serve for a long time as a Captain in his regiment before receiving his promotion. Upon these representations Mr. Lincoln ordered my immediate retirement, although there was a large number of officers who had been recommended months before awaiting a vacancy, and although I was about the last recommended and the leave of absence approved for six months to await orders, the leave was revoked and I was arbitrarily placed on the retired list as a senior Captain of cavalry and Major Ball retired, promoting Captain Bacon to a majority, the place I was legally entitled to. These are facts that can be substantiated by the records of the Department and other evidence.

In connection with my attempt to obtain justice at the hands of the War Department General Rosecrans took a very active and friendly interest in my case and introduced the following bill:

A Bill to Regulate the Retiring of Army Officers.

1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That from and after the passage of this Act all officers of the Army of the United States who have been or may hereafter be recommended for retirement for disability by a retiring board shall be placed upon the retired list in the order in which they are recommended by said board of retirement.

Sec. 2. That the President be and hereby is authorized to revoke the order, September fifteenth, eighteen hundred and eighty-three, by which Capt. George A. Armes, Tenth U. S. Cavalry, was retired, and that said Armes shall only be retired in his order, agreeably to the foregoing provisions of this Act.

In self-defense I found it necessary to send the following letter to the President on account of the harsh, unjust and arbitrary treatment received at the hands of Robert Lincoln, Secretary of War:

Washington, D. C., March 13, 1884.

To the President of the United States:

Sir-I respectfully call your attention to the action of your Secretary of War, Robert T. Lincoln, in his unjust treatment and misrepresentations of myself. He has said to me that he told you the statement I made to you in relation to his letter to me, which I alluded to in the interview you kindly granted me last Saturday, was a falsehood. This statement of his is not in accord with the facts.

The following is a true copy of an extract from his communication to me on the subject of promotion: "You are referred to paragraph 36 of the Army Regulations, from which it will be seen that, having been found physically disabled for duty, you of necessity come under the excepting provision of that paragraph."

Paragraph 36, Army Regulations, referred to, reads as follows: "All vacancies in established regiments and corps to the rank of Colonel shall be filled by promotion according to seniority, except in case of disability or other incompetency.'

The disability referred to in this paragraph refers to disability occasioned through the commission of crimes or offenses. Now, I complain that if that was one of the grounds upon which my hasty retirement was made, which unjustly deprived me of the promotion to which I am entitled, I have never improperly interfered with others, but as an officer of the Army and a citizen of the United States I feel it my duty to bring to public notice the dishonest actions of two prominent Army officers and one Cabinet officer, holding the position of Secretary of War, who were found guilty, or, in effect, confessed the truth of the charges I made, and the three went out of office in disgrace. Since their downfall repeated efforts have been made to ruin me, if possible, and I, as well as my family, have been compelled to suffer untold wrongs at the instance of dishonest persons who have had it in their power to do so, and so far have been unable to get any redress.

It is true that I have several times been tried before courts-martial and found guilty, but all that was brought about by conspiracies and persecutions such as few officers, if any, ever had to contend with, and the charges were so frivolous that under other circumstances a just commanding officer would have cast them aside as unworthy of notice. No charge was ever made against me. which I could not have disproved had I been allowed an opportunity to do so, but this was not permitted. Every possible advantage was taken of me, first by giving me no time to meet the charges, which were suddenly changed, and, second, by excluding

my witnesses and evidence. The conspiracy against me fully developed itself when I was ordered to return to my regiment in 1878. When the telegram announcing this was handed Col. B. H. Grierson, I am told by an officer who was there present he declared it would not be three months before he would have me out again, and this he set about to accomplish. I was subjected to every possible annoyance, and charges were trumped up to send me before courts-martial or before boards, and, unfortunately for me, he and his coadjutors succeeded in poisoning against me the minds of those higher in authority.

