Lieutenant general

“ When this is the case, and any duty specially concerning Artillery is carried on, it is usual for an officer not to attend in the dress of a General or Field-Marshal but in that of the Colonel of the regiment to which he belongs.
RANKS.
Next to Field-Marshals come Full Generals. After a General comes a Lieutenant-General, and then a Major-General. The civilian usually makes a mistake in the relative rank of these two officers; for as a Major is higher in rank than a Lieutenant, so he considers a Major-General must be higher than a Lieutenant-General. ”

“ A man who was a first lieutenant when the army came to France told us: "A first lieutenant is supposed to know everything and do everything; a captain is supposed to know everything and do nothing, and a major is supposed to know nothing and do nothing." ”

“ FEAD, GEORGE (1729?–1815) , lieutenant-general, colonel-commandant fourth battalion royal artillery, entered the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, as a cadet 1 Sept. 1756, became a lieutenant-fireworker royal artillery 8 June 1756, second lieutenant 1760, first lieutenant 1764, captain-lieutenant 1771, captain 1779, brevet major 1783, regimental major 1792, lieutenant-colonel 1793, brevet colonel 1797, regimental colonel 1799, major-general 1803, lieutenant-general 1810. As a lieutenant-fireworker he was present at the famous siege of Louisburg, Cape Breton, in 1758. ”

“ As the principal, indeed the only object which the lieutenant-general can have, is to prevent any assistance being given to the garrison, whilst he invests the place, he must always be on horseback; he must incessantly visit the different posts, thoroughly reconnoitre the country, and minutely examine those quarters, through which succours or supplies might be conveyed to the garrison, or which offer advantageous positions for his own troops to occupy. ”

“ But it would be much easier for the Lieutenant, who can ride with me altho’ he does not, or for the Corporal, who to my great satisfaction accompanies me, when we are out of town to push forward and meet another carriage with prepared horses The scheme could not fail unless we were betrayed, which to avoid I have a plan equally easy, and you may depend upon an undoubted success. The Lieutenant is an old slavish hardened fool. ”

“ It is somewhat difficult to explain definitely the authority a lieutenant exercises over the men in the company when the captain is present. In general terms, however, it may be stated the lieutenant can not make any changes around the barracks, inflict any punishment or put men on, or relieve them from, any duty without the consent of the captain. It is always better if there be a definite understanding between the captain and his lieutenants as to what he expects of them, how he wishes to have certain things done and to what extent he will sustain them. ”

“ Jacobite Memoirs, p. 29. Some idea may be formed of the lieutenant-general’s activity, from the following extract from a letter written on 7th September, by him to his brother the marquis, who was then busily employed raising the men on his brother’s estates. “I hope the meal was with you this day—35 bolls—for it was at Inwar last night: It shall be my study to have more meal with you on Monday night, for you must distribute a peck a man: and, cost what it will, there must be pocks, (small sacks,) made to each man, to contain a peck or two for the men, to have always with them. ”

“ He thinks this way because, having graduated at West Point this year, he is only a second lieutenant just now, and General Phillips is his captain and company commander.
It seems that in the Army, lieutenants are called "Mister" always, but all other officers must be addressed by their rank. At least that is what they tell me. But in Faye's company, the captain is called general, and the first lieutenant is called major, and as this is most confusing, I get things mixed sometimes. Most girls would. A soldier in uniform waited upon us at dinner, and that seemed so funny. ”

“ A petty first lieutenancy is nothing for a brilliant fellow like you.”
“I am not half so brilliant a fellow as you declare, and I think that a commission as first lieutenant is a big thing for a young man like me. I’m 186 sure I never had an idea of being an officer at all; and, when I was made a sergeant, I didn’t think I deserved it.”
“What do you suppose a major-general can want with you? You have heard from Senator Guilford once before, and I am satisfied you will hear from him again. Now, Somers, what do you suppose the general wants of you?” ”

