A board of officers is appointed to meet, at the call of the President thereof, at Tampa, Fla., for the examination of such officers as may be ordered before it, to determine their fitness for promotion. Detail: Lieut. Col. Loyd Wheaton, Twentieth Infantry; Leiut. Col. Chambers McKibbin, Twenty-first Infantry; Major Henry S. Kilbourne, Surgeon; Major John N. Coe, Twenty-first Infantry; Capt. William Stephenson, Assistant Surgeon; First Lieut. James E. Normoyle, Quartermaster, Fifth Infantry, Recorder.
The following-named officers will report to Lieut. Col. Loyd Wheaton, Twentieth Infantry, President of the Examining Board appointed to meet at Tampa, Fla., at such time as they may be required by the board for examination as to their fitness for promotion:
Capt. John W. Budd, Fourth Infantry; Capt. Frank D. Baldwin, Fifth Infantry; Capt. Lyster M. O'Brien, Seventeenth Infantry; Capt. William Auman, Thirteenth Infantry; Capt. Jesse M. Lee, Ninth Infantry; Capt. Ebenezer W. Stone, Twenty-first Infantry; Capt. Alpheus H. Bowman, Ninth Infantry; ....
Assignments of officers to regiments: ...
Major Alpheus H. Bowman, (promoted from Captain, Ninth Infantry,) to Second Infantry, to date from June 30, vice Jacob H. Smith, promoted.
Infantry officers recently promoted are assigned to regiments as follows:
...Lieut. Col. Alpheus H. Bowman, Fifth Infantry, is detailed as a member of the examining board convened at Fort Sheridan, Ill., Jan. 12, vice Col. Mott Hooton, Twenty-eighth Infantry, who is relieved.
Lieut. Col. Theodore F. Forbes and Capt. John F. Madden, Twenty-ninth Infantry, are detailed as member and recorder, respectively, of the examining board convened at Fort Sheridan, Jan. 12, vice Lieut. Col. Alpheus H. Bowman and First Lieut. John M. Campbell, Fifth Infantry, relieved.
WASHINGTON, April 17.--The President to-day sent the following nominations to the Senate:
...Infantry Lieutenant Colonels to be Colonels--... Alpheus H. Bowman, Fifth, ...
Assignments to regiments of officers recently promoted: Col. David J. Craigie to Eleventh Infantry;
Col. Alpheus H. Bowman to Twenty-fifth Infantry; Col. Morris C. Foote to Twenty-eighth Infantry; Lieut. Col. John T. Van Orsdale to Eighth Infantry; Lieut. Col. James A. Buchanan to Fifth Infantry; Lieut. Col. Joseph F. Hueston to First Infantry;
Major A. C. Ducat to Seventh Infantry; Major Pierce M. B. Travis to Twenty-eighth Infantry; Capt. George W. Helms to First Infantry; Capt. Rufus E. Longan to Eleventh Infantry;
Capt. Frank M. Savage to Fifteenth Infantry; Capt. Thomas T. Frissell to Twenty-fourth Infantry.
[New York Times, 18 July 1903, page 3]
[see Los Angeles Times, 18 July 1903, page 2, for a similar article, which also notes that "[w]ith the above promotions, there remain in active service below the rank of general officer only 77 officers who served in the Civil War".]
SUMNER AND WOOD TO BE MAJOR GENERALS
Thirty-three Officers to be Promoted and Retired.
Carr to be a Brigadier--Wood, Who Retires in 1924, Now in Line for Command of Army.
Special to the New York Times.
WASHINGTON, July 17.--Announcement was made at the War Department to-day of promotions that are to be made in the army following the retirement of Major Gen. Davis on July 26, and Lieut. Gen. Miles on Aug. 8. On the retirement of Gen. Davis Brig. Gen. Sumner will be advanced to the vacancy, and on the retirement of Miles Young will be made Lieut. General, and Leonard Wood Major General. These announcements have been anticipated and follow in regular order according to seniority.
To fill the vacancy in the list of Brigadiers caused by the promotion of Sumner, Col. C. C. C. Carr of the Fourth Cavalry has been selected, but before the commission is given him it is arranged that thirty-two Colonels and one Lieutenant Colonel shall be promoted and immediately retired. All of the officers who are to be thus advanced and retired have been in the service thirty-five years, and all served during the civil war.
