GENERAL OITICER is an officer of the general staff of an army to whom is intrusted the command of a body of men, not less in strength than a brigade (q.v.). In an army of very large proportions, the normal sequence of command would be the the generafcommanding-in-chief, generalissimo, or field-marshal, would command the whole force; the generals would have separate corps-d'armee ; the lieutenant-generals, wings of thosexolps-d'arrnie ; the major-generals, divisions in the wings; and brigadier generals, brigades in the divisions. In practice, however, an army is rarely large enough to allow of this exact scheme of a military hierarchy being strictly carried out.
In the British service, colonels become major-generals (except in cases of selection for very distinguished service) in order of seniority, provided each has served on full pay for a certain number of years; promotion to be lieutenant-generals and generals follows in exact order of seniority. From the last, promotion to the exceptional rank of field-marshal is conferred in rare instances by the special favor of the sovereign, who represents in person the sole command and possesses the patronage of all the land forces. In addition to the colonels who become effective generals, officers who have retired on half-pay at earlier periods of their careers rise by seniority to the rank of general officers; but they continue, notwithstanding, to receive only the half-pay of the rank in which they retired. With regard to remuneration, general officers hold 164
honorary colnnelcies of regiments, worth, with few exceptions, £1000 each per annum, and the remainder receive unattached pay of £600 a year, if they have been in the guards; £1 6s. 3d. a day, if in the artillery or engineers; and 5s. a day, if previ ously-in the line. This pay is received during non-activity, but when employed actively a general receives, in addition, £5 13s. 9d. a day; a lieutenant-general, £3 15s. 10d. . • and a major-general, £1 17s. lid., besides various allowantes. The only generals' commands in the British service are, during peace, the commands-in-chief of the army generally and of the force in India. and sometimes in Ireland. In the estimates for 1876-77, there are 7 lieutenant-generals. 18 major-generals, and 5 brigadier-generals employed actively, exclu sive of the numbers serving in India. The last-named rank is only a temporary one in the English service, conferred very commonly on the senior regimental officer of the corps composing the brigade: during duty as brigadier he receives £1 8s. 6d. a day in addition to regimental or other pay. Captain-general is a rank very rarely conferred by the sovereign, who holds it ex-officio. There has been no captain-general other than the sovereign, during the present century.