The Paymaster-General of the United States Army was a general officer who was responsible for the Pay Department of the U.S. Army.
History The office of the Paymaster General was created through a resolution of the Continental Congress on 16 June 1775, which established "That there be one Paymaster General, and a Deputy under him, for the Army, in a separate department; that the pay for the Paymaster General himself be one hundred dollars per month, and for the Deputy Paymaster under him, fifty dollars per month."
The position was abolished by consolidation of the Pay Department with the Quartermaster Department and the Subsistence Department to form the Quartermaster Corps under provisions of the army appropriation act for FY 1913 (37 Stat. 591), August 24, 1912.National Archives | Records of the Office of the Paymaster General
Office Holders Name Photo Term began Term ended Notes1 James Warren 27 July 1775Letters of Members of the Continental Congress, Vol. 1| John Adams to James Warren 19 April 1776 Office established by resolution of the Continental Congress on June 16, 17752 William Palfrey 27 April 1776William Palfrey Elected Paymaster-General|Llincoln.lib.niu.edu December 1780 Died in office3 John Pierce Jr. 17 January 1781 1 August 1788 Died in office4 Joseph Howell Jr. 28 August 1788 8 May 1792 5 Caleb Swan 8 May 1792 30 June 1808 6 Robert Brent 30 June 1808 28 August 1819 7 Nathaniel Towson 28 August 1819 1 June 1821 8 Daniel Parker 1 June 1821 8 May 1822 9 Nathaniel Towson 8 May 1822 20 July 1854 Died in office10 Benjamin Larned July 1854 6 September 1862 Died in office11 Timothy Andrews 6 September 1862Appointments in the Army.; List of Nominations Recommended for Confirmation| New York Times 29 November 1864 12 Benjamin Brice 29 November 1864 22 February 1869 13 Benjamin Alvord 1 January 1872 8 June 1880 14 Nathan W. Brown 8 June 1880 6 February 1882 15 William B. Rochester 17 February 1882 15 February 1890 16 William Smith 10 March 1890 25 March 1895Shield: Official Publication of the Theta Delta Chi Fraternity, Volume 11 17 Thaddeus H. Stanton 26 March 1895A New Paymaster General: Col. Thaddeus H. Stanton Succeeds Brig. Gen. William Smith, Retired-A Well-Earned Promotion | New York Times 30 January 1899 18 Asa B. Carey 30 January 1899U.S. Army Register for 1899Carey Succeeds Stanton: President Nominates the Assistant Paymaster General of the United States Army | New York Times 11 July 1899 19 Alfred E. Bates 12 July 1899Army Paymaster General: Col. Alfred E. Bates Expected to Succeed Gen. Asa B. Carey| New York Times 22 January 1904 20 Francis S. Dodge 23 January 1904 11 September 1906 21 Culver C. Sniffen 11 September 1906 1 January 1908 22 Charles H. Whipple 1 January 1908War Department Annual Reports, 1908 | Vol.II, Page 163 15 February 1912 23 George R. Smith 16 February 1912Biographical Register of the Officers and Graduates of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point | Supplement, Vol. VI-A 1910-1920 24 August 1912 Position abolished when the Pay Department was merged with the Quartermaster and Subsistence Departments to form the Quartermaster Corps.
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