John Francis Weston (November 13, 1845 – August 3, 1917) was a

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

officer in the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration, the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. ...

, for his actions during a raid on

Confederate Confederacy or confederate may refer to: States or communities * Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities * Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...

shipping. He was a

brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

United States Volunteers United States Volunteers also known as U.S. Volunteers, U.S. Volunteer Army, or other variations of these, were military volunteers called upon during wartime to assist the United States Army but who were separate from both the Regular Army and the ...

in the

Spanish–American War , partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence , image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg , image_size = 300px , caption = (clock ...

. Weston retired from the Regular Army (United States), U.S. regular army in 1909 as a Major general (United States), major general. Having been assistant commissary general of subsistence and commissary general of subsistence from 1897 to 1905, including commissary general for the American forces in Cuba during the Spanish–American War, Weston finished his career as the highest ranking U.S. Army officer in the Philippines and, in the last year of his service, as commander of the Department of California.

Biography

John Francis Weston was born in Louisville, Kentucky on November 13, 1845.Heitman, Francis B
''Historical Register and Dictionary of the United States Army; From Its Organization, September 29, 1789, to March 2, 1903''.
Vol. 1 of 2 vols. U.S. Government Printing Office, 1903. . Retrieved January 12, 2011. p. 1021 He joined the

's 4th Regiment Kentucky Volunteer Cavalry on November 26, 1861, having just turned age 16.United States War Department
''Official Army Register for 1914''
Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, War Department, Document 456, The Adjutant General's Office, 1913. . Retrieved December 22, 2011. p. 498. Weston's father sympathized with the Confederacy and Weston's uncle and brother joined the Confederate States Army.Ingles, Raul Rafael
''1908: the way it really was: historical journal for the UP Centennial, 1908–2008''
Quezon City: University of the Philippines Press, 2008. . pp. 66–67 Weston was promoted to Captain (United States O-3), captain on January 9, 1863, and to Major (United States), major on November 1, 1864. On April 13, 1865, Weston participated in a raid to destroy Confederate supply boats near Wetumpka, Alabama. Through an audacious ruse, Weston and 5 men managed to capture the boats. For these actions, he was awarded the Medal of Honor several decades later, on April 9, 1898. Weston was mustered out of the Union Army volunteer service on August 21, 1865. After the war, Weston started the study of law but gave it up in favor of rejoining the army. On August 9, 1867, Weston was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the 7th U.S. Cavalry Regiment of the Regular Army (United States), regular U.S. Army. He was promoted to first lieutenant on November 27, 1868. He was promoted to captain and commissary of subsistence on November 24, 1875. On August 1, 1892, Weston was promoted to major and commissary of subsistence. On November 17, 1897, Weston was promoted to lieutenant colonel and assistant commissary general. On April 30, 1898, he was promoted to colonel and assistant commissary general. With the outbreak of the

, John F. Weston was commissioned

in the

on September 21, 1898. His service as commissary general for Major General William Rufus Shafter, commander of the U.S. Army forces fighting the Spanish in Cuba, at Santiago, Cuba received favorable notice. On March 24, 1899, he was honorably discharged from the volunteers and returned to his regular army duties. On December 6, 1900, Weston was promoted to brigadier general and appointed commissary general in the regular U.S. Army, which he accepted on December 13, 1900. Weston was promoted to major general, USA, on October 8, 1905, and accepted the promotion on the same date. He was sent to command the Northwest Division in St. Louis, Missouri but a month later he was sent to the Philippines and became the highest ranking U.S. Army officer there. Although the ''Manila Times'' said on March 13, 1908, that Weston expected to remain in the Philippines for the remainder of his army career, the U.S. Secretary of War's report to Congress for the year showed that from January 13, 1909, to June 30, 1909, Major General Weston commanded the Department of California. John F. Weston retired from the U.S. Army on November 13, 1909. General Weston was a companion of the District of Columbia Commandery of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States. Weston died in Briarcliff Manor, New York on August 3, 1917, at age 71, and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.

Medal of Honor citation

Weston's official Medal of Honor citation reads:

This officer, with a small detachment, while en route to destroy steamboats loaded with supplies for the enemy, was stopped by an unfordable river, but with 5 of his men swam the river, captured 2 leaky canoes, and ferried his men across. He then encountered and defeated the enemy, and on reaching Wetumpka found the steamers anchored in midstream. By a ruse obtained possession of a boat, with which he reached the steamers and demanded and received their surrender.

Notes

References

* Heitman, Francis B
''Historical Register and Dictionary of the United States Army; From Its Organization, September 29, 1789, to March 2, 1903''.
Vol. 1 of 2 vols. U.S. Government Printing Office, 1903. . Retrieved January 12, 2011. * Ingles, Raul Rafael
''1908: the way it really was: historical journal for the UP Centennial, 1908–2008''
Quezon City: University of the Philippines Press, 2008. .
''The Nation''
Vol. 81, No. 2102. New York, October 12, 1905. Retrieved December 22, 2011. p. 289. * United States War Department
''Annual Reports of the Secretary of War''
Volume 3. Washington, Government Printing Office, 1909. . Retrieved December 23, 2011. * United States War Department
'Official Army Register for 1914'
Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, War Department, Document 456, The Adjutant General's Office, 1913. . Retrieved December 22, 2011. * {{DEFAULTSORT:Weston, John F. 1845 births 1917 deaths People of Kentucky in the American Civil War Union Army officers United States Army Medal of Honor recipients Burials at Arlington National Cemetery American Civil War recipients of the Medal of Honor Commissary General of Subsistence (United States Army) Military personnel from Louisville, Kentucky

Biography

Medal of Honor citation

See also

Notes

References