Famous People Buried in West Point Cemetery
- Vivacious, immensely likable character player, memorable as dizzy blondes, wisecracking gold-diggers and hard-boiled gangster's molls in a string of 1930s melodramas and musicals. Starting with "Smart Blonde" (1936), Farrell starred as Torchy Blane, enterprising woman reporter, in a series of seven B pictures.
- Birthplace: Enid, Oklahoma, USA
- Winfield Scott (June 13, 1786 – May 29, 1866) was an American military commander and political candidate. He served as a general in the United States Army from 1814 to 1861, taking part in the War of 1812, the Mexican–American War, the early stages of the American Civil War, and various conflicts with Native Americans. Scott was the Whig Party's presidential nominee in the 1852 presidential election, but was defeated by Democrat Franklin Pierce. He was known as Old Fuss and Feathers for his insistence on proper military etiquette, and as the Grand Old Man of the Army for his many years of service. Scott was born near Petersburg, Virginia, in 1786. After training as a lawyer, he joined the army in 1808 as a captain of the light artillery. In the War of 1812, Scott served on the Canadian front, taking part in the Battle of Queenston Heights and the Battle of Fort George, and was promoted to the rank of brigadier general in early 1814. He served with distinction in the Battle of Chippawa, but was badly wounded in the subsequent Battle of Lundy's Lane. After the conclusion of the war, Scott was assigned to command army forces in a district containing much of the Northeastern United States, and he and his family made their home near New York City. During the 1830s, Scott negotiated an end to the Black Hawk War, took part in the Second Seminole War and the Creek War of 1836, and presided over the removal of the Cherokee. Scott also helped to avert war with Britain, defusing tensions arising from the Patriot War and the Aroostook War. In 1841, Scott became the Commanding General of the United States Army, beating out his rival, Edmund P. Gaines, for the position. After the outbreak of the Mexican–American War in 1846, Scott initially served as an administrator, but in 1847 he led a campaign against the Mexican capital of Mexico City. After capturing the port city of Veracruz, he defeated Mexican General Antonio López de Santa Anna's armies at the Battle of Cerro Gordo, the Battle of Contreras, and the Battle of Churubusco and captured Mexico City. He maintained order in the Mexican capital and indirectly helped envoy Nicholas Trist negotiate the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which brought an end to the war. Scott was a candidate for the Whig presidential nomination in 1840, 1844, and 1848, and he finally won the Whig presidential nomination at the 1852 Whig National Convention. The Whigs were badly divided over the Compromise of 1850, and Pierce won a decisive victory over his former commander. Nonetheless, Scott remained popular among the public, and in 1855 he received a brevet promotion to the rank of lieutenant general, becoming the first U.S. Army officer to hold that rank since George Washington. Despite being a Virginia native, Scott stayed loyal to the Union and served as an important adviser to President Abraham Lincoln during the opening stages of the Civil War. He developed a strategy known as the Anaconda Plan, but retired in late 1861 after Lincoln increasingly relied on General George B. McClellan for military advice and leadership. Scott's military talent was highly regarded by contemporaries, and historians generally consider him to be one of the most accomplished generals in U.S. history.
- Birthplace: Virginia, USA
- Colonel and Brevet Brigadier General Sylvanus Thayer (June 9, 1785 – September 7, 1872) also known as "the Father of West Point" was an early superintendent of the United States Military Academy at West Point and an early advocate of engineering education in the United States.
- Birthplace: Braintree, Massachusetts
- William Joseph Westmoreland (March 26, 1914 – July 18, 2005) was a United States Army General, most notably commander of United States forces during the Vietnam War from 1964 to 1968. He served as Chief of Staff of the United States Army from 1968 to 1972. Westmoreland adopted a strategy of attrition against the Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese Army, attempting to drain them of manpower and supplies. He also made use of the United States' edge in artillery and air power, both in tactical confrontations and in relentless strategic bombing of North Vietnam. Many of the battles in Vietnam were technically United States victories, with the United States Army in control of the field afterward; holding territory gained this way proved difficult, however. Public support for the war eventually diminished, especially after the Battle of Khe Sanh and the Tet Offensive in 1968. By the time he was re-assigned as Army Chief of Staff, United States military forces in Vietnam had reached a peak of 535,000 personnel. Westmoreland's strategy was ultimately politically unsuccessful. Growing United States casualties and the draft undermined United States support for the war, while large-scale casualties among non-combatants weakened South Vietnamese support. This also failed to weaken North Vietnam's will to fight, and the Government of South Vietnam—a factor largely out of Westmoreland's control—never succeeded in establishing enough legitimacy to quell defections to the Viet Cong.
