Class of 1874

Vol. IV
p241 [Supplement, Vol. IV: 1890‑1900]

(Montgomery Meigs Macomb)

Military History. — Served: At West Point, N. Y., as Assistant Professor of Drawing, to April 17, 1891; in command of Corps No. 1, Central American Division, Intercontinental Railway Commission, to Sept. 30, 1896; being in the field in Central America until June 20, 1893; at Light Artillery School, Fort Riley, Kan., with Battery F, 4th Artillery, until May 7, 1897; on special duty in charge of topographical survey of Fort Riley reservation until May 6, 1898;

(Captain of Artillery, 7th Artillery, March 8, 1898)

commanding Light Battery M, 7th Artillery, at Fort Myer, Va., May 11 to July 11, 1898; in the field, Puerto Rican campaign, to Sept., 1898; absent sick to Jan. 1, 1899; rejoined battery at Ponce, P. R., Jan. 21, 1899.

Vol. V
p214 [Supplement, Vol. V: 1900‑1910]

Military History. — On sick leave, Sept. 6 to Dec. 31, 1898; returned to duty January 1, 1899, and rejoined battery at Ponce, Porto Rico, where it remained as part of the garrison of the island, until June 22, when it returned to the United States, arriving in New York June 27; in garrison, Washington Barracks, D. C., June 30, 1899, to August 17, 1900; served upon a number of boards appointed by the War Department, the most important being one convened at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., March 6, 1900, to prepare plans for the location of certain buildings and the extension of the post, to provide accommodations for the enlargement and development of the Infantry and Cavalry School there. On August 1, his battery was designated for duty in China, and on Aug. 17, he proceeded by rail with it to San Francisco, Cal. Here orders were received directing it to proceed to the Philippine Islands for station, there being no longer need for additional troops in China; sailed for Manila, Sept. 3, proceeding via the northern route and the Inland Sea of Japan, touching at Kobe and Nagasaki; landed at Manila, Oct. 9, 1900, and served as part of the garrison of that city.

(Major in the Artillery Corps, Nov. 4, 1901)

— As field officer during the winter of 1901‑1902, supervised the equipping of the new mountain batteries organized under the law of Feb. 2, 1901, one of which (McNair's) was equipped in time to render signal service in the first expeditions against the Moros in the Lake Lanao District, Mindanao, in the spring of 1902. In addition to duty with troops, was a member of a number of boards, the most important being one appointed by the War Department to consider and report upon the subject of the defense of the principal harbors of  p215 the Philippine Islands. On the completion of this duty, left Manila July 14, 1902, landing in San Francisco, Cal., August 14; was detailed as a member of the Ordnance Board, under the orders of the Chief of Ordnance, with station in New York City; was directed by orders from the War Department to delay at Fort Riley, Kan., en route to his station, long enough to act as umpire with the maneuver division under General Bates, during Sept., and later, in conjunction with the post engineer officer to formulate a scheme for completing the survey and map of the Fort Riley Military Reservation, work upon which was begun in 1897, and interrupted by the outbreak of the war with Spain. Oct. 18, 1902, was detailed as a member of the Board of Ordnance and Fortification; April 17, 1903, was detailed as member of the General Staff, constituted under the Act approved Feb. 14, 1903, to date from August 15; was later assigned to duty with the War Department General Staff, with station at Washington, D. C.; was relieved as member of the Ordnance Board, Dec. 3, 1903; was selected as one of the military attaches to accompany the Russian Armies in Manchuria, as observer during the campaign against the Japanese; reported to our Ambassador at St. Petersburg, May 9, 1904, and reached the front via the Trans-Siberian route, in June; was present at various preliminary operations and observed the great battle of Liaoyang, Sha River and Mukden, remaining on duty with the Russian Army until recalled in Oct., 1905, after the conclusion of peace; reached the United States in Dec. and resumed duty with the War Department General Staff.

(Lieut.‑Colonel in the Artillery Corps, March 26, 1906)

— Was relieved as member of the General Staff Corps by reason of this promotion. On April 21, was assigned to the Field Artillery and directed to continue work upon report as military observer during the Russo-Japanese War; under the same order, proceeded to Fort Riley, Kan., and assumed command of the Artillery Sub‑Post, Oct. 1, 1906, continuing on that duty until June 15, 1908.

