Joseph D. Leitch | |
|---|---|
.jpg) From 1919'sIllustrated Historical Souvenir of 13th Field Artillery Brigade, Camp Lewis, Wash. | |
| Born | (1864-03-08)March 8, 1864 |
| Died | October 26, 1938(1938-10-26) (aged 74) |
| Buried | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1889–1928 |
| Rank | Major General |
| Service number | 0-281 |
| Unit | U.S. Army Infantry Branch |
| Commands | Company B,24th Infantry Regiment Company G,25th Infantry Regiment 1st Battalion, 25th Infantry Regiment Company C, 25th Infantry Regiment Company L, 25th Infantry Regiment Camp Vickers,Philippines 1st Battalion,28th Infantry Regiment 3rd Battalion,27th Infantry Regiment 40th Infantry Regiment Officers' Training Camp,Fort Snelling 15th Brigade,8th Division 8th Division 13th Division 27th Infantry Regiment 8th Brigade,4th Infantry Division Fort McPherson,Georgia 5th Brigade,3rd Infantry Division Vancouver Barracks,Washington 3rd Infantry Division Fort Lewis, Washington |
| Battles / wars | American Indian Wars Spanish–American War Philippine–American War United States occupation of Veracruz World War I North Russia intervention |
| Awards | Army Distinguished Service Medal Silver Star |
| Alma mater | Doane College (attended) |
| Spouse | Margaret Crandal (m. 1891-1938, his death) |
| Children | 2 |
| Relations | Robert A. McClure (son-in-law) |
Joseph D. Leitch (March 8, 1864 – October 26, 1938) was a career officer in theUnited States Army.
A veteran of theAmerican Indian Wars,Spanish–American War,Philippine–American War,United States occupation of Veracruz,World War I, andNorth Russia intervention, he attained the rank ofmajor general and was a recipient of theArmy Distinguished Service Medal,Silver Star ItalianOrder of Saints Maurice and Lazarus and CzechoslovakCross of War. Leitch was most notable for his service as commander of the 13th Division and 3rd Division, as well as inspector general and chief of staff forAmerican Expeditionary Force, Siberia.
Joseph Dugald Leitch was born inMontague, Michigan on March 8, 1864, the son of Dugald Leitch and Sarah (Ferguson) Leitch.[1] His family moved toNebraska when Leitch was six years old, and he was raised and educated in Montague and inClay Center, Nebraska.[2][3] He attendedDoane College in 1882 and 1883.[4] While at Doane, Leitch took part in the school's military program, the Doane College Light Guards, and advanced through the ranks to become the unit'sfirst lieutenant.[3][5]
In early 1883, Leitch was an unsuccessful applicant to theUnited States Military Academy.[6] He applied successfully in late 1883[3] and began attendance at West Point in 1884.[7] He graduated in 1889 ranked 44th of 49 and in June 1889 he received his commission as asecond lieutenant ofInfantry.[7] Among his fellow graduates included several men who would becomegeneral officers, such asCharles Dudley Rhodes,Clement Flagler,Eben Eveleth Winslow,Frank Daniel Webster,Walter Augustus Bethel,Winthrop S. Wood,Chester Harding,William L. Kenly,William Lassiter,Edward McGlachlin Jr.,George LeRoy Irwin,William Wright Harts,William G. Haan,Charles Crawford andWilliam S. Graves.Charles Young was another distinguished graduate, becoming the firstAfrican American to attain the rank of colonel.