- Birthplace: USA, South Carolina, Saxon
John Newton
Dec. at 72 (1822-1895)John Newton (August 24, 1823 – May 1, 1895) was a career engineer officer in the United States Army, a Union general in the American Civil War, and Chief of the Corps of Engineers.- Birthplace: Virginia
Alexander Patch
Dec. at 55 (1889-1945)Alexander McCarrell "Sandy" Patch (November 23, 1889 – November 21, 1945) was a senior United States Army officer who fought in both World War I and World War II, rising to rank of general. During World War II he commanded U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps forces during the Guadalcanal Campaign, and the U.S. Seventh Army on the Western Front. With an invasion of Japan still an apparent likelihood, Patch returned to the U.S. in August 1945 to take charge of the Fourth Army headquartered at the Presidio of San Francisco, California. He died in November 1945 at 55, his health having been ravaged during his time in the Pacific early in the war. Patch was, along with James Van Fleet and Lucian K. Truscott, Jr., one of the very few senior American commanders to command a division, corps and field army on active service during World War II. A lieutenant general at the time of his passing, he was posthumously promoted to four star general in July 1954.- Birthplace: Fort Huachuca, Arizona
Blackshear M. Bryan
Dec. at 77 (1900-1977)Lieutenant General Blackshear Morrison Bryan (February 8, 1900 – March 2, 1977) was a United States Army general who served during the Second World War and Korean War.- Birthplace: Alexandria, Louisiana
Cuvier Grover
Dec. at 56 (1828-1885)Cuvier Grover (July 24, 1828 – June 6, 1885) was a career officer in the United States Army and a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War.- Birthplace: Bethel, Maine
George Sykes
Dec. at 57 (1822-1880)George Sykes (October 9, 1822 – February 8, 1880) was a career United States Army officer and a Union General during the American Civil War. He graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1842, and served in numerous conflicts, including the Second Seminole War and the Mexican–American War. During the Civil War, he was appointed commander of the 2nd Division of the V Corps of the Army of the Potomac during the Peninsula Campaign of 1862, and continued in that role through the Second Battle of Bull Run, the Battle of Antietam, the Battle of Fredericksburg, and the Battle of Chancellorsville. Sykes assumed command of the V Corps on June 28, 1863, following the promotion of Major General George G. Meade to command of the entire army. Sykes's Corps fought with distinction on the second day of the subsequent Battle of Gettysburg on July 2. He was criticized for his performance in the Battle of Mine Run later that year, was removed from command on March 23, 1864, and sent to duty in Kansas. Sykes remained in the army after the war and died in 1880.- Birthplace: Dover, Delaware
Alonzo Cushing
Dec. at 22 (1841-1863)Alonzo Hereford Cushing (January 19, 1841 – July 3, 1863) was an artillery officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He was killed in action during Battle of Gettysburg while defending the Union position on Cemetery Ridge against Pickett's Charge. In 2013, 150 years after Cushing's death, he was nominated for the Medal of Honor. The nomination was approved by the United States Congress, and was sent for review by the Defense Department and the President.On August 26, 2014, the White House announced he would be posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, with President Obama presiding over the official ceremony on November 6, 2014. Helen Bird Loring Ensign, a first cousin twice removed, accepted the medal on Cushing's behalf, as Cushing left no direct descendants.- Birthplace: Delafield, Delafield, Wisconsin
Robert C. Richardson III
Dec. at 92 (1918-2011)Robert Charlwood Richardson III (January 5, 1918 – January 2, 2011) was an American military officer of the United States Army Air Corps, and subsequently the United States Air Force, eventually attaining the rank of brigadier general. A leader in the early days of the US Air Force, he was a renowned expert in tactical nuclear warfare, NATO, and military long range planning. In his early career he is known for his involvement in the World War II Laconia incident, where the actions taken by order of Richardson have been identified as a prima facie war crime. Under the conventions of war, ships engaged in rescue operations (including submarines) are held immune from attack.- Birthplace: Rockford, Illinois
Thomas J. Wood
