Major General John Frank Morrison (December 20, 1857 – October 22, 1932) was a career officer in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

. A veteran of the

Spanish–American War The Spanish–American War (April 21 – August 13, 1898) was fought between Restoration (Spain), Spain and the United States in 1898. It began with the sinking of the USS Maine (1889), USS ''Maine'' in Havana Harbor in Cuba, and resulted in the ...

Philippine–American War The Philippine–American War, known alternatively as the Philippine Insurrection, Filipino–American War, or Tagalog Insurgency, emerged following the conclusion of the Spanish–American War in December 1898 when the United States annexed th ...

Pancho Villa Expedition The Pancho Villa Expedition—now known officially in the United States as the Mexican Expedition, but originally referred to as the "Punitive Expedition, US Army"—was a military operation conducted by the United States Army against the para ...

, and

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, he attained the rank of major general and was a recipient of the

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. ...

and

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 a ...

Early life and education

John F. Morrison was born in Charlotteville,

Schoharie County, New York Schoharie County ( ) is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 29,714, making it the state's fifth-least populous county. The county seat is Schoharie. "Schoharie" comes from a Mohawk word meaning ...

on December 20, 1857, the son of Hannah (Lamont) Morrison and John Morrison, who served as county clerk. He graduated from Schoharie Academy, then began attendance at the

United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), commonly known as West Point, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York that educates cadets for service as Officer_(armed_forces)#United_States, comm ...

(USMA) at

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, General George Washington stationed his headquarters in West Point in the summer and fall of 1779 durin ...

, from which he graduated in 1881, ranked 26th of 53. Among his classmates were several men who would attain the rank of

general officer A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry. In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...

, such as Joseph T. Dickman, Francis Joseph Kernan, Enoch Crowder,

Edwin St. John Greble Edwin St. John Greble (June 24, 1859 – September 30, 1931) was a United States Army officer in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He served in several conflicts, including the Spanish–American War and World War I. Biography Greble was bo ...

, Charles H. Barth, Clarence Page Townsley, Charles L. Phillips, George True Bartlett,

Joseph Alfred Gaston Brigadier General Joseph Alfred Gaston (September 2, 1856 – March 31, 1937) was a United States Army officer in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He served in the Spanish–American War, among other incidents and conflicts. Early life Ga ...

, Henry Clay Hodges Jr. and John Biddle. Upon his graduation, Morrison was commissioned as a second lieutenant of

Infantry Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...

Start of career

Morrison was assigned to the 20th Infantry Regiment and served briefly at

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 ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

. In November 1881 he was assigned Fort Wallace,

Kansas Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...

. In November 1882 he was transferred to Fort Supply,

Indian Territory Indian Territory and the Indian Territories are terms that generally described an evolving land area set aside by the Federal government of the United States, United States government for the relocation of Native Americans in the United States, ...

. From June to August 1883 he was on duty at the Fort Leavenworth Military Prison in

. Morrison was then assigned as a student at the Fort Leavenworth Infantry and Cavalry School of Application from which he graduated in July 1885. He performed frontier duty at Fort Assinniboine,

Montana Montana ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota to the east, South Dakota to the southeast, Wyoming to the south, an ...

from July 1885 to July 1887. From July 1887 to September 1893, Morrison was professor of military science and tactics and Kansas State Agricultural College in

Manhattan, Kansas Manhattan is a city in and the county seat of Riley County, Kansas, United States, although the city extends into Pottawatomie County, Kansas, Pottawatomie County. It is located in northeastern Kansas at the junction of the Kansas River and Big ...

. In November 1890 he was assigned to the 1st Infantry Regiment and promoted to

first lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a se ...

. In July 1891 he was transferred back to the 20th Infantry. From September 1893 to March 1897, Morrison was assigned as

quartermaster Quartermaster is a military term, the meaning of which depends on the country and service. In land army, armies, a quartermaster is an officer who supervises military logistics, logistics and requisitions, manages stores or barracks, and distri ...

of the 20th Infantry Regiment. From March 1897 to April 1898, he was an instructor at the Infantry and Cavalry School. In April 1898 he was promoted to

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

Spanish–American War

After his promotion to captain, Morrison rejoined the 20th Infantry Regiment, which traveled to

Mobile, Alabama Mobile ( , ) is a city and the county seat of Mobile County, Alabama, United States. The population was 187,041 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. After a successful vote to annex areas west of the city limits in July 2023, Mobil ...

in preparation for deployment to

Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...

during the

. He served in Cuba throughout the war, including the

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 Captaincy General of Cuba, Cuba. Santiago campaign The primary objective of the American Fifth Ar ...

. Morrison received the

Citation Star The Citation Star was a Department of War personal valor decoration issued as a ribbon device which was first established by the United States Congress on July 9, 1918 (Bulletin No. 43, War Dept. 1918). When awarded, a silver star was placed o ...

for gallantry during 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 temp ...

. When the

award was created in 1918, Morrison's citation star was converted to the new medal. He returned to Fort Leavenworth in January 1899. In February, the 20th Infantry departed the United States for service in the

. Morrison remained in the Philippines until March 1904, and served as regimental quartermaster again from November 1899 to June 1901.

Continued career

During the

Russo-Japanese War The Russo-Japanese War (8 February 1904 – 5 September 1905) was fought between the Russian Empire and the Empire of Japan over rival imperial ambitions in Manchuria and the Korean Empire. The major land battles of the war were fought on the ...

