Halstead Dorey (February 7, 1874 – June 19, 1946) was a highly decorated officer in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...

with the rank of

major general Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

. A graduate of West Point, Dorey distinguished himself as Colonel and Commanding officer, 4th Infantry Regiment during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

and was decorated with Distinguished Service Cross, the second highest

military award Military awards and decorations are distinctions given as a mark of honor for military heroism, meritorious or outstanding service or achievement. DoD Manual 1348.33, 2010, Vol. 3 A decoration is often a medal consisting of a ribbon and a medal ...

for extreme gallantry in combat, and also received the

Distinguished Service Medal Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) is a high award of a nation. Examples include: *Distinguished Service Medal (Australia) (established 1991), awarded to personnel of the Australian Defence Force for distinguished leadership in action * Distinguishe ...

. Following the War, he rose to the general's rank and commanded famed 2nd Infantry Division or

Hawaiian Department Hawaiian may refer to: * Native Hawaiians, the current term for the indigenous people of the Hawaiian Islands or their descendants * Hawaii state residents, regardless of ancestry (only used outside of Hawaii) * Hawaiian language Historic uses * ...

and retired from active duty in 1935.

Biography

Halstead Dorey was born on February 7, 1874 in

St. Louis St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...

Missouri Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...

as the son of William A. Dorey and Georgiana B. Banks. Following the graduation from the Shattuck Military Academy in

Faribault, Minnesota Faribault ( ) is a city in, and the county seat of, Rice County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 23,352 at the 2010 census. Faribault is approximately south of Minneapolis–Saint Paul. Interstate 35 and Minnesota State Highway ...

, Dorey received an appointment to the

United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known Metonymy, metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a f ...

West Point, New York West Point is the oldest continuously occupied military post in the United States. Located on the Hudson River in New York (state), New York, West Point was identified by General George Washington as the most important strategic position in Ameri ...

in May 1893, where he excelled and reached the rank of Cadet Captain and capacity of battalion commander. Among his classmates were several other future generals:

Thomas Q. Ashburn Thomas Quin Ashburn (February 9, 1820 – January 17, 1890) was an American judge on the Supreme Court Commission of Ohio from 1876 to 1879, and a member of the Ohio State Senate for twelve days at the end of his life in 1890. Thomas Ashbur ...

Harry G. Bishop Harry may refer to: TV shows * ''Harry'' (American TV series), a 1987 American comedy series starring Alan Arkin * ''Harry'' (British TV series), a 1993 BBC drama that ran for two seasons * ''Harry'' (talk show), a 2016 American daytime talk show ...

, Albert J. Bowley,

Charles H. Bridges Charles Higbee Bridges (March 1, 1873 – September 11, 1948) was an officer in the United States Army who served as Adjutant General of the U.S. Army from 1928 to 1933. Biography Charles H. Bridges was born and raised in Illinois. He entered ...

Sherwood A. Cheney Sherwood may refer to: Places Australia * Sherwood, Queensland, a suburb of Brisbane *Sherwood, South Australia, a locality * Shire of Sherwood, a former local government area of Queensland * Electoral district of Sherwood, an electoral district f ...

, Edgar T. Collins,

Edgar T. Conley Edgar Thomas Conley (April 12, 1874 – August 21, 1956) was an officer in the United States Army who served as adjutant general from 1935 to 1938. Early life Edgar Thomas Conley was born 12 April 1874 in Fairland, Montgomery County, Marylan ...

, William D. Connor, Harley B. Ferguson, Harold B. Fiske,

Frank Ross McCoy Frank Ross McCoy (October 29, 1874 – June 4, 1954) was a United States Army officer. He served in the Philippines, during World War I, and led an American relief mission to Tokyo after the 1923 earthquake. He retired from military service in 1 ...

Andrew Moses Andrew Moses (June 6, 1874 – December 22, 1946) was a career officer in the United States Army. A graduate of the United States Military Academy, he served from 1897 to 1938, and was a veteran of the Spanish–American War and World War I. He ...

or Charles DuVal Roberts. Leonard Wood and Halstead Dorey at the New York Yankee Game in 1917

He graduated with

Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University o ...

degree in June 1897 and was commissioned second lieutenant in the Infantry branch. Dorey was subsequently assigned to the

23rd Infantry Regiment The 23rd Infantry Regiment is an infantry regiment in the United States Army. A unit with the same name was formed on 26 June 1812 and saw action in 14 battles during the War of 1812. In 1815 it was consolidated with the 6th, 16th, 22nd, and ...