Dec. at 82 (1823-1906)Thomas John Wood (September 25, 1823 – February 26, 1906) was a career United States Army officer. He served in the Mexican–American War and as a Union general during the American Civil War. During the Mexican–American War, Wood served on the staff of General Zachary Taylor, and later joined the 2nd Dragoons. During the Civil War, he participated in many battles in the Western Theater. Wood commanded a division at the Battle of Chickamauga in September 1863, during which time he chose to obey a questionable order from commanding general William S. Rosecrans to reposition his division. In doing so, Wood opened a gap in the Union lines, which contributed to the vanquishing of the Federal forces in the battle and their subsequent retreat. Wood and his division took part in the successful Union assault during the Battle of Missionary Ridge in November during the Chattanooga Campaign. He also commanded the IV Corps of the Army of the Cumberland during the Battle of Nashville in December 1864.- Birthplace: Munfordville, Kentucky
Mickey Marcus
Dec. at 47 (1901-1948)David Daniel "Mickey" Marcus (22 February 1901 – 10 June 1948) was a United States Army colonel who assisted Israel during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, and who became Israel's first modern general (Hebrew: Aluf). He was killed by friendly fire, when he was mistaken for an enemy infiltrator while returning to Israeli positions at night. Marcus is one of the well known Israeli Machal soldiers. He was portrayed by Kirk Douglas in the 1966 Hollywood movie Cast a Giant Shadow.- Birthplace: Manhattan, New York City, New York
Benjamin Franklin Davis
Dec. at 31 (1832-1863)Benjamin Franklin "Grimes" Davis (1831 – June 9, 1863) was an American military officer who served in Indian wars, and then led Union cavalry in the American Civil War before dying in combat. He led a daring escape from the Confederate-encircled Union garrison at Harpers Ferry.- Birthplace: Alabama
- George Armstrong Custer (December 5, 1839 – June 25, 1876) was a United States Army officer and cavalry commander in the American Civil War and the American Indian Wars. Custer graduated from West Point in 1861 at the bottom of his class, but as the Civil War was just starting, trained officers were in immediate demand. He worked closely with General McClellan and the future General Pleasonton, both of whom recognized his qualities as a cavalry leader, and he was brevetted brigadier general of Volunteers at age 23. Only a few days after his promotion, he fought at Gettysburg, where he commanded the Michigan Cavalry Brigade and despite being outnumbered, defeated J. E. B. Stuart's attack at what is now known as the East Calvary Field. In 1864, Custer served in the Overland Campaign and in Sheridan's army in the Shenandoah Valley, defeating Jubal Early at Cedar Creek. His division blocked the Army of Northern Virginia's final retreat and received the first flag of truce from the Confederates, and Custer was present at Robert E. Lee's surrender to Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox. After the war, Custer was appointed a lieutenant colonel in the Regular Army and was sent west to fight in the Indian Wars. On June 25, 1876, while leading the 7th Cavalry Regiment at the Battle of the Little Bighorn in Montana Territory against a coalition of Native American tribes, he was killed along with over one third of his command during an action later romanticized as "Custer's Last Stand". His dramatic end was as controversial as the rest of his career, and reaction to his life and career remains deeply divided. His bold leadership in battle is unquestioned, but his legend was partly of his own fabrication through his extensive journalism, and perhaps more through his wife's energetic lobbying throughout her long widowhood.
- Birthplace: New Rumley, Ohio
Hugh Judson Kilpatrick
Dec. at 45 (1836-1881)Hugh Judson Kilpatrick (January 14, 1836 – December 4, 1881) was an officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War, achieving the rank of brevet major general. He was later the United States Minister to Chile and an unsuccessful candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives. Nicknamed "Kilcavalry" (or "Kill-Cavalry") for using tactics in battle that were considered as recklessly disregarding the lives of soldiers under his command, Kilpatrick was both praised for the victories he achieved, and despised by southerners whose homes and towns he devastated.- Birthplace: Wantage Township, New Jersey
George Lewis Gillespie, Jr.
