COMMANDER (ante), in the U. S. navy, an officer next in position below cap., equivalent to lieut.col. in the army.
is the highest staff appointment in the British army. It is held by the gen. commanding all the forces in India, and would probably be given to the leader of any large army in the field, whether abroad or at home. Formerly, the army at home was administered by an officer of this rank; but since the death of the duke of Wellington in 1852, the military administration has vested in an officer holding no higher commission than that of " general on the staff;" who is called the gen. (or field-marshal, according to the holder's army rank) commanding in chief. Since 1855, this officer has been strictly subordinate to the secretary of state for war. The office of the C., technically known as the " horse guards," is a department of the war office, and comprises the sub-departments of the military secretary, the adj.gen., and the quarter master-gen., with a staff of clerks. Under the "war office act" of 1870, and by orders in council of that year, the officer commanding in chief is one of the three great officers who administer the military affairs of the country under the secretary of state for war; his department being that of military command, discipline, and promotion. In
practice, he makes all promotions and military appointments; though, in theory, these are all made on the responsibility of the secretary of state. Appointments to very important positions on the staff would not be made the supervision of the min ister and probable concurrence of the cabinet. The officer commanding iu chief is responsible for all recruiting operations, and for the appropriation of troops to particular localities; but he exercises rather a general inspectional control than any immediate command over the men. The actual command vests in the general officers commanding the districts into which the kingdom is parcelled.
A naval commander-in-chief is the chief admiral at any port or station.