Fort Brown Fort Brown (originally Fort Texas) was a military post of the United States Army in Cameron County, Texas, during the latter half of the 19th century and the early part of the 20th century. Established in 1846, it was the first US Army military ...

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

and remained there until he was transferred to the 4th Infantry Regiment. Dorey sailed with the regiment to

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...

in April 1898 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 = (cl ...

and took part 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

Siege of Santiago The siege of Santiago, also known as the siege of Santiago de Cuba, was the last major operation of the Spanish–American War on the island of Cuba. Santiago campaign The primary objective of the American Fifth Army Corps' invasion of Cuba ...

in July that year. He later took part in the

Philippine–American War The Philippine–American War or Filipino–American War ( es, Guerra filipina-estadounidense, tl, Digmaang Pilipino–Amerikano), previously referred to as the Philippine Insurrection or the Tagalog Insurgency by the United States, was an arm ...

and served as 4th Infantry Regiment's Aide-de-Camp in the combat operations against

Moros In Greek mythology, Moros /ˈmɔːrɒs/ or Morus /ˈmɔːrəs/ (Ancient Greek: Μόρος means 'doom, fate') is the 'hateful' personified spirit of impending doom, who drives mortals to their deadly fate. It was also said that Moros gave peop ...

Zamboanga Zamboanga may refer to: *Zamboanga (province), a former province of the Philippines *Zamboanga City, a highly urbanized city located on Mindanao, Philippines *Zamboanga Peninsula, an administrative region in the Philippines comprising these provinc ...

and

Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital city, capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is Cities of the Philippines#Independent cities, highly urbanize ...

. Dorey commanded as Captain the battalion of

Philippine Scouts The Philippine Scouts ( Filipino: ''Maghahanap ng Pilipinas'' or ''Hukbong Maghahanap ng Pilipinas'') was a military organization of the United States Army from 1901 until after the end of World War II. These troops were generally Filipinos a ...

Mindanao Mindanao ( ) ( Jawi: مينداناو) is the second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the island is part of an island group of t ...

and was appointed Aide-de-Camp to Major general

Leonard Wood Leonard Wood (October 9, 1860 – August 7, 1927) was a United States Army major general, physician, and public official. He served as the Chief of Staff of the United States Army, Military Governor of Cuba, and Governor-General of the Philip ...

, who served as the governor of

Moro Province Moro Province was a province of the Philippines consisting of the regions of Zamboanga, Lanao, Cotabato, Davao, and Jolo. It was later split into provinces and regions organized under the Department of Mindanao and Sulu, along with the former ...

, a stronghold of Muslim rebellion. Dorey was decorated with his first

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 ...

for his bravery on Philippines. Following the

United States' entry into World War I United may refer to: Places * United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community * United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community Arts and entertainment Films * ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film * ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two fi ...

in April 1917, Dorey was appointed Aide-de-Camp to his former superior and now Commanding general of

Camp Funston Camp Funston is a U.S. Army training camp located on Fort Riley, southwest of Manhattan, Kansas. The camp was named for Brigadier General Frederick Funston (1865–1917). It is one of sixteen such camps established at the outbreak of World Wa ...

Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to ...

, Major general

. General Wood was responsible for the training of nearly 40,000 men and appointed Dorey as a commanding officer of the

Citizens' Military Training Camp Citizens' Military Training Camps (CMTC) were military training programs of the United States. Held annually each summer during the years 1921 to 1940, the CMTC camps differed from National Guard and Organized Reserve training in that the program ...

, the first businessmen's training camp at

Plattsburgh, New York Plattsburgh ( moh, Tsi ietsénhtha) is a city in, and the seat of, Clinton County, New York, United States, situated on the north-western shore of Lake Champlain. The population was 19,841 at the 2020 census. The population of the surroundin ...