(Colonel in the Artillery Corps, April 5, 1908)

— During this period was president of the Field Artillery Examining Board; also of the board to prepare a program for the attack and defense of the infantry redoubt at Fort Riley, and superintended the execution thereof, one object of the experiments being to ascertain the best types of guns and projectiles for heavy field artillery, and the type of field work best calculated to resist them; during the school year of 1906‑1907, delivered a course of lectures before the student officers of the Service Schools at Forts Riley and Leavenworth on his experience as military observer in the Russo-Japanese War; on June 6, 1907, was assigned to command the 6th Regiment of Field Artillery (Horse), with headquarters at Fort Riley, Kan., and at once took up its organization; in March, 1908, delivered lectures before officers of the Service Schools and Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, and of the Army War College at Washington, D. C., on the Functions and Operations of Field Artillery in Campaign, as Developed in Recent Years; detailed as a member of the General Staff Corps, May 23, 1908; reported for duty, July 9, 1908, and was assigned to the War Department General Staff as Chief of the First Section and in special charge of matters relating to Field Artillery; was detailed as a member of the Board of Ordnance and Fortification and of the General Staff Committee on Army Reorganization; December 4, 1908, was directed to deliver a lecture at the annual convention of the National Guard Association of Pennsylvania, on the Mutual Relations of the Infantry and Field Artillery in Campaign, as exemplified in the Russo-Japanese War; in Oct., 1909, represented  p216 the General Staff as observer of the artillery firing at Fort Riley, Kan., to test the efficiency of modern field works when attacked by the latest types of field cannon, designed for the United States Field Artillery. Those experiments were to supplement those undertaken in 1907, and were intended to supply the War Department with definite data upon which to frame a policy for the completion of the armament of the field artillery with suitable heavy guns and howitzers; was selected by the President for promotion to Brigadier-General to fill the vacancy occurring Nov. 14, 1910.

Vol. VI
p189 [Supplement, Vol. VI: 1910‑1920]

(Montgomery Meigs Macomb, Born Oct. 12, 1852.)

Military History. —

Colonel, Artillery Corps, April 5, 1907.

 p190  Assigned to 6th Field Artillery, June 6, 1907.

Brigadier-General, U. S. A., Nov. 15, 1910.

In Honolulu, Jan. 12, 1911, to March 12, 1914 (commanding District of Hawaii, Jan. 12 to Sept. 30, 1911; commanding Department of Hawaii, Oct. 1, 1911, to Feb. 14, 1913, and Hawaiian Department, Feb. 15 to April 3, 1913, also, Jan. 23 to March 12, 1914; commanding 1st Hawaiian Brigade, Feb. 15, 1913, to Feb. 25, 1914; senior member of Board of Officers appointed by War Department to study and report upon Defenses of Oahu, July to Sept. 6, 1912; relieved from command of Hawaiian Department, March 12, 1914); at Washington, D. C., President Army War College, April 23, 1914, to Oct. 12, 1916; member of General Staff Corps, June 3 to Oct. 12, 1916.

Brigadier-General, U. S. A., Retired, Oct. 12, 1916,
By Operation of Law.

Recalled to active duty, Oct. 7, 1917, and ordered to report for duty as Chief of Staff, Western Department; relieved from operation of these orders, Oct. 15, 1917; at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, commanding post, School of Fire for Field Artillery, Infantry School of Arms, and School for Aerial Observers, Nov. 1, 1917, to March 19, 1918; at Governor's Island, New York Harbor, member of General Court Martial, May 8‑9, 1918.

Service medals: Spanish-American War, Philippine Insurrection.

Vol. VII
p120 [Supplement, Vol. VII: 1920‑1930]

Military History: —

Brigadier-General, U. S. A., Retired, Oct. 12, 1916,
By Operation of Law.

Died, Jan. 19, 1924, at Washington, D. C.: Aged 71.

Portrait and obituary in Annual Report, Association of Graduates, for 1926.