Vermont Phœnix

The new commander in chief of the land forces of the United States, was, till he received his present exalted position, one of the four major generals of the regular army of the United States. He is about 42 years of age, and was born in Weston Oneida county, New York, where his grandfather, 100 years old, and still hale and hearty, resides at the present time. Gen. Halleck entered the Military Academy as a West Point cadet in 1835; stood third in the class, and was breveted second lieutenant of engineers July 1, 1839. He was acting assistant professor of engineering at the Military Academy from July, 1839, to June 1840. In January, 1845, he was appointed first lieutenant, and during the year was elected by the committee of the Lowell Institute, at Boston, to deliver one of the regular course of lectures, the subject being "Military Science and Art." In 1847 he was breveted captain for gallant conduct in affairs with the enemy on the 10th and 20th days of November, 1847. and for meritorious service in California. Was secretary of state of the territory of California under the military governments of Generals Kearney, Mason, and Riley, from 1847 to the end of 1849. He was chief of the staff of Commodore Shubrick, in the naval and military operations on the Pacific in 1847 and 1848, and was a member of the convention in 1849 to form, and of the committee to draft, the constitution of the state of California. In July, 1852, he was appointed captain of engineers. Independent of his military capacity, Gen. Halleck is noted as an able lawyer of San Francisco. He left his lucrative business to take up arms in defence of the cause of the government of the United States, and was created by congress a major general of the army, his commission bearing date August 19, 1861. He is reported to be a very wealthy man and a good soldier.