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Dromo's Den
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[Up] [Dromo's Den] John McAllister Schofield Biography John McAllister Schofield Image SCHOFIELD,
John McAllister (1831-1906). An American soldier, born in Chautauqua
Co., N. Y. He graduated at West Point in 1853, was assistant professor of
natural and experimental philosophy there from 1855 to 1860, and was then for a
time professor of physics at Washington University, St. Louis, Mo. On the
breaking out of the Civil War he became major of the First Missouri Volunteers,
served as chief of staff for General Lyon during the operations in Missouri, and
took part in the battles of Dug Spring and Wilson's Creek. Afterward as
brigadier general of volunteers he commanded the State troops and the District
of St. Louis, until placed in command of the Army of the Frontier in 1862. In
November, 1862, he was promoted to the rank of major general of volunteers. In
1864 he was assigned to the command of the Army of the Ohio. In Sherman's
campaign in Georgia he commanded the Twenty-third Corps. He received his
appointment as brigadier general in the regular army for his services at the
battle of Franklin (q.v.), Nov. 30, 1864, in which he defeated the Confederates
under General Hood. With his command he was transferred to North Carolina and
was appointed to the command of that department. On Feb. 22, 1865, he occupied
Wilmington, fought the battle of Kinston (March 8-10), and joined Sherman at
Goldsboro (March 22, 1865). He was Secretary of War ad interim from May, 1868,
to March, 1869; was then placed in command successively of the Department of the
Missouri and of the Division of the Pacific. In July, 1876, he was appointed
superintendent of the United States Military Academy and from 1882 to 1883 had
command of the military Division of the Pacific. He then commanded successively
the divisions of the Missouri and of the Atlantic and was commanding general of
the United States army from 1888 to 1895, when he retired with the rank of
lieutenant general. He published Forty-Six
Years in the Army (New York, 1897). |