Class of 1881

Vol. IV
p352 [Supplement, Vol. IV: 1890‑1900]

Military History. — Served: As Commandant of Cadets at A. and M. College, Auburn, Ala., to Sept., 1891. — Regimental Quartermaster, 10th Cavalry, and Post Quartermaster, Fort Grant, Ariz., till April, 1892. — Regimental Quartermaster, 10th Cavalry, and Post Quartermaster, Fort Custer, Mont., May, 1892 to Nov., 1894. — Regimental Quartermaster, 10th Cavalry, and Post Quartermaster, Fort Assinniboine, Mont.,  p353 to Sept., 1895. — On duty with troop and Post Exchange Officer, Sept., 1895 to April, 1897. — Professor of Military Science and Tactics and commandant of Cadets, South Carolina Military Academy, May, 1897 to April 30, 1898.

(Captain of Cavalry, 3d Cavalry, Sept. 23, 1898)

(Captain and Asst. Adjutant-General, U. S. Volunteers, May 12, 1898 — Declined)

(Lieut.‑Colonel, 1st Alabama Volunteer Infantry, May 14, 1898)

— Served as Lieutenant-Colonel, 1st Alabama U. S. Volunteer Infantry, at Mobile, Ala., Miami and Jacksonville, Fla., to Oct. 31, 1898. — Chief Mustering Officer for State of Alabama, Sept. 21 to Nov. 28, 1898. — Fort Ethan Allen, Vt., to –––––

(Honorably mustered out of Volunteer Service, Oct. 31, 1898)

Vol. V
p329 [Supplement, Vol. V: 1900‑1910]

Military History. — Served: Chief Mustering Officer for State of Alabama, Sept. 21 to Nov. 28, 1898; Fort Ethan Allen, Vt., to July, 1899; Fort Myer, Va.,

(Honorably mustered out of Volunteer Service, Oct. 31, 1898)

to July, 1900; Philippine Islands, to June, 1901; wounded through right lung, April 27, 1901, in battle at Barangobong, Ilocos Norte, Luzon, P. I.; sick in U. S., to Jan., 1902; Quartermaster of the General Hospital, Washington Barracks, D. C., to Aug., 1902; Regimental  p330 Quartermaster, Constructing, and Post Quartermaster, Fort Assinniboine, Mont., to Feb., 1906; Quartermaster Military Prison Fort Leavenworth, Kas., to Feb., 1907.

(Major, 15th Cavalry, Jan., 1907)

— Commanding at Fort Ethan Allen, Vt., to May, 1908.

Vol. VI
p328 [Supplement, Vol. VI: 1910‑1920]

(John Bacon McDonald, Born Feb. 8, 1859.)

Military History. —

Major, 15th Cavalry, Jan. 19, 1907

At Fort Sheridan, Ill., commanding Squadron, May, 1908, to August, 1912; (at Fort Leavenworth, Kans., taking Field Officers' Course, Army Service Schools, January to April, 1911; at Fort Riley, Kans., in Field Officers' Class, Mounted School, April to June, 1911);

(Lieut.‑Colonel of Cavalry, Aug. 2, 1912)

at Washington, D. C., student officer at Army War College, September, 1912, to

(Assigned to 4th Cavalry, May 15, 1913)

June, 1913; at Schofield Bks., Hawaii, with 4th Cavalry, to Jan., 1914;

(Inspector-General, By Detail, Jan. 4, 1914)

Department Inspector, Hawaiian Department, to August, 1915; Assistant to Department Inspector, Philippines Department, to May, 1916; at San Francisco, Cal., Department Inspector, Western Department, to

(Colonel of Cavalry, July 1, 1916)

October, 1917; at Washington, D. C., Assistant to Inspector-General,

(Brigadier-General, National Army, Dec. 17, 1917)

to April, 1918; (January to April, 1918, inspecting 12 Divisions of National and National Guard Armies as to preparedness for overseas duty); assigned to command of 181st Infantry Brigade, 91st Division, May, 1918; commanded Brigade in St. Mihiel Offensive, Sept. 10 to 14, 1918; in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, front line, Sept. 26 to Oct. 12, 1918; in Ypres‑Lys Offensive, front line, in Belgium, Oct. 30 to Nov. 11, 1918; awarded

Belgian Croix de Guerre

for success­ful attack on Audenarde, Belgium, Nov. 1 and 2, 1918; participated in parade and review by King Albert of Belgium upon his return to City of Brussels, Nov. 22, 1918; commanded 181st Brigade on entry of French Army under General Degoutte into the City of Aix-la‑Chapelle, Dec. 5, 1918; commanded 181st Brigade, 91st Division, on march back to Dunkirk and to embarkation area near Le Mans, France, to March 20, 1919; en route to U. S., March 25 to April 22; at Presidio of San Francisco, Cal., commanding post, April, 1919, to –––––

Awarded

Distinguished Service Cross

April 2, 1919, "for repeated acts of extraordinary heroism in action near Epinonville and Gesnes, France, September 26‑30, 1918. He was almost continuously present with the leading elements of his brigade, inspiring his troops by his personal bravery and energy under fire. Near Epinonville, when his command was about to make an attack and was under heavy artillery fire, this officer, by his disregard for personal safety, steadied his men and stimulated them to success­ful assault on the ridge forming part of the German main line of resistance. Two days later, with one flank exposed by the withdrawal of the unit on the right, he led his brigade in the attack on and capture of Gesnes."

Awarded

Distinguished Service Medal

"for exceptionally meritorious and distinguished services. While commanding the 181st Infantry Brigade during the advance of the 91st Division from Forêt-de‑Hesse, Argonne, France, in September, 1918, he  p329 was instrumental in the successes achieved. He directed the attack in person, and by his example of personal courage and by his sound tactical orders he so inspired his brigade that it was enabled to capture and hold a most important position."

Vol. VII
p184 [Supplement, Vol. VII: 1920‑1930]

Military History: —

Distinguished Service Cross.

Distinguished Service Medal.

Colonel of Cavalry, July 1, 1916.

Brigadier-General, National Army, Dec. 17, 1917.

At Presidio of San Francisco, Calif., commanding post, Apr., 1919, to Sep. 30, 1919;

Returned to Grade of Colonel, Sept. 30, 1919,

at Alcatraz Island, Calif., commanding Pacific Branch of U. S. Disciplinary Bks., Oct. 1, 1919, to Dec. 12, 1922.

Brigadier-General, Jan. 29, 1923.

Brigadier-General, U. S. A., Retired, Feb. 8, 1923,
By Operation of Law.

 p185  Awarded Silver Star and cited "for gallantry in action near Barangobong, Luzon, Philippine Islands, Apr. 27, 1901."

Civil History. — After retirement, resided at Washington, D. C.

Died, Mar. 15, 1926, at Washington, D. C.: Aged 67.

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