, Morrison served as a

military attaché A military attaché or defence attaché (DA),Defence Attachés
''Geneva C ...

in Japan from March to November 1904. He was then selected for attendance at the

United States Army War College The United States Army War College (USAWC) is a U.S. Army staff college in Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania, with a Carlisle postal address, on the 500-acre (2 km2) campus of the historic Carlisle Barracks. It provides graduate-level instru ...

, from which he graduated in 1906. He was promoted to

major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...

in October 1905. From September 1906 to August 1907, Morrison was an instructor at the Army Staff College and Army School of the Line. From August 1907 to July 1911, he served as assistant commandant of the Army Service Schools, and was the school's acting commandant on several occasions. In June 1911, Morrison received promotion to lieutenant colonel. After his promotion to lieutenant colonel, Morrison served with the 20th Infantry at

Vancouver Barracks The Vancouver Barracks was the first United States Army base located in the Pacific Northwest, established in 1849, in what is now contemporary Vancouver, Washington. It was built on a rise above the Fort Vancouver fur trading station establish ...

Washington Washington most commonly refers to: * George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States * Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A ...

. In September 1914, he was promoted to

colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

and assigned to command the

6th Infantry Regiment The 6th Infantry Regiment ("Regulars") was formed 11 January 1812. Zachary Taylor, later the twelfth President of the United States, was a commander of the unit. The motto, "Regulars, By God!" derives from the Battle of Chippawa, in which Brit ...

, which he led during service on the

Mexico–United States border The international border separating Mexico and the United States extends from the Pacific Ocean in the west to the Gulf of Mexico in the east. The border traverses a variety of terrains, ranging from urban areas to deserts. It is the List of ...

during the

. In September 1915, he was assigned to command the 15th Infantry Regiment in Tientsin, China (now

Tianjin Tianjin is a direct-administered municipality in North China, northern China on the shore of the Bohai Sea. It is one of the National Central City, nine national central cities, with a total population of 13,866,009 inhabitants at the time of the ...

). In October 1915, Morrison was promoted to brigadier general as commander of United States Forces in China.

World War I

In May 1917, a month after the

American entry into World War I The United States entered into World War I on 6 April 1917, more than two and a half years after the war began in Europe. Apart from an Anglophile element urging early support for the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, British and an a ...

, Morrison was promoted to major general and assigned to command Fort Oglethorpe,

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

. From August to September 1917, he commanded the 30th Division at Camp Sevier,

South Carolina South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...

. From September to December 1917, Morrison served in France as a military observer. He then served in Washington, D.C. until March 1918 as the Army's Director of Training. From March to June 1918, Morrison commanded the 8th Division at Camp Fremont, California. From June 1918 to August 1919, he was stationed in San Francisco as commander of the Army's Western Department. His wartime accomplishments were recognized with award of the

Army Distinguished Service Medal citation

Later career

From August 1919 to April 1920, Morrison was commander of the post at Camp Lewis,

. Beginning in May 1920, Morrison was commander of the Southeastern Department and Fourth Corps Area. He left the military after reaching the mandatory retirement age of 64 in December 1921.

Retirement and death

In retirement, Morrison resided in Washington, D.C. He died at

Walter Reed Army Medical Center The Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC), officially known as Walter Reed General Hospital (WRGH) until 1951, was the United States Army, U.S. Army's flagship medical center from 1909 to 2011. Located on in Washington, D.C., it served more ...

in Washington on October 22, 1932. Morrison was buried at

Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is the largest cemetery in the United States National Cemetery System, one of two maintained by the United States Army. More than 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington County, Virginia. ...

. In accordance with his wishes, there were no military honors at his funeral. Instead, a single bugler was present to sound Taps.

Family

On August 16, 1887, Morrison married Kate L. McCleery, the daughter of Army

chaplain A chaplain is, traditionally, a cleric (such as a minister, priest, pastor, rabbi, purohit, or imam), or a lay representative of a religious tradition, attached to a secular institution (such as a hospital, prison, military unit, intellige ...

J. B. McCleery. They were married until her death in 1929. The Morrisons had no children. Kate McCleery Morrison was the sister of Margaret McCleery, the wife of Major General Benjamin Alvord Jr.

Legacy

Morrison was a highly regarded trainer and instructor, and authored written works on military operations, including 1914's ''Seventy Problems: Infantry Tactics, Battalion, Brigade and Division'' and ''Training Infantry''. Morrison's abilities as an instructor while at Fort Leavenworth were recognized Army-wide.

George C. Marshall George Catlett Marshall Jr. (31 December 1880 – 16 October 1959) was an American army officer and statesman. He rose through the United States Army to become Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army under presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. ...

, who studied under Morrison and became Army Chief of Staff in 1939, later said that Morrison "taught me all I had ever known of tactics". From the 1920s through to

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, officers who could say "I was a Morrison man" had professional

cachet In philately, a cachet () is a printed or stamped design or inscription, other than a Cancellation (mail), cancellation or pre-printed postage, on an envelope, postcard, or postal card to commemorate a postal or philatelic event. There are both ...

that commanded respect from their peers. In 1974, Morrison was inducted into the Fort Leavenworth Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame was founded in 1969, and honors members of the Army who significantly contributed to the history, heritage and traditions of the Army while stationed at Fort Leavenworth. The John F. Morrison Professor of Military History was created in 1974 by the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. A distinguished historian is selected to hold this visiting professorship every academic year.

Notes

References