Dec. at 71 (1841-1913)George Lewis Gillespie Jr., (October 7, 1841 – September 27, 1913) was an American soldier who received the highest military decoration that the United States bestows to members of the military, the Medal of Honor, for his actions during the American Civil War.- Birthplace: Kingston, Tennessee
John Buford
Dec. at 37 (1826-1863)John Buford, Jr. (March 4, 1826 – December 16, 1863) was a United States Army cavalry officer. He fought for the Union as a brigadier general during the American Civil War. Buford is best known for having played a major role in the first day of the Battle of Gettysburg on July 1, 1863 while in command of a division. Buford graduated from West Point in 1848. Buford remained loyal to the United States at the beginning of the Civil War, despite having been born in the divided border state of Kentucky. He fought during the war against the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia as part of the Army of the Potomac. His first command was a cavalry brigade under Major General John Pope, and he distinguished himself at Second Bull Run in August 1862, where he was wounded, and also saw action at Antietam in September and Stoneman's Raid in spring 1863. Buford's cavalry division played a crucial role in the Gettysburg Campaign that summer. Arriving at the small town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania on June 30 before the Confederate troops, Buford set up defensive positions. On the morning of July 1, Buford's division was attacked by a Confederate division under the command of Major General Henry Heth. His men held just long enough for Union reinforcements to arrive. After a massive three day battle, the Union troops emerged victorious. Later, Buford rendered valuable service to the Army, both in the pursuit of Robert E. Lee after the Battle of Gettysburg, and in the Bristoe Campaign that autumn, but his health started to fail, possibly from typhoid. Just before his death at age 37, he received a personal message from President Abraham Lincoln, promoting him to major general of volunteers in recognition of his tactical skill and leadership displayed on the first day of Gettysburg.- Birthplace: Kentucky
Daniel Isom Sultan
Dec. at 61 (1885-1947)Daniel Isom Sultan, (December 9, 1885 – January 14, 1947) was an American general during World War II. He fought in the China-Burma-India theater in the last half of the war.- Birthplace: Oxford, Mississippi
Eugene Asa Carr
Dec. at 80 (1830-1910)Eugene Asa Carr (March 20, 1830 – December 2, 1910) was a soldier in the United States Army and a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions at the Battle of Pea Ridge.- Birthplace: Hamburg, New York
Robert Anderson
Dec. at 66 (1805-1871)Robert Anderson (June 14, 1805 – October 26, 1871) was a United States Army officer during the American Civil War. He was the Union commander in the first battle of the American Civil War at Fort Sumter in April 1861; the Confederates bombarded the fort and forced its surrender to start the war. Anderson was celebrated as a hero in the North and promoted to brigadier general and given command of Union forces in Kentucky. He was removed late in 1861 and reassigned to Rhode Island, before retiring from military service in 1863.- Birthplace: Louisville, Kentucky
George S. Simonds
Dec. at 64 (1874-1938)George Sherwin Simonds (March 12, 1874 – November 1, 1938) was a U.S. Army officer with the rank of Major General.- Birthplace: Iowa
Ranald S. Mackenzie
Dec. at 48 (1840-1889)Ranald Slidell Mackenzie, also called Bad Hand, (July 27, 1840 – January 19, 1889) was a career United States Army officer and general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He was described by General Ulysses S. Grant as its most promising young officer. He also served with great distinction in the following Indian Wars.- Birthplace: New York
Robert C. Richardson, Jr.
Dec. at 71 (1882-1954)Robert Charlwood Richardson Jr. was born in Charleston, South Carolina, on October 27, 1882, and was admitted as a cadet at the United States Military Academy on June 19, 1900. His military career spanned the first half of the 20th Century. He was a veteran of the 1904 Philippine insurrection, World War I, and World War II. He commanded the U.S. Army, Pacific (Hawaiian Department) during the height of World War II in 1943 until his retirement in 1946. During that time he was also the military governor of Hawaii (which was at that time still a US Territory) and Commanding General of U.S. Army Forces in the Pacific Ocean Areas. Commissioned from the United States Military Academy in 1904, Richardson also attended the University of Grenoble, France, as well as the Army War College. During World War I he was a liaison officer in the American Expeditionary Force. Afterward he was a military attaché with the U.S. Embassy in Rome. He was the author of "West Point-An Intimate Picture of the National Military Academy". Prior to World War II, Richardson commanded the 1st Cavalry Division from 1940-1941. He then directed the War Department Bureau of Public Relations before becoming Commanding General of the VII Corps in Alabama, moving it to set up the defense of California immediately following the bombing of Pearl Harbor. In 1943 he was made Commanding General of the Hawaiian Department, Military Governor of Hawaii, and all Army personnel in the Pacific Ocean and Mid-Pacific Areas. As Commander of all Pacific Army personnel, he had administrative or what is called UCMJ authority of all Army units, while tactical or what is called today operational Joint control fell to Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz. He was responsible for all Army disciplinary, training, and tactical unit preparations. He was the first senior Army general officer to ever serve as Joint forces subordinate commander under a non-Army flag officer, Fleet Admiral Nimitz.- Birthplace: Charleston, South Carolina
Jacob Ford Kent