At the last session of Congress the President and Secretary of War recommended the passage of an act authorizing the retirement of all officers on the active list who served in the civil war with the grade next above that held by them at the time of retirement. That bill was passed by the Senate, but failed mainly through a disagreement in a conference committee. The Senate having affirmed the principle that veteran officers should be advanced and retired, the President has felt at liberty to exercise his prerogative under existing law, and with the co-operation of officers concerned, to promote and place them on the retired list. Of those named for promotion quite a number would go out for age within the next twelve months.
The following are the officers selected for promotion and retirement arranged according to corps, and their respective rank in their respective corps:
John B. Babcock, Adjutant General's Department; Edwin B. Atwood, John Simpson, and Daniel D. Wheeler, Quartermaster's Department; Charles A. Woodruff, Commissary Department; Peter J. A. Cleary, Henry Lippincott, and Calvin Dewitt, Medical Department; James W. Reilly and John A. Kress, Ordnance Department.
These ten officers may be credited to the Staff Corps. From the line the following are taken:
Cavalry--Almond B. Wells and Charles L. Cooper.
Artillery--William L. Haskins, Frank G. Smith, George B. Rodney, Carle A. Woodruff, David H. Kinzle, and John L. Tiernon.
Infantry--John H. Page, Charles W. Miner, James M. J. Sanno, Charles F. Robe, Charles A. Coolidge, Cyrus S. Roberts, J. Milton Thompson, James Miller, David J. Craigie, Alpheus H. Bowman, Edmund Rice, Charles G. Penney, James C. Chance, Theodore F. Forbes, and Leon A. Matile.
It will require nearly a month to promote and retire these thirty-three officers. .... [The rest of the article is about remaining officers.]
The retirement of Brig. Gens. David J. Craigie and Alpheus H. Bowman is announced.
....The President and Mrs. Roosevelt received at the White House last night in honor of the diplomatic corps. It was the first of the season's state reception [sic]. Betwen 2,200 and 2,300 people were presented to the President by Col. Bromwell, who made the introductions. The admission of the guests began at 8:45 o'clock, and they entered through the east colonade in a continuous stream until about 10:30, when the reception ended. After the reception the President entertained about 100 guests at supper.
President and Mrs. Roosevelt received the guests in the Blue Room. They were assisted by the Secretary of State and Mrs. Hay, the Secretary of the Treasury, Mrs. Shaw and Miss Shaw, the Secretary of War and Mrs. Taft, the Attorney General, the Postmaster General and Mrs. Wynne, the Secretary of the Navy, Mrs. Morton and Miss Morton, the Secretary of the Interior, Mrs. Hitchcock and the Misses Hitchcock, the Secretary of Agriculture, and the Secretary of Commerce and Labor and Mrs. Metcalf. Miss Alice Roosevelt was present, as were Mr. and Mrs. John W. Brock, of Philadelphia, and the Misses Cutting, of New York, house guests at the White House. While the reception was in progress Miss Roosevelt mingled with the throng in the East Room.
The diplomatic corps was well represented, those present including Count Cassini [?], the Russian Ambassador, dean of the corps, and Mr. Takahiru, the Japanese Minister and his staff. Army and navy officers, Senators, Members of Congress, judges, and prominent clergymen were in the distinguished gathering.
Among those invited back of the receiving line were [I have not transcribed these names]
Ferns, palms, and cut flowers were arranged artistically about the recesses and alcoves and on the mantels of the first floor, every room of which was thrown open to the visitors. Aside from these no attempt was made at floral decoration.
The United States Marine Band, directed by Lester Santelmann, was stationed in the vestibule, and rendered the music.
The arrangements for handling the immense crowd were the same as at the New Year reception, except that the guests entered by the east colonnade instead of the main door, and, despite the numbers, there was no crowding at any time. A force of nearly fifty policemen, under Lieut. Boyle, was on duty in and about the White House while the reception continued, and mounted officers were detailed to manage the vehicles. The carriages began to arrive before 8 o'clock, and by the time the doors were thrown open they extended in a solid line from the east entrance around the Avenus almost to the west gate to the grounds.
The list of invited guests included the following: ...
