side, waiting for the ambulances. They have given out on the march. On we move, but the camp, though anxiously looked for by all, is not yet reached. The shades of evening close in round us. It is now dark, and still we trudge along. We meet a man on horseback. "How far to camp?" "How far to camp?" rings out all along the line, as he passes. "Two miles and a half," "Two miles and a half," he answers as fast as he can utter it, to keep up with the inquiries put to him. So on we move to overcome the "two miles and a half." But, oh, how long they seem to-night! Every hill we ascend, and every bend in the road we pass, we anxiously look to see the camp-fires. But we are often disappointed. At length we descry the glimmer of the distant camp-fires. The sight calls forth a shout from the men all along the line. After sundry and patience-trying stops we finally reach camp. And, oh, what a camp! Upon a steep hill-side, while there is plenty of level land in the neighborhood: rocky, too, and a perfect thicket, while there is plenty of clear, smooth land all around. Who made such a selection of a camp as this? No difference. It has been made by the proper authority, and our duty is simply to submit. We march by faith. We fight by faith. We crawl up this hill-side, and in among these rocks and bushes, in the dark, to camp for the night, by faith. We have not faith, however, to believe that the officer who selected uch a place in which for us to camp, camps to-night himself in just such a place. There are more curses than prayers among the men in the bushes just now. We have had no dinner to-day. We have made a march of over twenty miles. We cannot do without supper also. But what a place this is in which to get supper! No wonder the cooks grumble, and some of them even swear. The brush is rid off sufficient space on which to build fires. Fires are kindled-a little coffee is made -a little meat is fried. With salt pork, coffee, and crackers we make our supper. We spread down our blankets among the bushes, retire to rest, and are soon oblivious to the toils, and trials, and dangers of "this cruel war." Such is a brief sketch of "The March of a Day"- -a long and toilsome day. But it, with all its toils, and labors, and dangers, is gone-gone forever! All its thoughts, and words, and deeds are recorded in God's book of remembrance, to staud in uneffaceable record till the day of final accounts. Ah, and are all these foolish and wicked oaths I have heard uttered this day, by both officers and men, recorded there, to be remembered on that great day, for which all other days were made, against those who uttered them? Uttered perhaps in anger, perhaps in jest, perhaps in simple thoughtlessness. But there they are, and all other thoughts, and words, and deeds, whether good or bad; and with this record against us, we are one day nigher eternity,-one day nigher death, the resurrection, and final judgment. Oh, that we could all improve by the past; and that our noble soldiers, while they each day make "A Day's March" in the discharge of their duty in our country's cause, may make also "The March of a Day" towards that better country where wars, and fightings, and wearisome marchings are unknown, is the earnest wish of him who writes. RANDAL ROSS, Chaplain 15th Regt., O. V. V. I. PERSONAL ITEMS. MAJOR-GENERAL GEORGE H. THOMAS has been appointed major-general in the regular Army, to date from December 15th, the day of his recent great victory over Hood, and to fill the vacancy occasioned by the resignation of General John C. Frémont. Major-General A. S. Webb has been appointed Chief of Staff to Major-General Meade, commanding Army of the Potomac. Brevet Major-General A. H. Terry has been appointed a full major-general of volunteers, and brigadier-general in the regular Army, for distinguished services in the capture of Fort Fisher. Brigadier-General Edward Ferrero has been brevetted major-general, for gallant conduct and meritorious service before Richmond and Petersburg. Brigadier-General E. B. Brown has been assigned to the command of the district of Rolla, Missouri. The President has nominated Brigadier-General Ames brevet major-general, and Colonels Pennypacker, Curtis, and Bell brevet brigadier-generals, for gallantry at the capture of Fort Fisher. The following-named officers have been promoted by the President to be brevet brigadier-generals in the regular Army, for meritorious and faithful service:-Brevet Colonel R. S. Satterlee, Colonel A. E. Shiras, Major L. Easton, Colonel E. D. Townsend, Colonel William Hoffman, Brevet Colonel D. H. Vinton, Brevet Colonel Stewart Van Vliet, Brevet Colonel Rufus Ingalls, Colonel Edmund Schriver, Brevet Colonel B. W. Brice, Colonel George Wright. Brigadier-General Robert B. Potter (Second Division, Ninth Corps) has been brevetted major-general, to date from August 1st, for distinguished and gallant conduct in the several actions since crossing the Rapidan. Brigadier-General O. B. Willcox, commanding the First Division of the Ninth Army Corps, has been brevetted major-general, to date from the 1st of last August. Brigadier-General Joseph D. Cox has been promoted to be a