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Vol. III |
(Born Mich.) |
John Biddle |
(Ap'd Mich.) |
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Born Feb. 2, 1859, Detroit, MI. Military History. — Cadet at the Military Academy, Sep. 1, 1877, to June 11, 1881, when he was graduated and promoted in the Army to Second Lieut., Corps of Engineers, June 11, 1881. Served: with Battalion of Engineers, at Willet's Point, N. Y., Sep. 30, 1881 (sick leave of absence, July 23 to Nov. 23, 1883) to June 15, 1884; (First Lieut., Corps of Engineers, Jan. 10, 1883) as Engineer Officer, Department of Dakota, June 25, 1884, to Dec. 15, 1887; as Assistant Instructor of Practical Military Engineering at the p343 Military Academy, and on duty with Engineer Company, since Dec. 21, 1887; Recruiting for Company, since Dec. 24, 1887, and in charge of Post Schools, since Apr. 1, 1889; and on detached service at Johnstown, Pa., June 5 to 18, 1889.a Vol. IV Military History. — Served: Assistant Instructor Practical Engineering, U. S. M. A., and with Company E, Battalion Engineers, West Point, N. Y., to April 1, 1891; at Nashville, Ten., as assistant and in charge of river and harbor works, April, 1891 to June, 1898. (Captain, Corps of Engineers, Oct. 11, 1892) — Chickamauga, Ga.,º June to July 5, 1898; Puerto Rico, July 27 to Aug. 25; Lexington, Ky., and Macon, Ga., Aug. to Dec., 1898. — As Chief Engineer, Department of Matanzas and Santa Clara, Matanzas, Cuba, Dec., 1898 to Oct. 1, 1899. — Under orders to Manila, P. I., as Engineer Officer, Department of the Pacific, Oct., 1899. (Lieut.‑Colonel and Chief Engineer, U. S. Volunteers, May 9, 1898) Served: As Chief engineer, 6th U. S. Army Corps; Acting Chief Engineer, p339 1st Division, 1st U. S. Army Corps; Chief Engineer, 1st U. S. Army Corps, up to disbanding of the corps. (Honorably discharged from Volunteer Service, May 12, 1899) Vol. V Military History. — Served: As Engineer Officer, Department of the Pacific, Manila, P. I., Nov. 25, 1899, to March 29, 1900; Chief Engineer Officer, Philippines Division, March 29, 1900 to April 22, 1901; member of Board to survey dam and estimate for the improvement of a harbor at the Island of Guam, Aug. 7, 1900 to Feb. 9, 1901, and from April 25 to July 25, 1901; with Board in San Francisco, June 26 to Aug. 1, 1901. (Major, Corps of Engineers, April 30, 1901)
— Engineer Commissioner, District of Columbia, Nov. 1, 1901 to May 1, 1907; serve as Aide-de‑Camp to Brigadier-General (Lieut.‑Colonel, Corps of Engineers, June 9, 1907) Vol. VI (Born Feb. 2, 1859.) Military History. — Lieut.‑Colonel, Corps of Engineers, June 9, 1907. At San Francisco, Cal., Chief Engineer Officer, Department of California, and Division Engineer, Pacific Division, June 12, 1907, to July 12, 1911; (Member of California Debris Commission, May 4, 1907, to 1911; Division Engineer, North Pacific, July 1, 1908, to July 12, 1911; in charge of fortifications of San Francisco, June 7, 1909, to July 20, 1911; Lighthouse Engineer, July 31, 1909, to 1910; Senior Member of Board appointed under Act of Congress to report under direction of Secretary of the Interior on U. S. Reclamation Service, July to December, 1910; relieved temporarily of duties in San Francisco District, July 14, 1910, to Jan. 4, 1911; Senior Member of Board appointed under Act of Congress to Report, under direction of Secretary of the Interior, on San Francisco Water Supply, 1910‑1912); (Colonel, Corps of Engineers, Feb. 27, 1911) at Washington, D. C., member of General Staff and in charge of War College Division, General Staff, April 14, 1911, to June 15, 1914; at Savannah, Ga., in charge of river and harbor work and of fortifications; Savannah District, and Division Engineer, Southeastern Division, June 20 to Sept. 2, 1914; in Western Galicia and Western Poland, Military Observer with Austro-Hungarian Army, November, 1914, to June, 1915; at Baltimore, Md., Division Engineer, in charge of river and harbor work and fortifications, Baltimore District, and member of Board of Engineers on Rivers and Harbors, Sept. 30, 1915, to June 10, 1916; in charge of river and harbor work, Wilmington District, March 9 to July 1, 1916; Superintendent U. S. Military Academy, July 1, 1916, to (Brigadier-General, U. S. A., May 15, 1917) June 1, 1917; at Washington, D. C., commanding 6th U. S. Engineers, May and June 1917; in northern France, commanding Brigade of American Engineer Troops serving with British Army, July to (Major-General, National Army, Aug. 5, 1917) p308 October, 1917; at Washington, D. C., member of General Staff and Acting Chief of Staff, Oct. 29, 1917, to March 3, 1918; at London, England, commanding Base Section No. 3, Service of Supply, A. E. F., including all American Troops and activities in the United Kingdom, March 23, 1918, to June 15, 1919; sailed for U. S., July 30; at Camp Travis, Texas, commanding Camp, Aug. 21, 1919, to Feb. 1, 1920; commanding Camp Custer, Mich., to (Returned to Grade of Brigadier-General, July 1, 1920) Dec. 1, 1920.
Brigadier-General, U. S. A., Retired, Dec. 1, 1920,
Service Medals: Indian, Spanish, Philippine Wars; Porto Rico; Army of Cuban Occupation; Victory. Honorary member, Military Division, Knight Commander, Order of the Bath. Awarded Distinguished Service Medal "For exceptionally meritorious and distinguished services. In command of American troops in England, by his tact and diplomacy in handling intricate problems, he made possible the successful transshipment of many thousands of men to France. To his executive ability the efficient handling, control, and dispatch of casual troops through England is largely due." Vol. VII Military History. — Distinguished Service Medal
Brigadier-General, U. S. A., Retired, Dec. 1, 1920,
Major-General, U. S. A., Retired, June 21, 1930,
Awarded Silver Star and cited "for gallantry in action against Spanish forces at Coamo, P. R., Aug. 9, 1898." Service Medals: Indian Wars; Spanish-American; Philippine Wars; Porto Rico; Army of Cuban Occupation; Victory. Honorary member, Military Division, Knight Commander, Order of the Bath, Commander Victorian Order. Vol. VIII Military History:— Brig.‑Gen., Ret., Dec. 1, 1920. Maj.‑Gen., Ret., June 21, 1930. Died, Jan. 18, 1936, at San Antonio, Tex.: Aged 76. Buried, West Point Cemetery, West Point, NY. |
a In connection with the Johnstown flood of May 31, 1889; still today one of the worst disasters ever on American soil.
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