... Brig. Gen. and Mrs. Alpheus H. Bowman, ....President and Mrs. Roosevelt's reception to the army and navy took place at the White House last night, between the hours of 9 and 10:30 o'clock. It was the last of the formal social evening levees given each year by the President. It was also the most successful, the most largely attended, and the most brilliant of all the receptions of the season of 1905. Almost 3,000 invitations had been issued, and it seemed from the number of guests that the greater part of them had been accepted.
Invited to meet the guests of honor were the members of the diplomatic corps, the justices of the Supreme Court of the United States, the Military and Naval Affairs Committees of the Senate and House, the lieutenant general commanding and his staff, and a number of well-known local and out-of-town society people. Nearly every officer of the army and navy on duty in Washington came to pay his respects to President and Mrs. Roosevelt, while the diplomatic corps was unusually well represented, count Cassini, the Russian Ambassador, and the dean of the corps, being among those who came in during the evening. Gen. George H. Harries, of the District National Guard, and several members of his staff also were noticeable among those who thronged the house.
In keeping with the practice which has heretofore prevailed at the White House during this season, there was no attempt at floral decorations, the only exceptions being a few cut flowers and ferns here and there and a setting of potted plants in convenient nooks and corners.
Conspicuously displayed in the long corridor fronting the parlors were numerous flags and other emblematic designs gracefully draped and hung from the walls. They included those of the President, the lieutenant general of the army, and the admiral of the navy. It was the only time this season that this style of decoration was attempted, and the effect was at once pleasing and appropriate. Another notable feature of the occasion was the music of the Marine Band, stationed in the vestibule. It was entirely martial in character, and the programme included airs both inspiring and tuneful.
President and Mrs. Roosevelt received their guests in the Blue Room. They were assisted by the members of the Cabinet and the ladies of their families, with the single exception of Secretary and Mrs. Hay, who were unavoidably absent. Lieut. Gen. Adna R. Chafee, commanding the army, headed the list of army officers who paid their respects to the President. Admiral Dewey was indisposed, and in his absence one of the rear admirals headed the lits [sic] of naval officers. Col. Charles S. Bromwell made the introductions to the President, who gave a cordial greeting to all his callers. He was kept busy shaking hands until 10:30 o'clock, when a tour of the parlors and of the East Room brought an end to the evening's reception. Those invited to the reception were:
....Frederick L. Moore, John S. Swormstedt, William M. Somerville, Percy S. Foster, Clement W. Howard, Philip F. Larner, and John J. Barnard, the jury in the matter of the condemnation of the ground necessary for the joining of Kalorama avenue northwest, between Columbia road and Nineteenth street, yesterday returned their verdict to Justice Gould.
The jury awarded $30,666 damages to Christian Heurich, owner of the land to be condemned, and assessments for benefits were levied by the jury against adjacent property, aggregating $14,975.
The benefits assessed and the names of the owners follow: Christian Heurich, $6,725; Amelia Heurich, $2,000; Thomas W. Smith, $1,000; Thomas O. Selfridge, jr.; $750; Charles W. Richardson, $400; William P. Kellogg, $600; Samuel Maddox, $100; Harriet E. White, $100; Nellie P. Sampson, $100; Charles A. Douglass and others, trustees, $100; Sidney A. Hilliard, $500; Harris C. Fahnestock, $200; John M. Rankin, $200; Alpheus H. Bowman, $200; Francis Colton, $100; Robert J. Fisher, $200; Henry W. Seymour, $200, and George Truesdell, $1,500.
The White House reception in honor of the diplomatic corps last evening was brilliant, the most brilliant, perhaps, that has taken place in the historic mansion in many years.
The President was in a happy mood, and greeted each guest with a pleasant word and a cordial grasp of the hand, and Mrs. Roosevelt and the women of the Cabinet, who assisted her in receiving, were extremely gracious to all of the callers.
The scene in the Blue Room was a gay one. The handsomest matron, the brightest and prettiest girl in society, grey-headed and astute diplomatics, as well as the embryo members of the corps, all resplendent in court uniforms; hoary-headed warriors and the callow young subalterns who have yet to win their spurs were gathered there.
The diplomats and the specially invited guests from other circles in the social world entered the White House by the south entrance and waited in the state dining-room, some arriving as early as 8:30, others going straight to the Blue Room, where they were invited to assist.
Among the distinguished visitors who were seen in the famous room were the Ambassador to London and Mrs. Whitelaw Reid and Miss Reid, Mr. Horace Porter, former Ambassador to France, and Dr. Butler, president of Columbia College, New York City.