major-general of volunteers, for distinguished services. Brigadier-General Frank Wheaton (Major 2d U. S. Cavalry) has been brevetted major-general, for conspicuous gallantry at the battles of Winchester, Fisher's Hill, and Cedar Creek. Colonel Cyrus Hamlin, eldest son of the Vice-President, has been promoted to the rank of brigadier-general, for distinguished services. Colonel Henry G. Thomas (19th U. S. Colored Troops, and Captain 11th U. S. Infantry) has been appointed brigadier-general, for conspicuous gallantry before Petersburg. Colonel Wm. R. Brewster (73d New York Vols.) has been brevetted brigadier-general, for distinguished services and gallant conduct in the present campaign before Richmond. Colonel Andrew W. Denison has been brevetted brigadier-general, for meritorious services in the field. Colonel Joseph B. Hamblin (65th New York) and Colonel Wm. H. Penrose (4th New Jersey) have been brevetted brigadier-generals, for conspicuous gallantry nt the battles of Winchester, Fisher's Hill, and Cedar Creek. Colonel Henry L. Abbot (1st Connecticut Artillery) has been brevetted brigadiergeneral, to date from August 1st, for distinguished and gallant services before Richmond. Colonel E. L. Molineux (159th New York Vols.) has been brevetted brigadiergeneral, for distinguished services in the field. Colonel E. J. Davis (1st Texas Cavalry) has been brevetted brigadier-general, for distinguished services in the field. Colonel Joseph Bailey (4th Wisconsin Cavalry) has been brevetted brigadiergeneral, for distinguished services in the field, and appointed to the command of the District of Baton Rouge. Colonel Thomas J. Lucas (16th Indiana Mounted Infantry) has been brevetted brigadier-general, for distinguished services in the field. Colonel Wm. Myers, Chief Quartermaster of the Department of Missouri, has been brevetted brigadier-general. Colonel N. B. M'Laughlin (57th Massachusetts Veteran Volunteers) has, for distinguished and gallant services at Poplar Grove Church, Va., September 30, 1864, been appointed a brigadier-general of volunteers, to rank from that date. Colonel R. B. Hayes (23d Ohio Vols.) has been appointed brigadier-general, for gallant and meritorious services in the Shenandoah Valley. Colonel George D. Wells (34th Massachusetts Volunteers) has been nominated by the President for promotion, for distinguished services at the battle of Cedar Creek, Virginia. Colonel William Cogswell, of the 2d Massachusetts Infantry, has been made brevet brigadier-general, since the arrival of Sherman's army at Savannah. Colonel James R. Slack (47th Indiana Volunteers) has been appointed brigadiergeneral, for distinguished services. Lieutenant-Colonel William T. Clark, Chief of Staff and Assistant Adjutant-General of the Department and Army of the Tennessee, has recently been promoted by the President to be a brigadier-general of volunteers. The meeting of the adjutant-generals of the United States, which assembled recently at Columbus, Ohio, adjourned to meet at Boston on the 10th of July proximo. Commodore James S. Palmer assumed command of the Western Gulf Blockading Squadron November 30th, upon Admiral Farragut's sailing for the North. The President has remitted the court-martial sentence of Admiral Wilkes to a period of one year from its date (May 3, 1864), at which time the Admiral is to be restored to active duty. Among the promotions in the Medical Department sent to the Senate by the President are the following:-Medical Inspector-General Joseph K. Barnes, to be surgeon-general, with the rank of brigadier-general, August 22d, 1864, vice Hammond, dismissed. Surgeon Madison Mills, to be medical inspector-general, with the rank of colonel, December 1, 1864, vice Barnes, appointed surgeon-general. Surgeon George Suckley has been appointed Medical Director of the Department of Virginia and North Carolina. OFFICIAL INTELLIGENCE. The Army. Appointments Confirmed by the Senate. Brigadier-General William T. Sherman, United States Army, Major-General of Volunteers, to be Major-General, August 12, 1864, vice Wool, retired. Brigadier-General George H. Thomas, United States Army, Major-General of Volunteers, to be Major-General, December 15, 1864, vice Frémont, resigned. Brigadier-General Philip H. Sheridan, United States Army, Major-General of Volunteers, to be Major-General, November 8. 1864, vice McClellan, resigned. Major Winfield S. Hancock, Quartermaster United States Army, and Major-Geneal of Volunteers, to be Brigadier-General, August 12, 1864, vice McPherson, deceased. Captain Philip H. Sheridan, Thirteenth United States Infantry, Major-General of Volunteers, to be Brigadier-General, September 20, 1864, vice Sherman, appointed Major-General. Passed Assistant Surgeon Somerset Robinson, to be Surgeon. Captain John L. Broome, to be Major in the Marine Corps. First Lieutenant William H. Parker, to be Captain in the Marine Corps. Second Lieutenant Lewis E. Fagan, to be First Lieutenant in the Marine Corps. Francis N. Harrington, of the District of Columbia, to be Second Lieutenant in the Marine Corps. First Lieutenant John A. Burroughs, to be Captain in the Marine Corps. Second Lieutenants Frederick