Major General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of ...

Peter Charles Harris (November 10, 1865 – March 18, 1951) was an officer in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...

who served as Adjutant General of the U.S. Army from 1918 to 1922.

Early life and education

Harris was born on November 10, 1865, in Ringston, Georgia. He attended the

United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a fort, since it sits on strategic high groun ...

and graduated in the class of 1888. Among his classmates there were several men who would, like Harris himself, eventually attain the rank of general officer, such as

James W. McAndrew James William McAndrew (June 29, 1862 – April 30, 1922) was a career officer in the United States Army. He attained the rank of major general, and was most notable for his service as chief of staff of the American Expeditionary Forces during Wo ...

, William M. Morrow,

William Robert Dashiell Brigadier General William Robert Dashiell (3 April 1863 – 16 March 1939) was a United States Army officer. He notably participated in the Philippine–American War and World War I. Early life and education Dashiell was born Mecklenburg Coun ...

Robert Lee Howze Robert Lee Howze (August 22, 1864 – September 19, 1926) was a United States Army major general who was a recipient of the Medal of Honor for his actions during the American Indian Wars. Howze graduated from the United States Military Academy i ...

, Peyton C. March,

Eli Alva Helmick Major General Eli Alva Helmick (September 23, 1863 – January 13, 1945) was a United States Army officer in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He served in World War I, among other conflicts, and received the Distinguished Service Medal. Mi ...

, Henry Jervey Jr.,

William Voorhees Judson William Voorhees Judson (16 February 1865 – 29 March 1923) was an American Brigadier general, who served as a military aide with the Root Mission to the Russian Provisional Government. Early life and education William Voorhees Judson was bor ...

, John Louis Hayden, Edward Anderson,

William H. Hart William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Engl ...

Charles Aloysius Hedekin Charles Aloysius Hedekin (December 9, 1865 – January 30, 1944) was a United States Army Cavalry officer in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He served in numerous locations and incidents. Military career Hedekin was born on December 9, 18 ...

and William S. Peirce.

Military career

He received a commission for the 13th Infantry Regiment. He also served with the 9th Infantry, the 10th Infantry, and the Twenty-Fourth Infantry. He participated in the

Battle of San Juan Hill The Battle of San Juan Hill, also known as the Battle for the San Juan Heights, was a major battle of the Spanish–American War fought between an American force under the command of William Rufus Shafter and Joseph Wheeler against a Spanish fo ...

and the

Siege of Santiago de Cuba The siege of Santiago, also known as the siege of Santiago de Cuba, was the last major operation of the Spanish–American War on the island of Cuba. Santiago campaign The primary objective of the American Fifth Army Corps' invasion of Cuba ...

, during the Spanish–American War. He served in the Philippines from 1899 to 1900, in 1905 to 1907, and May 21, 1907 to April 13, 1908. He attended the Infantry and Cavalry School at

Fort Leavenworth, Kansas Fort Leavenworth () is a United States Army installation located in Leavenworth County, Kansas, in the city of Leavenworth. Built in 1827, it is the second oldest active United States Army post west of Washington, D.C., and the oldest perma ...

, and graduated from the Army War College in 1908. In 1916, he started service in the Adjutant General's Office. He was appointed adjutant general on September 1, 1918. He retired from service on August 31, 1922.

Awards

He received the Army Distinguished Service Medal due to his services during World War I. The citation for the medal reads: {{Quote, The

President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States ...

of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Army Distinguished Service Medal to Major General Peter Charles Harris, United States Army, for exceptionally meritorious and distinguished services to the Government of the United States, in a duty of great responsibility during World War I. During his service in the Adjutant General's Department, General Harris' zeal, energy, and judgment have been made manifest by the reforms accomplished in record keeping systems in the War Department and in the Army. His other awards and honors included Commander in the

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...

from France and Commander in the Order of the Crown of Italy.{{cite book, title=Who Was Who in American History - the Military, date=1975, publisher=Marquis Who's Who, location=Chicago, isbn=0837932017, page=240

Death and legacy

He died at Walter Reed Medical Center on March 18, 1951. He is buried in Princeton Cemetery in

Princeton, New Jersey Princeton is a municipality with a borough form of government in Mercer County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It was established on January 1, 2013, through the consolidation of the Borough of Princeton and Princeton Township, both of whi ...

.''Cullum's Register''
/ref>

References

{{reflist, 30em

External links