During the whole time of my service in the Army no inspecting officer ever reported me as deficient in the control or administration of my command, and the fact that I was several times recommended for brevet for gallantry in the field, and mentioned in orders a number of times, shows that I have not been inefficient while on duty.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

(Signed)

G. A. ARMES.

My military troubles did not prevent me from carrying on an energetic and profitable business, of which the following letters from prominent men are evidence:

Maj. Geo. A. Armes:

The Ebbitt House, Washington, D. C., September 3, 1884.

Dear Sir—I will be glad to drive with you this afternoon to look at some houses. I have an idea of purchasing a residence in this city, and will be pleased to have you show me around.

Dear Sir-I have known Maj. George A. Armes for several years. He has transacted a considerable amount of business for me, and has always done it promptly and well. He has a very large acquaintance, and has been very successful in making sales. I think he would manage your business promptly and correctly if entrusted in his care.

CHAPTER XXIII.

Washington, D. C., January 1, 1885. I commenced the first of the year by putting on my uniform, meeting the General of the Army at the War Department and marching with the long line of officers who had assembled there in full-dress uniform. After shaking hands with President Arthur and a large number of friends, many of whom I had not met for over twenty years, I invited Captain Heiner of the First Infantry to make calls.

January 17, 1885.

Captain Heiner called at my office this A. M. We had quite a long interview with the Secretary of War as to his appointing a board to look into the merits of my unjust retirement as a Captain. I told him that his action was one which would leave a stain upon his character that could never be wiped out. I also told him I would appeal to the President, and left him in disgust and contempt.

January 19, 1885.

Judge Shellabarger made a splendid argument in defense of General Swaim today. I called at the War Department and had a long discussion with General Drum about the Secretary of War, handing him a letter for President Arthur in regard to the injustice which Secretary Lincoln has inflicted upon myself and family.

January 21, 1885.

General Grosvenor made a very able argument in the defense of General Swaim today which ought to convince anyone that General Swaim would be cleared.

January 27, 1885.

Saw General Miles today a few minutes. He is still engaged on General Swaim's court. Ex-Governor Stanton of Kansas called to see me about his thirty thousand acres.

January 31, 1885.

Called on Mrs. Governor Swan with a letter of introduction from Governor Price. Had a very pleasant conversation in regard to real estate, of which she is a large owner.

After failing to obtain justice from the Secretary of War, who seemed fully controlled by my enemies, composed of a clique in the War Departmen who are bent on keeping me from receiving justice, I found it necessary to send a letter to the President of the United States, which Mr. Lincoln declined to let him see, sending me a letter dated January 31 as his excuse. The reader can easily see prejudice cropping out. Although an officer of the Army, I have found it necessary to run the risk of being court-martialed in order to bring out the facts and expose those in authority. But in spite of my making myself liable, it is impossible to get them to order a court to investigate my case for fear of their own exposure.

February 2, 1885.

Upon arriving at my office this A. M. I found the names of Colonel Woodbury and his son on my desk. They returned at 1 P. M., when I invited them to drive around the city and to my house to dine. They are now my guests.

February 3, 1885.

Last evening Colonel Woodbury and I called on Senator Sherman, Mr. Blaine, Mr. Edmonds and General Hazen.

February 4, 1885.

This A. M. Colonel Woodbury, his son Charlie and myself went to Manassas Station, Virginia. The Colonel hired a team and we drove over the ground of Bull Run, where he lost one of his arms in 1861. We picked up several cannon-balls near the place where his arm was shot off and brought them back as mementoes.

February 17, 1885.

Met Captain Home of England at the National Hotel last evening. Spent an hour with Senator McPherson in trying to persuade him to purchase the Jackson House. Saw General Miles in relation to Mr. Hill's offer of $30,000 for his land. Had quite a talk with Senator Voorhees of Indiana, who is one of my supporters.

February 24, 1885.

I sent a letter to the President enclosing copy of letter of January 19, which the Secretary of War refused to deliver.