. He later received temporary promotion to Colonel and embarked for

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan ar ...

in early 1918. Dorey assumed duty as Commanding officer, 4th Infantry Regiment and led it for the duration of the War. Dorey led his regiment during the defensive actions of Aisne,

Château-Thierry Château-Thierry () is a French commune situated in the department of the Aisne, in the administrative region of Hauts-de-France, and in the historic Province of Champagne. The origin of the name of the town is unknown. The local tradition a ...

Second Battle of the Marne The Second Battle of the Marne (french: Seconde Bataille de la Marne) (15 July – 18 July 1918) was the last major German offensive on the Western Front during the First World War. The attack failed when an Allied counterattack, supported by s ...

, and in the

Third Battle of the Aisne The Third Battle of the Aisne (french: 3e Bataille de l'Aisne) was a battle of the German spring offensive during World War I that focused on capturing the Chemin des Dames Ridge before the American Expeditionary Forces arrived completely i ...

Saint-Mihiel Saint-Mihiel () is a commune in the Meuse department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. Geography Saint-Mihiel lies on the banks of the river Meuse. History A Benedictine abbey was established here in 708 or 709 by Count Wulfoalde and his wi ...

, Meuse-Argonne offensives. He distinguished himself in the combats north of Montfaucon on October 15, 1918, when during a 12 days' continuous fighting against stubborn resistance, his regiment suffered heavy casualties. Colonel Dorey, himself suffering from a painful wound, went forward from his post of command through a heavy enemy barrage to the front line, where he reorganized his forces and directed the attacking units for two days, until he was again severely wounded. His conspicuous bravery inspired his troops to the successful assault of a strongly fortified ravine and woods which were of vital importance and resulted in the capture of numerous prisoners and much material. He remained in command of the regiment until October 20, 1918, when he was ordered to the rear for treatment. For his service with 4th Infantry Regiment, Dorey received Distinguished Service Cross, the second highest

for extreme gallantry in combat, and

Army Distinguished Service Medal The Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) is a military decoration of the United States Army that is presented to soldiers who have distinguished themselves by exceptionally meritorious service to the government in a duty of great responsibility. Th ...

. He was also decorated with Legion of Honour, rank Officer and Croix de guerre 1914–1918 with Palm by the Government of

. Following the war, Dorey reached the rank of Brigadier general and commanded 14th Infantry Brigade from January 30, 1923 to February 12, 1925; 18th Infantry Brigade from December 1927 to October 16, 1928 and graduated from the Army War College. He was promoted to Major general in November 1933 and assumed command of 2nd Infantry Division following month. Dorey was ordered to

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only ...

in June 1934 and commanded

Hawaiian Division The Hawaiian Division was a division of the United States Army, dedicated to the defense of Hawaii. This division was named rather than numbered, as were the Philippine, Panama Canal and Americal Divisions. It was first activated under the peace ...

with additional duty as temporary commanding general of

until March 1935. General Dorey retired from active duty in December 1935 and settled at

Fort Sam Houston Fort Sam Houston is a U.S. Army post in San Antonio, Texas. "Fort Sam Houston, TX • About Fort Sam Houston" (overview), US Army, 2007, webpageSH-Army. Known colloquially as "Fort Sam," it is named for the U.S. Senator from Texas, U.S. Repres ...

. Upon his retirement, Dorey was active in

Army and Navy Club The Army and Navy Club in London is a private members club founded in 1837, also known informally as The Rag.Episcopal Church. Major general Halstead Dorey died on June 19, 1946 in

San Antonio ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , subdivision_t ...

and was buried at

United States Military Academy Cemetery West Point Cemetery is a historic cemetery in the eastern United States, on the grounds of the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, New York. It overlooks the Hudson River, and served as a burial ground for Revolutionary War soldiers and earl ...

. He was survived by his wife, Theodora Cheney Dorey of Manchester, Connecticut and his daughters: Edna Dorey and Georgiana.

Decorations and medals

Here is the ribbon bar of general Dorey:

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dorsey, Halstead 1874 births 1946 deaths United States Army Infantry Branch personnel Military personnel from Missouri People from St. Louis United States Army generals United States Military Academy alumni United States Army War College alumni American military personnel of the Spanish–American War American military personnel of the Philippine–American War United States Army personnel of World War I Recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross (United States) Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (US Army) Recipients of the Silver Star Recipients of the Legion of Honour Recipients of the Croix de Guerre 1914–1918 (France)

Biography

Decorations and medals

See also

References