Leitch was assigned to the24th Infantry Regiment and posted toFort Bayard,New Mexico, where he served from October 1889 to December 1891.[7] From December 1891 to May 1892, he was the postadjutant atCamp San Carlos,Arizona.[7] He served with Company A, 24th Infantry and as post adjutant,post exchange officer, and postsignal officer atFort Huachuca, Arizona from May 1892 to October 1896.[7] During his years in New Mexico and Arizona, Leitch participated in several campaigns against theApache Indians.[7] Leitch served atFort Douglas,Utah, from October 1896 to April 1898.[7] He was promoted tofirst lieutenant in the7th Infantry in December 1896 and transferred back to the 24th Infantry in March 1897.[7]
The 24th Infantry was mobilized for theSpanish–American War in April 1898, and Leitch was with the regiment during organization and training atChickamauga Park,Georgia and inTampa, Florida.[7] As commander of Company B, and later as acting regimental adjutant, Leitch served inCuba during the summer of 1898, including theBattle of San Juan Hill andSiege of Santiago.[7] Leitch contractedyellow fever in late July 1898, and remained at a convalescent camp inSiboney, Cuba until September 1898.[7] He was demobilized atCamp Wikoff,New York at the end of September and returned to duty at Fort Douglas in October.[7]
Leitch served as adjutant of the 24th Infantry from Oct 1898 to October 1899 and was promoted tocaptain in the25th Infantry on September 8, 1899.[7] He served with the 25th Infantry at thePresidio of San Francisco from March to October 1899.[7] He served briefly asaide-de-camp forWilliam Rufus Shafter, commander of theDepartment of California, then was reassigned toFort Sam Houston,Texas as commander of Company G, 25th Infantry, which he led from November 1899 to July 1900.[7] He continued in command of Company G atFort Logan,Colorado from July to September 1900.[7] Leitch took command of 1st Battalion, 25th Infantry at the Presidio of San Francisco in September 1900, and traveled to thePhilippines with his unit to take part in thePhilippine–American War.[7] After arrival inBolinao, in November, Leitch resumed command of Company G, and he remained in this post until August 1901.[7]
In September 1901, Leitch was assigned as adjutant of the 25th Infantry.[7] He served atIba, Zambales,Malabon, andManila and remained in the Philippines until July 1902.[7] In August 1902, the 25th Infantry returned to the United States.[7] Leitch served briefly at the Presidio of San Francisco before the regiment moved to its new post inNebraska.[7]
Leitch served with the 25th Infantry atFort Niobrara,Nebraska from August 1902 to October 1903.[7] From October 1903 to May 1904 he commanded the regiment's Companies C and L atFort Des Moines,Iowa.[7] From May 1904 to July 1906, Leitch served again at Fort Niobrara, and he was the 25th Infantry's regimentalcommissary officer from August 1904 to June 1906.[7]
From November 1906 to June 1907, Leitch was posted toFort Bliss, Texas as commander of Company G, 25th Infantry.[7] He remained in command at the Presidio of San Francisco from June to August 1907, then traveled again to the Philippines, where he led Company G from August 1907 to October 1909.[7] During this tour of duty in the Philippines, Leitch commanded Company G inMalabang from September 1907 to December 1908.[7] From January to March 1909, he commanded his company, the post at Camp Vickers on the southern shores ofLake Lanao, and a company of Filipino Scouts.[7] He continued in command of Company G atParang from March to 1909.[7] He was on leave from July to September, 1909, then returned to the United States.[7]
Leitch with his regiment atFort Lawton,Washington from October 1909 to January 1910.[7] From January 1910 to August 1913, he served as secretary of theArmy General Staff andArmy War College.[7] He was promoted tomajor in the28th Infantry on March 11, 1911.[7] From September 1913 to April 1914, Leitch was a student at the Army War College.[7] In May 1914, he was assigned as adjutant of the 5th Infantry Brigade during theUnited States occupation of Veracruz, and he was subsequently assigned as chief of staff of the American Expeditionary Force in Veracruz.[7] After a leave of absence, Leitch commanded 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry inGalveston, Texas from February to August 1915, and 3rd Battalion,27th Infantry inTexas City, Texas from August to September 1915.[7]
From October 1915 to January 1916, Leitch commanded 3rd Battalion, 27th Infantry at Camp Grant,Balboa,Panama Canal Zone while awaiting travel to the Philippines.[7] He commanded the battalion atFort William McKinley, Philippines from March to October 1916, and he was promoted tolieutenant colonel in the8th Infantry on July 1, 1916.[7] Leitch served in the Philippines with the 8th Infantry from October 1916 to May 1917.[7]
