CORBIN, Henry Clark, American soldier: b. Clermont County, Ohio, 15 Sept. 1842; d. New York, 8 Sept. 1909. He studied law, and entered the Union army as second lieutenant in the 83d Volunteer Infantry, 28 July 1862; but before the organization was com pleted he was assigned to the 79th Ohio Volun teer Infantry, serving therein as second and first lieutenant, respectively, until 14 Nov. 1863, when he was appointed major of the 14th U. S. Colored Infantry. In the following year (4 March 1864) he was promoted to lieutenant colonel, and 23 Sept. 1865, made colonel of the 14th United States Colored Infantry. He was honorably discharged from the volunteer service 26 March 1866, with the brevet of brigadier general, which honorary rank was bestowed upon him in recognition of meritorious services. In 1866, upon the muster-out of the volunteer army, and upon the recommendation of his mili tary commanders, he was commissioned (11 May 1866) second lieutenant in the regular army. He was appointed to a captaincy of the line 31 Dec. 1866, and from that year to 1876 he was continually in command of his company on the Western frontier in campaigns against hostile Indians.
He was appointed to the adjutant-general's department 16 Tune 1880, and served therein nine years in the grade of major, seven years in the grade of lieutenant-colonel and two years in the grade of colonel; and was, when ap pointed brigadier-general and adjutant-general of the army (25 Feb. 1898), the senior in the
corps; having served on the staffs of Generals Hunt, Schofield, Terry, Crook, Miles (with whom he participated in the Sioux Indian cam paign), McCook, Ruger, Merritt, and in 1891 conducted a successful campaign against the Moqui Indians in Arizona Territory.
During the Spanish-American War, General Corbin was brought into close relations with President McKinley and was by him consulted upon all questions of policy relating to military affairs; and in addition to his duties as adjutant general of army he superintended the or ganization of 250,000 soldiers, and within six months the muster-out of 100,000. Subsequently 35,000 additional volunteer forces were mus tered, equipped and made effective for the Philippine service, and they in turn disbanded— the regular army having been increased during this period to three-fold its former strength. In recognition of his services and of the part which he took in the war, the Congress of the United States conferred upon him the rank of major-general and adjutant-general in the army of the United States. He was in command of the Division of the Philippines in 1904-06, when he was made a lieutenant-general, and retired.