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Civil War Soldiers - Merritt
| Merritt, Wesley, major-general, was
born in New York city, June 16, 1836. He was graduated at the United
States military academy and brevetted 2nd lieutenant of dragoons, July
1, 1860. He was promoted 2nd lieutenant, Jan. 28, 1861; 1st
lieutenant, May 13, 1861, was transferred to the 2nd cavalry, Aug. 3,
1861, and promoted captain, April 5, 1862. In 1861-62 he served as
adjutant-general of the Utah forces, then adjutant of the 2nd cavalry
and after that in the defenses of Washington. He was aide-de-camp to
Gen. John Cook, 1862-63, and to Gen. Stoneman in 1863; participated in
Stoneman's raid toward Richmond in April and May, 1863, and commanded
the reserve cavalry brigade in the Pennsylvania campaign of 1863,
receiving his commission as brigadier-general of volunteers June 29.
He was brevetted major U. S. A. for gallantry at Gettysburg, and
served in the various engagements in Virginia in 1863-64, winning the
brevets of lieutenant-colonel, colonel and brigadier-general in the
regular army and major-general of volunteers for gallantry at the
battles of Yellow tavern, Haw's shop, Winchester and Five Forks,
respectively. On March 13, 1865, he was given the additional brevet of
major-general U. S. A. "for gallant and meritorious services." He was
commissioned major-general of volunteers on April 1, 1865, for
"gallant service," and was present at the surrender of Lee at
Appomattox. He was afterwards successively in command of the military
division of the Southwest, the Department of Texas, and the military
division of the Gulf, and was mustered out of the volunteer service
Feb. 1, 1866. In the regular army he was promoted lieutenant-colonel
of the 9th cavalry in 1866, colonel of the 5th cavalry in 1876,
brigadier-general in 1887, and major- general April 25, 1895. After
the war he was employed chiefly on frontier duty until 1882; was
superintendent of the U. S. military academy from 1882 to 1887;
commanded the Department of the Missouri, 1887-91; the Department of
Dakota, 1891-95 ; the Department of Missouri again 1895-97, and the
Department of the East, with headquarters at Governor's island, New
York harbor, 1897-98. He was appointed to command the forces in the
Philippines in May, 1898, and was retired by operation of law, June
16, 1900. He was a delegate to the United States peace commission at
Paris in Oct., 1898.
Source: The Union Army: A History of Military Affairs in the Loyal
States 1861-1865, Volume 8 Biographical, 1908
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