP
pomottox. Finding Grant opposed to
his assuming the powers of congress,
Johnson ordered him out of the coun-
try on a special mission to Mexico.
General Grant refused, saying that
this was not military service, but a
diplomatic mission, and claimed the
right Of any citizen to refuse civil
ian appointment An effort was later
made to send him west.
People Approve Grant.
In 1857 congress provided that all
orders relating to military operations
should be issued by the general of the
army, and that he should not be re-
moved or assigned elsewhere than
Washington except at his own request,
without the assent of the senate Thus
Grant was given chief control of af-
fairs relating to reconstruction of the
south. His position was delicate and
embarrassing; he was compelled to
execute the laws of congress at the
risk of appearing insubordinate to his
official commander in chief. But his
course was commenced by the people
and he became the eighteenth presi-
dent.
1t is interesting to read a contempt
rary judgment of General Grant. Gid
con Welles, secretary of the navy,
wrote in his diary, II am impressed
with the idea that General Grant may
prove dangerous man. He is devoid
of patriotism, is ignorant but cum
ming yet greedy for office and pow
err What Secretary Welles meant,
perhaps, was that Grant was a presi-
Dental possibility whom he did not
approve
Sherman Followed Grant.
When Grant entered the White
House in 1859. Sherman succeeded to
the command of the army. He was
given the rank of general, and Sheri-
dan became lieutenant general, with
the understanding that both these IT,
Ties should disappear with the death OF
the men holding them. Sherman had
been made lieutenant general in
1866 when Grant attained full rank
and had been assigned to the military
district of the Missouri. with head
quarters at Fort Leavenworth. Pre-
Vious to the war he had practice1 law
LOT year In Leavenworth.
Sheridan came into command al
fort Leavenworth in 1868, leaving
there TO carry on a winter campaign