T. Peet and Edward P. Meeker, to be First Lieutenants. Acting Volunteer Lieutenant William P. Hall, to be Acting Volunteer LieutenantCommander. Acting Masters J. S. Warner, James C. Gibson, George W. Rogers, John Rogers, Henry S. Wetmore, John W. Atkinson, and Peter O'Kell, to be Acting Volunteer Lieutenants for duty on the Mississippi Squadron. Field-Officers' Courts. The following opinion of the Judge-Advocate General of the Army, upon the proceedings under Section 7, Act of Congress approved July 17, 1862, is published for the information of the Army: To the Adjutant-General: WAR DEPARTMENT, The following is respectfully submitted, in reply to the questions suggested by the communication of Major Stickney, 24th Veteran Reserve Corps, and the records accompanying it: The Field-Officers' Court, under the Act of Congress of July 17, 1862, supersedes the Regimental Court in all cases when there is a field officer with the regiment. If there are two such officers present, the order should be issued by the regimental commander; otherwise, by the brigade or next superior commander. The act was intended to provide a means for summary punishment of the lighter grades of offences previously triable by Regimental Courts, and it has not been held to be necessary to make up the records with the formality required in cases tried by court-martial. Though it is preferable to have the record of each case made up separately, it is not considered a fatal irregularity to unite the proceedings in a number of cases, without repeating the order detailing the trying officer in each. The record should show the charge upon which each prisoner was tried, and the plea, finding, and sentence in the case. It is not necessary to spread the evidence upon the record, and therefore it need not be set forth that the prisoner had an opportunity to offer evidence and make a statement. The jurisdiction is confined to cases which were triable before a Regimental Court. The 66th Article of War limits the jurisdiction of Regimental Courts to the trial of offences not capital. The second charge against Private John Reilly is an offence within the 9th Article of War, and should not, therefore, have been the subject of investigation in this proceeding. As, however, the other charge on which the party was tried is one of which the officer clearly had jurisdiction, and as his finding on this will support the sentence, which does not seem at all disproportionate to the offence, it is not recommended that it be disturbed. Dismissals, J. HOLT, For the Week ending December 3, 1864. Lieutenant-Colonel R. S. Donaldson, 50th United States Colored Troops, to dato November 26, 1864, for (while in command of a recruiting rendezvous, at Vicksburg. Mississippi) having accepted money from a State Recruiting Agent, by way of gratification, and in consideration of certain certified copies of muster-in rolls, to be furnished said State Agent, such acceptance of money being in violation of the Sixteenth Article of War. Captain Frank T. D. Ketcham, 16th United States Colored Infantry, to date November 25, 1864, for having tendered his resignation, on account of incompetency, while under charges (disobedience of orders, insubordination, appropriating the company funds for his own use and benefit, stealing a horse and equipments, and offering the same for sale, lying, and drunkenness on duty). The following officers, to date October 31, 1864, for the causes mentioned; having been published officially, and failed to appear before the Commission: Disobedience of orders and absence without leave. Captain Theodore Conkey, 3d Wisconsin Cavalry. Absence without leave. Captain Martin H. McChesney, 2d New York Mounted Rifles. First Lieutenant William F. McNamara, 69th Pennsylvania Volunteers. First Lieutenant John E. Gharrett, 1st United States Colored Artillery (heavy), to date November 26, 1864, having tendered his resignation, assigning as a reason therefor a lack of confidence in Colored Troops, and consequent unfitness for holding an appointment in that branch of the service. First Lieutenant Matthew H. Ward, Quartermaster 9th Michigan Cavalry, to date November 30, 1864, for absence without leave. The following officers, to date November 25, 1864, for absenting themselves from their commands in the engagement of October 19, 1864 Second Lieutenant J. C. Burbridge, 10th West Virginia Volunteers. Second Lieutenant Albert Weber, 7th Regiment Veteran Reserve Corps, to date November 25, 1864, with loss of all pay and allowances, for fraudulently drawing two months' pay while absent without leave. Second Lieutenant Obed Enson, 3d Colorado Cavalry, to date November 26, 1864, for disobedience of orders, drunkenness, dishonesty, and utter worthlessness as an officer. Second Lieutenant J. P. Robertson, 8th Missouri State Militia Cavalry, to date November 26, 1864. Second Lieutenant John C. Taggert, 69th Pennsylvania Volunteers, to date April 19, 1864, for absence without leave. For the Week ending December 10, 1864. Lieutenant-Colonel Napoleon B. Knight, 1st Delaware Cavalry, to date December 2, 1864, for disobedience of orders, neglect of duty, and incompetency. |