The United States enteredWorld War I in April 1917.[7] After returning to the United States, Leitch was assigned to command the40th Infantry Regiment atFort Snelling,Minnesota, and he served from June to August 1917.[7] He was promoted tocolonel on July 18, 1917.[7] From August to September 1917, he commanded theOfficers' Training Camp at Fort Snelling.[7] From October 1917 to February 1918, Leitch served on the Army General Staff in Washington, D.C. he was promoted to temporarybrigadier general on December 17, 1917.[7]
From February to October 1918, Leitch commanded 15th Brigade,8th Division atCamp Fremont,California, and he served as acting division commander on several occasions.[7] He was promoted to temporarymajor general on October 1, 1918.[7] From October 1918 to April 1919, he commanded the13th Division atFort Lewis,Washington.[7] In April 1919, Leitch returned to his permanent rank of colonel.[7]
Leitch served in Russia from May 1919 to March 1920, first as inspector general, and later as chief of staff ofAmerican Expeditionary Force, Siberia.[7] He commanded the 27th Infantry inManila, Philippines from March to August 1920.[7] From August 1920 to February 1921, he was chief of staff of thePhilippine Department.[7] He served as chief of staff for the3rd Division at Fort Lewis, Washington from March 1921 to September 1924.[7] From October 1924 to June 1925, Leitch was based inLos Angeles as liaison officer to units of theOrganized Reserve Corps based in southern California.[7] From June 1925 to March 1926, Leitch was stationed at the Presidio of San Francisco as liaison to ORC units based in northern California.[7] In January 1916, he was promoted to permanent brigadier general.[7]
From April 1926 to January 1927, Leitch commanded 8th Brigade,4th Infantry Division and the post ofFort McPherson, Georgia.[7] From February to October 1927, Leitch commanded 5th Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division and the post ofVancouver Barracks, Washington.[7] From October 1927 to March 1928, Leitch commanded the 3rd Infantry Division and the post of Fort Lewis, Washington.[7] He left the military in March 1928 after reaching the mandatory retirement age of 64.[7]
Leitch's service in Russia was recognized with award of theArmy Distinguished Service Medal.[8] The citation for the medal reads:
ThePresident of the United States of America, authorized byAct of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Army Distinguished Service Medal to Colonel (Infantry) Joseph Dugald Leitch, United States Army, for exceptionally meritorious and distinguished services to the Government of the United States, in a duty of great responsibility during World War I. As Chief of Staff of the American Expeditionary Forces in Siberia, Colonel Leitch gave proof of his great breadth of vision, keen foresight, sound judgment, and tact. By his brilliant professional attainments, coupled with great diplomacy, he handled most ably the many delicate situations with which he was confronted. His fine soldierly qualities were at all times outstanding, and by his masterful grasp of the situation he was able to meet successfully each new and difficult problem with which he was faced. He rendered most conspicuous services of inestimable value to the Government in a place of great responsibility and at a time of gravest importance.[9]
In addition, his Russian service resulted in award of theOrder of Saints Maurice and Lazarus (Officer) from Italy and theCross of War from Czechoslovakia.[8] Leitch's heroism in the Philippines was recognized with the silverCitation Star.[8] When theSilver Star medal was created, Leitch's award was converted to the new decoration.[8]
In addition to Leitch's awards for service in Russia and heroism the Philippines, he was a recipient of theIndian Campaign Medal,Spanish Campaign Medal,Army of Cuban Occupation Medal,Philippine Campaign Medal, andMexican Service Medal.[8]
In retirement, Leitch was a resident ofSan Francisco.[10] He died atLetterman General Hospital on October 26, 1938.[11] He was buried atSan Francisco National Cemetery.[10]
In October 1891, Leitch married Margaret Crandal, the daughter of Frederick Mortimer Crandal, a career Army officer who attained the rank ofbrevet brigadier general in theUnion Army during theAmerican Civil War.[12] They were the parents of two daughters, Marjory and Dorothy.[13]
Marjory Leitch was the wife of Major GeneralRobert A. McClure.[13] Dorothy Leitch was married to Marquis "Mark" D. Jones.[13]
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