THE UNITED STATES SERVICE MAGAZINE. VOL. IV.-JULY, 1865.-NO. I. WHAT TO DO WITH OUR GENERALS. THE rebel generals have come to grief, and been excluded from the amnesty: the punishment is merited. What shall we do with our own? They have earned great rewards. The rapidity with which the war came to a close, and the sudden disbandment of our armies, throws out of their offices and employment a large number of our generals, most of them of course of the volunteer force, and the question occurs, What is to be done with and for the men who have commanded our victorious legions, and thus brought us so glorious a peace? It seems like a complicated one, but if analyzed it will be found. quite simple. As a general principle, the volunteer generals will be disbanded, the retention of a few who have made themselves needed men being the exceptions to the rule. Those now disbanded will bear with them to civic life the honors of the Government and the gratitude of the country. Let the present list of regular generals remain subject to such modifications and reconstruction as may be proper. Most of them have earned their rank, and they and more will be needed for an army much larger than our old army before the war. But there is a class consisting of army officers, many of them of lower rank, who have risen to be major-generals and brigadiergenerals of volunteers. It is among these, and as to their future, that particular care and consideration are necessary. Without attempting an enumeration, we may instance Wright, Humphreys, and Gibbon, the latter of whom is only a captain of Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1865, by C. B. RICHARDSON, in the Clerk's artillery. Now it seems quite unjust to put a man who has commanded a corps d'armée, and shown his entire capability to command it, back to the command of a company, and it should not be done: but how can it be remedied? In the first place, many will be glad to resign, and have only been waiting for the termination of the war to do so. Second, the useless generals who, like the war-horse of Scripture, have only "smelt the battle from afar," should be gotten rid of or reduced without compunction. Third, the number of regular generals will be increased, since the war will leave much unsettled and extra work,-boards, courts, tours of inspection, &c., &c.,-to be done; and the most meritorious generals should be repromoted for this purpose. Fourth, if, having made such appointments, it be more desirable to decrease the list as the work becomes less, then let there be no promotions among the generals, as they die or resign, until a certain limit is reached. Fifth, let all the worthy remaining officers, who have been generals of volunteers, be brevetteď to the highest rank they have attained, and where it may be done, as it always can, let them have separate commands. Their honors belong to them, and the brave, unflinching, self-sacrificing commanders of the war should never be reduced in title and honor; time will soon re-establish the system. And lastly, let all this matter be confided to a competent and numerous board, which shall reorganize according to the principles here laid down. We only throw out these hints, feeling quite sure that the republic will not be ungrateful, and that if we shrink from introducing an English pension list "for so many lives," we shall at least give just rewards to those who have earned far more than the Government can ever pay. They staked all, and saved the country. Now is the time to acknowledge our debt, and reward them. MAJOR-GENERAL JOHN A. LOGAN. THE subject of this sketch, John Alexander Logan, was born near the present town of Murphysboro', in the County of Jackson, Illinois, on the 9th of February, 1826. His father, Dr. John Logan, emigrated from Ireland and settled in Illinois in the year 1823. His mother, Elizabeth Jenkins, was a native of Tennessee. The fruits of this marriage were eleven children, John A. being the eldest. During young Logan's boyhood, schools were scarcely known in Illinois: accordingly, he had only such opportunities of education as presented themselves upon the appearance in the neighborhood of some itinerant schoolmaster. In 1840 he attended an institution known as |