Dec. at 83 (1835-1918)Jacob Ford Kent (September 14, 1835 – December 22, 1918) was a United States general during the Spanish–American War. Kent also served in the Union army during the American Civil War.- Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
John C. Tidball
Dec. at 81 (1825-1906)John Caldwell Tidball (January 25, 1825 – May 15, 1906) was a career military officer, noted for his service in the horse artillery in the cavalry in the Union Army during the American Civil War. After the war, he served as the Commander of the Department of Alaska (in effect, the Appointed Military Governor of the region).- Birthplace: Wheeling, West Virginia
Erasmus D. Keyes
Dec. at 85 (1810-1895)Erasmus Darwin Keyes (May 29, 1810 – October 14, 1895) was a businessman, banker, and military general, noted for leading the IV Corps of the Union Army of the Potomac during the first half of the American Civil War.- Birthplace: Brimfield, Massachusetts
John T. Thompson
Dec. at 79 (1860-1940)John Taliaferro Italian pronunciation: [ˌtaljaˈfɛrro] (anglicized to "Tolliver") Thompson (December 31, 1860 – June 21, 1940) was a United States Army officer best remembered as the inventor of the Thompson submachine gun.- Birthplace: Newport, Kentucky
Ethan A. Hitchcock
Dec. at 72 (1798-1870)Ethan Allen Hitchcock (May 18, 1798 – August 5, 1870) was a career United States Army officer and author who had War Department assignments in Washington, D.C., during the American Civil War, in which he served as a major general.- Birthplace: Vergennes, Vermont
Alexander S. Webb
Dec. at 75 (1835-1911)Alexander Stewart Webb (February 15, 1835 – February 12, 1911) was a career United States Army officer and a Union general in the American Civil War who received the Medal of Honor for gallantry at the Battle of Gettysburg. After the war, he was a prominent member of New York Society and served as president of the City College of New York for thirty-three years.- Birthplace: New York City, New York
Charles R. Meyer
Dec. at 90 (1911-2001)Charles R. "Monk" Meyer (May 1, 1913 – August 11, 2001) was the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy in 1935, the first year the trophy was awarded, while playing for the United States Military Academy.- Birthplace: West Point, New York
Thomas H. Ruger
Dec. at 74 (1833-1907)Thomas Howard Ruger (April 2, 1833 – June 3, 1907) was an American soldier and lawyer who served as a Union general in the American Civil War. After the war, he was a superintendent of the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York.- Birthplace: Lima, New York, USA
Charles Pomeroy Stone
Dec. at 62 (1824-1887)Charles Pomeroy Stone (September 30, 1824 – January 24, 1887) was a career United States Army officer, civil engineer, and surveyor. He fought with distinction in the Mexican–American War, earning two brevet promotions for his performance in the conflict. After resigning and surveying for the Mexican Government, he returned to the U.S. Army to fight in the American Civil War. Stone was reportedly the first volunteer to enter the Union Army, and during the war he served as a general officer, noted for his involvement at the Battle of Ball's Bluff in October 1861. Held responsible for the Union defeat, Stone was arrested and imprisoned for almost six months, mostly for political reasons. He never received a trial, and after his release he would not hold a significant command during the war again. Stone later served again with distinction as a general in the Egyptian Army, and is also noted for his role in constructing the base of the Statue of Liberty.- Birthplace: Greenfield, Massachusetts
- Herbert Norman Schwarzkopf (; August 28, 1895 – November 25, 1958) was the first superintendent of the New Jersey State Police. He is best known for his involvement in the Lindbergh kidnapping case. He was the father of General Norman Schwarzkopf Jr., the commander of all Coalition forces for Operation Desert Shield/Storm.
- Birthplace: Newark, New Jersey
Robert Lee Bullard
Dec. at 86 (1861-1947)Lieutenant General Robert Lee Bullard (January 5, 1861 – September 11, 1947) was a senior officer of the United States Army. He was involved in conflicts in the American Western Frontier, the Philippines, and World War I, where he commanded the 1st Infantry Division (nicknamed "The Big Red One") during the Battle of Cantigny while serving on the Western Front. He later was an administrator in Cuba.- Birthplace: Alabama
Daniel Butterfield
Dec. at 69 (1831-1901)Daniel Adams Butterfield (October 31, 1831 – July 17, 1901) was a New York businessman, a Union General in the American Civil War, and Assistant U.S. Treasurer. After working for American Express, co-founded by his father, Butterfield served in the Civil War, where he was soon promoted brigadier general, and wounded at Gaines' Mill. While recuperating, he either wrote or re-wrote a popular bugle-call for burials, called Taps. He commanded a division at Fredericksburg, and then became Hooker's chief of staff, sharing both the credit for improved morale and responsibility for the licentious behaviour that Hooker tolerated in camp. He also became embroiled in Hooker’s political feuds with Burnside and Meade. Wounded at Gettysburg, he served in Sherman’s Atlanta campaign, before retiring from front-line service through illness. He later received the Medal of Honor. In Grant’s administration, he was Assistant Treasurer of the United States, abusing that position to manipulate the price of gold, and being forced to resign. He then resumed his business career. Butterfield’s extensive war archives are displayed at Cold Spring, New York.- Birthplace: Utica, New York
John Moulder Wilson
Dec. at 81 (1837-1919)John Moulder Wilson (October 8, 1837 – February 1, 1919) was a Union Army engineer and later served as Chief of Engineers as well as serving as Superintendent of the United States Military Academy from 1889–1893. He was a recipient of the Medal of Honor for bravery in combat during the American Civil War.- Birthplace: Washington, D.C.