... [I've skipped a long description of people, clothes, etc.]
The guests invited were:
...
Brig. Gen. and Mrs. Alpheus H. Bowman
...
[Washington Post 27 November 1931, page 8]
Vice President to Attend Epiphany Home Ball.
The Vice President and Mr. and Mrs. Edward Everett Gann will be the honor guests at the Epiphany Church home ball tonight, at the Mayflower. Mrs. Arthur MacArthur, president of the women's board of the home: Mrs. ZeBarney Phillips, Mrs. Lester Nelson and Mrs. Eugene E. Thompson will receive. Among the prominent people who have taken tickets are:
... Mrs. Alpheus H. Bowman, ...
Brig. Gen. Alpheus H. Bowman, U. S. A., retired, and Mrs. Bowman have closed their house on Kalorama road and gone to Maplewood, Mass. for the rest of the summer.
Gen. and Mrs. Alpheus H. Bowman will spend the summer at Capon Springs, W. Va.
President and Mrs. Roosevelt Entertain Delightfully in Honor of the Nation's Defenders on Land and Sea, and a Brilliant Gathering Gives Added Distinction to the Occasion--Miss Roosevelt Radiant in Pink Clothes
The White House never presented a gayer or more brilliant appearance than last evening when the President and Mrs. Roosevelt entertained in honor of the army and navy, the last of the State receptions of the season.
The President is always a cordial host, but he never appeared more "de-e-lighted!" or so "very, very glad" to see his friends as on this occasion when he greeted each of the nation's defenders from the highest officers of the army and navy to the most obscure fledgling of Mars with a pleasant word and a warm grasp of the hand. Mrs. Roosevelt, too, was most gracious and extended to each caller the same kindly welcome.
The scene in the Blue Room resembled a family gathering rather than a formal reception. Here were assembled the handsomest matrons and prettiest maids, culled from the various social circles: astute diplomats, hoary-headed veterans, and callow youths who have won their straps but not their spurs.
Arrangements for the reception were never more complete. A larger number of guests were admitted to the mansion through the south portico than ever before, thus relieving, to some extent, the unavoidable congestion in the east-terrace corridor.
The ranking officers of the army and navy, accompanied by their families, assembled, according to custom, in the Red Room, and passed in line before the President as the guests of honor. The diplomatic contingent were admitted directly to the Blue Room, avoiding in this way any possible question of precedence--the social bugbear of official Washington.
While the guests of honor and those invited to the Blue Room were arriving, a long line was formed in the state dining-room, extending later in the evening through the vestibule, down the long stairway, and reaching to the east entrance, while many were unable to gain admittance and waited outside in their carriages.
At 9 o'clock, the receiving party, including the President and Mrs. Roosevelt, the Vice President and Mrs. Fairbanks, Mrs. Shaw, Mrs. Taft, Mrs. Cortelyou, Mrs. Bonaparte, Mrs. Metcalf, and Mrs. Loeb, took their stations in the Blue Room.
Miss Roosevelt, in a dainty frock of pink chiffon, trimmed with numerous serpentine ruchings, and wearing handsome diamond ornaments, preceded them. She was accompanied by Lieut. Lee, and followed by Mr. and Mrs. David M. Goodrich, Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth D. Robinson, guests at the White House, and Miss Carow. Mr. Longworth was not present.
Mrs. Roosevelt wore her inaugural ball gown of blue brocaded satin. Mrs. Root chose for her toilette a beautiful gown of white brocade. Mrs. Shaw was in heliotrope silk and lace. Mrs. Taft looked exceedingly attractive in blue panne velvet. Mrs. Cortelyou's frock was of white lace over blue silk. Mrs. Bonaparte, who has recovered from her recent illness, wore a stunning gown of violet panne velvet. Mrs. Metcalf was in white silk, with touches of violet, and Mrs. Loeb wore a dainty frock of white net over white silk.
Col. Pederneiras, military attache to the Brazilian Embassy, was unable to be present, owing to a slight indisposition. Lieut. Pfister, naval attache to the Italian Embassy, and Mme. Pfister, were also absent, being on a short visit to New York.
The gowns and jewels displayed were unusually handsome. [see the original for more descriptions]
...
The invited guests were: ... Brig. Gen. and Mrs. Alpheus H. Bowman, ....