Brigadier General Robert Walter Mearns (July 16, 1866 – May 23, 1949) was a U.S. Army general during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

Early life and education

Robert Walter Mearns was born on July 16, 1866, in

Kemblesville, Pennsylvania Kemblesville is an unincorporated community in Franklin Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. Located in the southern part of the county, it lies in the southeastern part of the state. History The roots of the village of Kemble ...

, to Andrew James Mearns, a farmer, and Martha Kennedy Mearns. He attended the West Chester Normal School, then entered 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 number sixty-one of sixty-two in the class of 1892, one of thirteen who took five years to complete the requirements. Mearns later graduated from the Infantry and Cavalry School in 1897.

Military career

He was commissioned in the 20th Infantry on duty at Fort Assinniboine, Montana, and later, at

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

, Kansas. During 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 ...

, his regiment was sent to Cuba. Mearns participated in the

Battle of El Caney The Battle of El Caney was fought on July 1, 1898, during the Spanish-American War. 600 Spanish soldiers held for twelve hours, until they ran out of ammunition, against Henry W. Lawton's 5th US Division, made up of 6,899 men. This action tempor ...

and earned the

Silver Star The Silver Star Medal (SSM) is the United States Armed Forces' third-highest military decoration for valor in combat. The Silver Star Medal is awarded primarily to members of the United States Armed Forces for gallantry in action against an e ...

. After the war, his regiment was sent to the Philippines. Mearns was promoted to major and commanded the Philippine Scouts from February 28, 1905, to December 8, 1909. Mearns was promoted to lieutenant colonel effective May 15, 1917. During

, he received a temporary promotion to colonel on August 16, 1917 and to brigadier general on October 12, 1918. From November 1, 1918 to February 5, 1919, he served as commanding general of the 17th Infantry Division at

Camp Beauregard Camp Beauregard is a U.S. Army installation located northeast of Pineville, Louisiana, primarily in Rapides Parish, but also extending northward into Grant Parish. It is operated and owned by the Louisiana National Guard as one of their main t ...

in Louisiana. After the war, Mearns reverted to his permanent rank of lieutenant colonel on February 6, 1919. He was promoted to colonel effective July 1, 1920 and retired from active duty on December 31, 1922. On June 21, 1930, Mearns was advanced to brigadier general on the retired list.

Personal life

Mearns married Ethel Janet Brown on June 5, 1913. Together they had three sons, Robert, Fillmore and James. He was a

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...

and enjoyed riding horses, golfing and motoring. Mearns and his wife settled in

Berkeley, California Berkeley ( ) is a city on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay in northern Alameda County, California, United States. It is named after the 18th-century Irish bishop and philosopher George Berkeley. It borders the cities of Oakland and Emer ...

after his retirement. He died at the age of eight-two at Letterman General Hospital in

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

on May 23, 1949. Mearns was buried at

San Francisco National Cemetery San Francisco National Cemetery is a United States national cemetery, located in the Presidio of San Francisco, California. Because of the name and location, it is frequently confused with Golden Gate National Cemetery, a few miles south of the ci ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mearns, Robert 1866 births 1949 deaths People from Chester County, Pennsylvania West Chester University alumni United States Military Academy alumni Military personnel from Pennsylvania United States Army Command and General Staff College alumni American military personnel of the Spanish–American War Recipients of the Silver Star American military personnel of the Philippine–American War United States Army generals of World War I United States Army generals People from Berkeley, California Burials at San Francisco National Cemetery