Cyrus B. Comstock
Dec. at 79 (1831-1910)Cyrus Ballou Comstock (February 3, 1831 – May 29, 1910) was a career officer in the Regular Army of the United States. After graduating from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1855, Comstock served with the Army Corps of Engineers. At the beginning of the American Civil War, he assisted with the fortification of Washington, D.C. In 1862, he was transferred to the field, eventually becoming chief engineer of the Army of the Potomac. In 1863 during the Siege of Vicksburg, he served as the chief engineer of the Army of the Tennessee.The most significant phase of Comstock's career began in November 1864 when he was appointed to the staff of Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, becoming Grant's senior aide-de-camp. In 1865, Comstock was appointed the senior engineer in the assault on Fort Fisher, North Carolina, and the assault on Mobile, Alabama, both of which were successful. By the end of the war, Comstock had earned the awards of the honorary grades of brevet major general in the Volunteer Army and brevet brigadier general in the Regular Army.After the close of the war, Comstock served on the military commission for the trial of the conspirators in the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. He was dismissed from the commission for his criticism of the proceedings. Later Comstock continued with the Army Corps of Engineers, took part in several engineering projects, and served on the Mississippi River Commission, of which he was president.- Birthplace: Wrentham, Massachusetts
Alexander Cummings McWhorter Pennington, Jr.
Dec. at 79 (1838-1917)Alexander Cummings McWhorter Pennington Jr. (January 8, 1838 – November 30, 1917), was an artillery officer and brigadier general in the United States Army and a veteran of both the American Civil War and Spanish–American War.- Birthplace: Newark, New Jersey
Robert Lee Howze
Dec. at 62 (1864-1926)Robert Lee Howze (August 22, 1864 – September 19, 1926) was a United States Army major general who was a recipient of the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Indian Wars. Howze graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1888 and then accepted a commission to the United States Army. He first served in the Indian wars, then served in the Spanish–American War, Philippine–American War and World War I. His last assignment was presiding over the courts-martial of Colonel Billy Mitchell.- Birthplace: Overton, Texas
John Wilson Ruckman
Dec. at 62 (1858-1921)John Wilson Ruckman (October 10, 1858 – June 6, 1921) was a major general in the United States Army.- Birthplace: Sidney, Illinois
Samuel Escue Tillman
Dec. at 94 (1847-1942)Samuel Escue Tillman (October 3, 1847 – June 24, 1942) was an astronomer, engineer, military educator, and career officer in the United States Army who spent 30 years teaching at the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York. In addition to writing for periodicals on a wide range of subjects and authoring several influential textbooks on chemistry and geology, in 1917 Tillman was recalled from previous mandatory retirement to serve as superintendent of the United States Military Academy for the duration of conflict which became known as World War I.- Birthplace: Shelbyville, Tennessee
John Milton Brannan
Dec. at 73 (1819-1892)John Milton Brannan (July 1, 1819 – December 16, 1892) was a career American Army officer who served in the Mexican–American War and as a Union general in the American Civil War, in command of the Department of Key West in Florida and assigned to Fort Zachary Taylor. His first wife was the daughter of Colonel Ichabod Crane; she mysteriously disappeared after taking a ferry from Staten Island to lower Manhattan and was presumed to have been murdered.- Birthplace: Washington, D.C.
