Wesley Merritt
Wesley Merritt (June 16, 1834 – December 3, 1910) was a general in the United States Army during the Civil War and the Spanish-American War. He is noted for distinguished service in the cavalry.
Early Life
Merritt was born on June 16, 1834 in Natural Bridge, Virginia. He was attended the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. He graduated in 1860 and served in the cavalry.
Civil War
In 1862 Merritt was appointed captain in the U.S Cavalry and served as an aide to Generals Philip Cooke and George Stoneman. He participated in Stoneman's Raid in the Battle of Chancellorsville in 1863 and was appointed brigadier general of volunteers in June. He commanded the Reserve Brigade, 1st Division, Cavalry Corps of the Army of the Potomac at the Battle of Gettysburg, where he saw action along the Chambersburg Pike on July 1, 1863. He commanded the brigade through Ulysses S. Grant's Overland Campaign in 1864. He commanded the 1st Division, Cavalry Corps of the Army of the Shenandoah during Philip Sheridan's Valley Campaigns of 1864. Arriving at the opportune moment, his division routed the Confederate forces at the Third Battle of Winchester. He was second-in-command to Sheridan during the Appomattox Campaign. He was one of several commissioners for the surrender at Appomattox Court House. He was appointed brevet major general in March, 1865, for bravery at the Battle of Five Forks and the Appomattox Campaign.
Frontier Duty & West Point
After the war's end, Merritt continued to serve in the cavalry along the frontier. He was appointed a lieutenant colonel in the regular army and commanded the 9th Cavalry out of Fort Leavenworth. He served on the frontier until being appointed superintendant of West Point. In 1887 he was appointed a brigadier general in the regular army.
Spanish-American War
After George Dewey defeated the Spanish navy at the Battle of Manila Bay in 1898 the U.S. began to organize ground forces to attack and capture the city of Manila. Merritt was placed in command of the VIII Corps being raised in California. In June, 1898 Merritt and the last of the VIII Corps departed from San Francisco for the Philippines. Once Merritt arrived on the island of Luzon he and Dewey made preparations for the attack on the city. The two intentionally kept Emilio Aguinaldo out of the plans for the attack, neither wanted Aguinaldo's Insurgents to have any control over the city. It is widely believed that Merritt and Dewey made arrangements with General Fermin Juadenes, commander of the Spanish garrison, to surrender the city to the U.S. only after putting up a token resistance. In any case the city fell on August 13 and Merritt became the military governor of Manila. He later went and assisted the U.S. in the peace negotiations at the Treaty of Paris. He retired in 1900 and died ten years later in his hometown, Natural Bridge, Virginia.
See Also Battle of Manila (1898)
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