WESLEY

See also:

• WESLEY MERRITT (1836- )

MERRITT (1836- )  , American soldier, was born in New York City on the 16th of June 1836 . He graduated at West Point in 186o, and was assigned to the cavalry service . He served in Utah (1861) and in the defences of Washington (1861-62); learnt the field duties of his arm as aide (1862) to General Philip St George Cooke, who then commanded the cavalry of the Army of the Potomac; became brigadier-general, United States Volunteers, in June 1863; and in September 1863 was placed in command of a brigade of regular cavalry in the Army of the Potomac . He won great distinction in the Virginian campaigns of 1864-65 and in Sheridan's Valley campaign, being brevetted major-general of volunteers for his conduct at Winchester and Fisher's Hill, and brigadier-general of the regular army for his services at Five Forks . In the final campaign about Richmond he did such good service in command of a cavalry division that he was brevetted major-general in the regular army and was promoted major-general of volunteers . With two other Federal commissioners he arranged with the Confederate commanders for the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia . He was mustered out of the Volunteer Service in February 1866, and in July became lieutenant-colonel of the 9th cavalry in the regular army, being promoted gradually to major-general (1895) . He served in the Big Horn and Yellowstone Indian campaigns (1876) and in the expedition to relieve the command of Major Thornburgh, who was killed in 1879 by the Utes; was superintendent at West Point (1882-87); and commanded the military department of Missouri in 1887-95, and that of the Atlantic in 1897-98 . He was assigned in May 1898 to the command of the United States forces that were sent to the Philippines, after Admiral Dewey's victory; stormed Manila on the 13th of August; and was military governor of the islands until the 3oth of August, when he left Manila for Paris to join the peace commission . From 1899 until his retirement from active service in June 1900 he commanded the Department of the East .