Hamilton H. Howze
Dec. at 89 (1908-1998)Hamilton Hawkins Howze (December 21, 1908 – December 8, 1998) was born in West Point, New York, while his father, Major General Robert Lee Howze, an 1888 West Point graduate, was serving as Commandant of West Point. He was a developer and advocate of helicopter-borne air mobility warfare.- Birthplace: West Point, New York
René Edward De Russy
Dec. at 76 (1789-1865)René Edward De Russy (February 22, 1789 – November 23, 1865) was an engineer, military educator, and career United States Army officer who was responsible for constructing many Eastern United States coastal fortifications, as well as some forts on the West Coast. He also served as superintendent of the United States Military Academy. He was promoted to brigadier general during the American Civil War.- Birthplace: Saint-Domingue
Howard D. Graves
Dec. at 64 (1939-2003)Howard Dewayne Graves (August 15, 1939 – September 13, 2003) was a United States Army officer who served as the Superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy from 1991 to 1996, and as the Chancellor of the Texas A&M University System from 1999 to 2003. A 1961 graduate of West Point, he was a Rhodes Scholar, earning three degrees from Oxford during his army career. During his service in the Army, he was the personal aide to two Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Admiral William J. Crowe and General Colin L. Powell.- Birthplace: Roaring Springs, Texas
William Henry Harrison Benyaurd
Dec. at 58 (1841-1900)William Henry Harrison Benyaurd (May 17, 1841 – February 7, 1900) was a Union Army officer during the American Civil War who earned the Medal of Honor for his actions at Five Forks, Virginia on April 1, 1865.- Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Albert Leopold Mills
Dec. at 62 (1854-1916)Albert Leopold Mills (May 7, 1854 – September 18, 1916) was a United States Army Major General who was a recipient of the Medal of Honor for valor in action on July 1, 1898, near Santiago, Cuba. An 1879 graduate of West Point, he served in the Army until his death in 1916. Following his service in Cuba, he was appointed Superintendent of West Point, jumping in rank from First Lieutenant to Colonel. His final posting was as the Chief, Division of Militia Affairs, a precursor to the National Guard Bureau.- Birthplace: New York City, New York
William Durward Connor
Dec. at 86 (1874-1960)William Durward Connor (February 22, 1874 – June 16, 1960) was a career United States Army officer who became a superintendent of the United States Military Academy after originally serving in the Corps of Engineers. While stationed in the Philippines, he participated in the Spanish–American War. He later served with the American Expeditionary Forces during World War I.- Birthplace: Wisconsin
Henry M. Black
Dec. at 66 (1827-1893)Henry M. Black (January 15, 1827 – August 5, 1893) was a United States Army officer who served as Commandant of Cadets at the United States Military Academy.- Birthplace: Pennsylvania
John Biddle
Dec. at 76 (1859-1936)John Biddle (February 2, 1859 – January 18, 1936) was career United States Army officer who became superintendent of the United States Military Academy.- Birthplace: Detroit, Michigan
Thomas H. Neill
Dec. at 58 (1826-1885)Thomas Hewson Neill, a native of Pennsylvania, became a general in the American Civil War, serving in the Army of the Potomac in some of its most important campaigns.- Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
William H. Wilbur
Dec. at 91 (1888-1979)William Hale Wilbur (September 24, 1888 – December 27, 1979) was a United States Army officer and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in World War II.- Birthplace: Palmer, Massachusetts
George Lucas Hartsuff
Dec. at 43 (1830-1874)George Lucas Hartsuff (May 28, 1830 – May 16, 1874) was an American soldier, born at Tyre, New York. He graduated at West Point in 1852, graduating 19th out of 43 in his class. He served on the frontier and in Florida, where, during a fight with the Seminole Indians near Fort Myers, he received a wound which eventually caused his death. Hartsuff survived the wreck of the steamer Lady Elgin on Lake Michigan on September 8, 1860. On March 22, 1861, Hartsuff was appointed assistant adjutant general with the brevet rank of captain and was assigned to duty under Rosecrans in West Virginia. He held under staff positions, eventually serving briefly as chief of staff of the Mountain Department. Hartsuff became a brigadier general on April 15, 1862. He served in third corps Army of Virginia and then in the Army of the Potomac. Hartsuff was severely wounded in the hip at Antietam while leading a brigade in second division I Corps. Immediately after the battle he was made a brevet colonel in the regular army for gallant and meritorious services. Hartsuff was promoted to the rank of major general on November 29, 1863. Returning to active duty, he commanded XXIII Corps in the Army of the Ohio from May 28, 1863 to September 24, of the same year. This period included the early stages of the Knoxville Campaign of MG Ambrose Burnside. On March 13, 1865, he was given the brevet rank of major general in the regular army, and from March 19, to April 16, of the same year was in command of Bermuda Hundred in the Army of the James. Then he commanded the District of Nottoway in the Department of Virginia from May 22, to August 24,. Hartsuff was mustered out of the volunteer service on August 24, 1865, and served in the regular army as a lieutenant colonel. Hartsuff resigned from the regular army on June 29, 1871, because of disability resulting from wounds received in battle. Hartsuff was retired with the rank of major general. He died on May 16, 1874 and was buried at the West Point Cemetery.- Birthplace: Tyre, New York
Bernard J. D. Irwin