“ It was likewise agreed, that any person who engaged himself in raising parties, should be disarmed. By this day's proceedings, we thought the lieutenant a gentleman of resolution, but the words and actions of people do not always concur.
Friday the 28th, to-day the officers and people all appeared in arms. The master, boatswain, gunner, and carpenter, with Mr J----s, mate, and Mr C----ll, midshipman, went into the captain's tent, the lieutenant being with him. ”

“ Every civilian officer fumes over to himself that he is not an executive; every lieutenant curses the time that must pass before he is a lieutenant-commander, and so on all through. Wherever they are in the professions, they want to be better and higher. ”

“ At every ball he comes to me and begs for the first dance.”
Colonel:—“He is all right; he is a brave fellow, that Lieutenant; he always does the disagreeable duties first.”
An Appropriate Gift
A general who had the misfortune to lose several battles, received as a New Year’s present a box containing a drum on which was written: “Not good for anything but to be beaten.”
Thankful For Anything
Lieutenant:—“You idiot; you have brought me a single ticket instead of a return ticket!”
Servant:—“But sir, there was such a crowd at the ticket-office, that I was glad to get this one.” ”

“ And then there are certainly a few who are really soldiers, heart and soul, but their number is small—where are they to be found? Among the subordinate officers I have scarcely known a single lieutenant who did not curse and swear when he was set to perform a duty, and who would not have preferred to depart at once if only he knew how he was to earn his living. This sounds hard, but I assure you it is quite true. Even when a lieutenant says, 'I like being an officer,' it is generally because of the position it gives him in Society and not because he likes exercising and drilling the men. ”

“ He carries in his hand a complete list of his division, and of each man's clothes; and when the young gentlemen under his orders have finished their work, and taken down what is wanted, the lieutenant goes along the line to investigate the whole anew. He then collects the different memorandums of slops wanted, and proceeds to make his report to the captain, who either sanctions or disapproves of the decision of the officer, as he pleases. Frequently the captain himself goes along the divisions, to look at the men's clothing ”

“ Villa asked, "With salt, Joe?"
Major Barris sighed. "No use trying to tell you space chicks anything. You're lieutenants now, and a lieutenant has the thickest skull of any rank, no matter what service he belongs to." ”

“ In this way the several working parties will come to take an interest and pride in executing their tasks well and quickly, which they never could feel if the responsibility and credit were divided or dissipated by their being sent backwards and forwards from one operation to another. For the purpose of such arrangements, as well as to assist his memory, the first lieutenant may find it useful to write out in the evening a programme of the next day's intended operations, and commencing every morning by this, adhere to it throughout the day as strictly as circumstances will permit. ”

“ When sufficient officers are present for duty, there should be a captain and lieutenant, besides the lieutenant to carry the Colour, with the right guard, which will form the escort to receive the Colour. ”

“ He is the second lieutenant, and has, consequently, the easiest berth among the sea lieutenants, being relieved from the drudgery of the first lieutenant, and exempt from the calls for extra duty, that are sometimes made upon the junior lieutenant. When his watch is over, and his division drilled, he is a gentleman at large, for the rest of the day. ”

“ The distinguished captain walked through the car directly to the seat of the lieutenant, who had not even yet ceased to blush under the praises which had been bestowed upon him.
“Somers, your hand,” said he, extending his own. “I have heard all about it, and am proud that our regiment has furnished so brave and devoted a man. Oh, don’t blush, my dear fellow! You are a modest man. I sympathize with you; for I am a modest man myself. ”

“ We had not been many days at sea, before we discovered that our first lieutenant was a most abominable tyrant, a brutal fellow, a drunkard, and a glutton, with a long red nose, and a large belly; he frequently sent half-a-dozen grown-up midshipmen to the mast-head at a time. ”

“ The lower you get the more officers there are, and the harder it is to see the promising ones in the crowd; but once past the rank of major the air gets very much cleared by the merciless way they have been weeded out, and the higher officers are the very flower of middle-aged German males. As for those below, a lieutenant is a bright and beautiful being who admires no one so much as himself ”

