Sidebilder
PDF
ePub

then Arbor day has been observed in Colorado, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Indiana, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Florida, Alabama, Missouri, California, Kentucky, Maine and Georgia. In several other states its observance has been secured by the recommendation of the Grange, the Grand Army of the Republic, or by State agricultural societies. While at the outset economic tree-planting was the primary aim, the adornment of home and school grounds soon followed. On the first Ohio Arbor Day, the children of Cincinnati joined in an attractive celebration, in the form of planting memorial trees and dedicating them to authors, statesmen, and other distinguished citizens. B. G. Northrop says, concerning the value of the observance of Arbor Day: "While forests should not be planted on our rich arable lands, there are in New England and all the Atlantic states large areas of barrens worthless for field crops, that may be profitably devoted to wood-growing. The feasibility of reclaiming our most sterile wastes is proved by many facts both at home and abroad. Our Atlantic sand plains were once covered with forests and can be reforested. Over 10,000 acres on Cape Cod, which thirty years ago were barren, sandy plains, are now covered with thriving planted forests.”

Aristocrats. A name applied by the Republicans to a section of the Federalists in 1796. Also called the British Party.

Arizona is a Territory of the United States. It originally formed parts of the Mexican cession and the Gadsden purchase. (See Annexations IV and V.) It was separated from New Mexico and organized by Act of February 24, 1863. Phoenix is the capital. The population in 1880 was 40,440 and in the last census (1890) 59,602. (See Governors; Legislatures.)

Area of the United States.-The area of the various territories which have been acquired by the United States from time to time is given under Annexations. The areas of the various States and Territories and of the United States are given in the following

table, the figures including the gross land and water areas as given in the census of 1890, except as to Alaska, the extent of which is given as estimated by the special agent for that census:

[blocks in formation]

Arkansas.-The State of Arkansas was originally a portion of the Louisiana purchase. (See Annexations I.) It was separated as Arkansaw Territory from Missouri in 1819, and was admitted to the Union on June 15, 1836. On May 6, 1861, a convention passed an ordinance of secession, and the State was re-admitted to the Union June 22, 1868. The capital is Little Rock. The population in 1880 was 802,525, and in the last 1890, census 1,128,179. Arkansas sends five members to the House of Representatives and has seven electoral votes; it is a Democratic State. In 1881 the Legislature declared the pronunciation of its name to be Ar-kan-saw. The name is of Indian origin and has no known meaning. Arkansas is popularly known as the Bear State, in allusion to the figures on the coat of arms of Missouri, of which it was once a part. (See Governors; Legislatures.)

Army of the United States.-On January 1, 1892, the army contained:

[blocks in formation]

The last division includes the engineer service, recruiting parties, ordnance department, hospital service, Indian scouts, West Point, signal detachments and general service.

The army is commanded by three major-generals, and six brigadier-generals. The pay of the officers is as follows:

[blocks in formation]

The pay is graded, acccording to years of active service, being increased at the rate of ten per cent. for every five years of service until after twenty years' service the maximum is reached; in the case of colonels and lieutenantcolonels the maximum is fixed somewhat lower. Officers are allowed mileage at the rate of eight cents a mile for every mile traveled under orders. The pay of the men is graded from $13 a month and rations, for the first two years, to $21 a month and rations after twenty years' service. The retired list of the army is limited to 400 officers. Any commissioned officer that has served thirty years may be retired on his own request at the discretion of the President, or having served forty years on his own request absolutely; or having served forty-five years, or having attained the age of sixty-two years, at the discretion of the President, without any act of his own. The pay is seventy-five per cent. of the pay allotted to officers of his rank in active service at the time of retirement. There are at present thirty-one general officers on the list, being one general, four major-generals and twenty-six brigader-generals. The general officers of the army are at present (1892) as follows:

[blocks in formation]

The commanders of the army have been as follows:

Major-General George Washington, June 15, 1775, to December 23, 1783. Major-General Henry Knox, December 23, 1783, to June 20, 1784. Lieutenant-Colonel Josiah Harmar, General-in-Chief by brevet, September, 1788, to March, 1791.

Major-General Arthur St. Clair, March 4, 1791, to March, 1792.

Major-General Anthony Wayne, April 11, 1792, to December 15, 1796.
Major-General James Wilkinson, December 15, 1796, to July, 1798.
Lieutenant-General George Washington, July 3, 1798, to his death,
December 14, 1799.

Major-General James Wilkinson, June, 1800, to January, 1812.
Major-General Henry Dearborn, January 27, 1812, to June, 1815.
Major-General Jacob Brown, June, 1815, to February 21, 1828.

Major-General Alexander Macomb, May 24, 1828, to June, 1841. Major-General Winfield Scott (brevet Lieutenant-General), June, 1841, to November 1, 1861.

Major-General George B. McClellan, November 1, 1861, to March 11, 1862. Major-General H. W. Halleck, July 11, 1862, to March 12, 1864.

Lieutenant-General U. S. Grant, March 12, 1864, to July 25, 1866, and as General to March 4, 1869.

General W. T. Sherman, March 4, 1869, to November 1, 1883.

Lieutenant-General P. H. Sheridan, November 1, 1883, to August 5, 1888. Major-General J. M. Schofield, August 5, 1888, to

The maximum strength of the army, including officers and men, as authorized by Congress at various times, was as follows:

..1 regiment of Infantry, 1 battery of Artillery..
Indian War...

. Peace organization
.Peace organization.
.Peace organization.
Peace organization.
War of 1812

1789

840

1792

5,120

1794

3,629

1801

5,144

1807

3,278

1810

7,154

1812

.11,831

[blocks in formation]

The President of the United States is commander-inchief of the army (Constitution, Article 2, section 2), and under him is the Secretary of War. (See War Department.)

Arm-in-Arm Convention.-A name given to a convention of Republicans that supported President Johnson's policy on reconstruction; it met in Philadelphia in August, 1866. Its name arose from the fact that the members from Massachusetts and from South Carolina entered the convention together at the head of the delegates.

Aroostook Disturbance. (See Northeast Boundary.)

Arthur, Chester A.-Was born at Fairfield, Franklin County, Vermont, October 5, 1830. During his

« ForrigeFortsett »