Dec. at 87 (1830-1917)Bernard John Dowling Irwin (June 24, 1830 – December 15, 1917) was an assistant army surgeon during the Apache Wars and the first (chronologically by action) Medal of Honor recipient. His actions on February 13, 1861, are the earliest for which the Medal of Honor was awarded. Irwin had an interest in natural history and while at Fort Buchanan, Arizona, in 1858–1860 he collected reptile specimens for the Smithsonian Institution. In 1857 Irwin donated a meteorite to the Smithsonian Institution that came to be known as the Irwin-Ainsa (Tucson) meteorite.A collection of his papers is held at the National Library of Medicine- Birthplace: County Roscommon, Republic of Ireland
Richard Henry Savage
Dec. at 57 (1846-1903)Richard Henry Savage (June 12, 1846 – October 11, 1903) was an American military officer and author who wrote more than 40 books of adventure and mystery, based loosely on his own experiences. Savage's eloquent, witty, dashing and daring life may have been the inspiration for the pulp novel character Doc Savage. In his youth in San Francisco, Savage studied engineering and law, and graduated from the United States Military Academy. After a few years of surveying work with the Army Corps of Engineers, Savage went to Rome as an envoy following which he sailed to Egypt to serve a stint with the Egyptian Army. Returning home, Savage was assigned to assess border disputes between the U.S. and Mexico, and he performed railroad survey work in Texas. In Washington D.C., he courted and married a widowed noblewoman from Germany. Savage returned to San Francisco with his wife to stay for ten years, raising a daughter and taking part in a family business. He served at the rank of colonel in the California National Guard, and took part in the social activity of the city. During a period of anti-Chinese race riots, Savage stood up for law and order, and thereby gained the respect of San Francisco's leaders, property holders and middle class residents. Savage traveled to many exotic lands but in 1890 he was struck with jungle fever in Honduras. While recuperating in New York state he wrote his first book: My Official Wife. This very successful action-and-adventure story was followed by more, at the rate of about three per year, written for the general public rather than for literary critics; the latter were charmed by the first book but scathing of many later ones. Savage lived primarily in New York City, and was involved in lawsuits, especially against his New York publisher regarding unpaid royalties. When the Spanish–American War broke out, Savage volunteered to lead men in battle. Instead, he was given command of an engineering unit which then built a complete base in Havana. Returning to New York, he wrote more books and corresponded with his wife who traveled often to the Russian Empire to visit their daughter and her Russian husband. Four years after mustering out of the Army, Savage was knocked down and mortally wounded at the age of 57 by a horse and carriage on the streets of New York.- Birthplace: Utica, New York
William Hays
Dec. at 55 (1819-1875)William Hays (May 9, 1819 – February 7, 1875) was a career officer in the United States Army, serving as a Union Army general during the American Civil War.- Birthplace: Richmond, Virginia
Hamilton S. Hawkins
Dec. at 75 (1834-1910)Hamilton Smith Hawkins (1834–1910) was a United States Army Major General during the Spanish–American War. Hawkins attended the United States Military Academy between 1852 and 1855, but did not graduate with the class of 1856 due to deficient academics. Despite being a South Carolinian, Hawkins served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He fought at several battles, including the Battle of Gettysburg. He remained in the army after the Civil War and participated in campaigns against the Plains Indians. He became the only commandant of West Point to have attended the academy and failed to graduate. He served in this position between 1888 and 1892. Hawkins was Commandant of the United States Army Command and General Staff College, then known as the United States Infantry and Cavalry School, at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas between October 1894 and April 1898. On May 4, 1898, Hawkins was appointed brigadier general in the volunteer army and was in command of the 1st Brigade, 1st Division, VII Corps stationed in Tampa, Florida when the Spanish–American War began. He was transferred to command the 1st Brigade, 1st Division, V Corps and sailed to Cuba. His brigade landed at Daiquirí, was lightly engaged in the fighting at the Battle of Las Guasimas and spearheaded the assault at the Battle of San Juan Hill. While the main U.S. attack was pinned down under Spanish artillery on San Juan Hill, Hawkins permitted Lieutenant Jules Garesche Ord to begin an attack on the hill and then rushed to the front of the main body of his brigade yelling "Come on! Come on!" and led his troops up the hill where he was severely wounded in the foot near the crest. On October 4, 1898, Hawkins was appointed major general of volunteers and returned to the United States. Hawkins died on March 27, 1910 in General Springs, New York. The Battery Hawkins built in 1914 to protect Pearl Harbor was named for him.- Birthplace: South Carolina
Thomas Devin
Dec. at 55 (1822-1878)Thomas Casimer Devin (December 10, 1822 – April 4, 1878) was a United States Army officer and general. He commanded Union cavalry during the American Civil War and during the Indian Wars.- Birthplace: New York City, New York
Fred Winchester Sladen
Dec. at 71 (1874-1945)Fred Winchester Sladen (November 24, 1867 – July 10, 1945) was career United States Army officer who rose to the rank of Major General and became Superintendent of the United States Military Academy. He is a son of English-born Joseph Alton Sladen (1841-1911) and Martha F. Winchester. Joseph A Sladen met with Cochise in the company of General Oliver Otis Howard, and was awarded the Medal of Honor for his service in the American Civil War.