“ Each brigade has a lieutenant-commander, and each battery a sub-lieutenant, chief petty officer, first and second-class petty officers, buglers, &c., while the staff includes a lieutenant-instructor, first-class petty officer instructor, surgeon, bugle-major, and armourer. ”

“ The first lieutenant told me that I had acted very judiciously in resisting at first his undue exertion of authority; that he was at once a tyrant, a bully, and a coward, and would be careful how he attacked me again. “But be on your guard,” said he, “he will never forgive you; and when he is most agreeable there is the most mischief to be dreaded. ”

“ Three or four youngsters, even though absolute novices, might always be kept well employed in a sloop-of-war, and perhaps twice that number in a frigate or line-of-battle ship fitting. In peace time, however, it will happen that the crowd of young gentlemen is so great, and the disposition to learn so little diffused amongst them, that the first lieutenant is often glad to get rid of them altogether by letting them waste their time and money on shore. ”

“ One of the military guests was a tall, weather-beaten, soldier-like man, about thirty-five years of age, a lieutenant apparently by the bullion of his epaulettes; the other was slender, fair-haired, and rather plainly featured, and proved to be the ensign of his recruiting party, which was then beating up at Ayr. As the churlish waiter passed them after putting some wine before Quentin, the lieutenant asked, in a low voice—
"What is he?"
"Who, sir?"
"That young fellow in the corner."
"Too proud for a recruit—an officer, I think," said the waiter, with a grin. ”

“ As the sergeant lit them he could see a bit of the red tip in the lieutenant's mouth. He dragged deep on his own, pretending he could taste lipstick.
"Lieutenant," he said. "It doesn't matter where you hit them, does it? I mean it doesn't hurt them at all?"
"No," the lieutenant said. "No, it doesn't matter. They just go to sleep."
"I'm glad." After a while the sergeant said, "I guess I'll hit the sack."
"It's still early."
"Yes. But I like to get up early. There's always a line in the latrine—at the shaving bowls."
"Combat troops don't have to shave," the lieutenant said. ”

“ I do not know if you will understand what I am going to say, Olga, but the greatest misfortune for our lieutenants is—I do not say our officers, but only our lieutenants—that on account of their uniform and position they can get credit everywhere. Many educated, or only half-educated, rich people who gladly entertain the officers, so that they may be considered in 'Society,' constantly press their assistance upon these lieutenants just on the chance of their getting into difficulties. The lieutenant sees it all quite clearly ”

“ In the 1st, 3rd, and 4th regiments of tirailleurs and voltigeurs of our guard, the number of officers will be increased by one lieutenant or one second lieutenant per company. The twenty-four lieutenants and twenty-four sub-lieutenants necessary for this increase shall be appointed by our Minister of War among infantry officers on half or pay, and preferably among those who leave the guard or which have already been used. ”

“ The first lieutenant has the same detail of duty with the captain, because in his absence he commands the company: he is to see that the soldiers are clean and neat: that their clothes, arms, and accoutrements are in good and serviceable order; and to watch over every thing else, which may contribute to their health. He must give attention to their being taught their exercise, see them punctually paid, their messes regularly kept, and visit them in the hospitals when sick. ”

“ When the Lieutenant came along five minutes after, muffled to the ears in a wet mackintosh, he found the gunners hard at work.
“I started in to pull the sandbags clear, sir,” reported the Sergeant-Major. “Right you are,” said the Lieutenant. “Then you’d better put the double detachments on to pull one gun out and then the other. ”

“ George agreed, "that is why I am astonished that our officers don't feel like that. If only the girls, who so often regard a lieutenant as the paragon of perfection, knew, or could hear with their own ears how the officers talk about them after they have been to an entertainment, they would blush with shame, and a lieutenant would soon cease to be their ideal. There are, of course, exceptions, thank God! but most of my fellow-officers are as I have just described, and it is the same in other regiments; to them a woman is just like a horse—a thing to be examined and appraised. ”