Elwell Stephen Otis

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Elwell Stephen Otis

Elwell Stephen Otis (born March 25, 1838 in Frederick / Maryland , † October 21, 1909 in Rochester , New York ) was an American major general and from 1898 to 1900 military governor of the Philippines .

Studies and Civil War

After studying law, which he graduated from the University of Rochester in 1858 and from Harvard Law School in 1861 , he volunteered for the infantry at the beginning of the Civil War . On September 13, 1862 he was promoted to captain of the 140th Infantry Regiment (New York). Then on December 23, 1863 he was promoted to lieutenant colonel and a little later to colonel . On January 14, 1865, he retired from the volunteer army after being wounded.

After the end of the Civil War , he was named Brigadier General of the Volunteer Army for his services and was accepted into the regular army for New York State. There he rose to lieutenant colonel of the 22nd Infantry Regiment on March 2, 1869. On February 8, 1880, he was promoted to colonel of the 20th Infantry Regiment. On November 28, 1893 Otis was promoted again to Brigadier General.

Spanish-American War

During the Spanish-American War he was a member of the volunteer army. Shortly after his promotion to major general in the Volunteer Army on May 4, 1898, he was transferred to the Philippines on July 15, 1898. There he replaced Wesley Merritt on August 29, 1898 as Commanding General of the VIII. US Corps and Military Governor of the Philippines. During this time he did not lead operations against rebels, but was a member of the Schurman Commission . He held this office until May 5, 1900 when Arthur MacArthur replaced him.

On his return from the Philippines on October 29, 1900, he took over command of the lake region in the north of the United States with headquarters in Chicago . After reaching retirement age, he retired on March 25, 1902. Because of his military skills and his services in the Philippines, he was appointed major general in the United States Army on June 16, 1900 .

After his death, he was buried with military honors in Arlington National Cemetery.

Publications

Awards

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