1909 03: Retirement of Colonel William A. Stokes

Col. William A. Stokes, the commanding officer of the Twenty-third Regiment, who, on April 18 next will celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of his enlistment in the New York National Guard, will close with the completion of a quarter of century in the State service his long and honorable career as a citizen soldier. Col. Stokes, in short, on receipt of the State medal for long and faithful service, covering a period of twenty-five years, to which he will next month be entitled, will make formal application to be withdrawn from active service and placed on the retired list.

Col. William A. Stokes, the commandant of the Twenty-third Regiment, will complete twenty-five years service in the National Guard on April 18, and he has announced that he will apply for retirement immediately after the celebration of his silver anniversary.


Col. Stokes has long contemplated this step and his action therefore will occasion little or no surprise. He has told some of his most intimate friends that he proposed to retire after completing twenty-five years' service, though some of them were not inclined to regard these statements seriously. He declared to the Times representative, however, a few days ago, that such was his intention, and even discussed with the latter the chances of certain officers whom, it is understood, are ambitious to succeed him. Col. Stokes was told that as it had been hinted that he would seek retirement when he had completed a quarter of a century in the regiment, there was already a movement on foot to give him a silver anniversary dinner. He said he hoped not, and if there was that it was unusual. An officer generally gets his twenty-five year medal and gets out at that time, he said, without any further ado. He thought twenty-five years was long enough to serve, he said, and that an officer then should get out.

Will twenty-five years mark the close of your career in the Guard?” Col. Stokes was then asked.

“I am afraid it will,” was the prompt reply.

Continuing, Col. Stokes said he felt that he had earned a rest and intended to take it. He said he was feeling as young to-day as he had felt in a long time, and that he would be ready to return to the service or active duty should the emergency arise.

Col. Stokes will be eligible to retirement as a Brigadier General by brevet, but said he did not know whether he cared for such an empty honor or not and thought that in the event of an emergency he would stand a much better chance of getting into active service as a Colonel than as a Brigadier General. As a retired officer such commission would entitle him to be called General, instead of Colonel, as at present.

Col. Stokes enlisted in Co. I, of the Twenty-third Regiment, April 18, 1884. He was warranted corporal October 2, of the same year, and jumped to the position of First Sergeant March 12, 1886. He was commissioned Second Lieutenant January 31, 1889, and accepted the Captaincy of Co. H July 11, of the following year. He was promoted Major December 21, 1896, and succeed to the Lieutenant Colonelcy May 22, 1902. He received his present commission September 23, 1904, succeeding the late Gen. Alfred C. Barnes. He is one of the very few Colonels who have, or have had, twenty-five years' service to their credit and the distinction of serving through all the various grades.

Col. Stokes is personally popular with officers and men, but some of his ideas and plans have not been approved by his subordinates, with whom he has had more or less serious differences at times. He has been entirely too outspoken, for one thing, to suit some of them, and some of his remarks at times got him into disfavor with some of his own officers and with his former brigade commander.

The next officer in point of rank is Lieut. Col. Frank H. Norton, and he will naturally be a candidate for the prospective vacancy. He was elected to his present position from the line. That he is in every way fitted for the Colonelcy nobody will deny. There are, however, other aspirants for the position, among them being Major William DuBois, the commanding officer of the Second Battalion, and the contest is likely to be a lively one between the latter and the Lieutenant Colonel. Major Frederick A. Wells is the senior battalion commander, but was turned down before and has no better chance of securing the coveted honors this time.

Brooklyn Times