George Lewis Gillespie Jr (1842 - 1913)

Born 31 Aug 1842 in Kingston, Roane, Tennessee, United States

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 27 Sep 1913 at age 71 in Saratoga Springs, Saratoga, New York, United States

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Biography

George lewis Gillespie was born in Kingston, Roane, Tennessee on 31 Aug 1842. He was a son of George Lewis Gillespie and Margaret Alice McEwen. ^[1]

George attended the US Military academy, Second in class.

Military

George Gillespie Jr was awarded the Medal of Honor.

General George Gillespie Jr served in the United States Civil War.
Enlisted: Aug 11, 1862
Mustered out: July, 1898
Side: Union
Regiment(s): 121st Regiment, Tennessee Militia

Historical Register and Dictionary of the United States Army, page 457
An Asterix before a name indicates that the officer attained the rank of brigadier or major-general either by regular or brevet commission in the regular or volunteer forces

• Gillespie, George Lewis. Tenn. Tenn. Cadet Military Academy 1 July 1858 (2); 2 lieutenant engineers 17 June 1862; 1Lieutenant 3 Mar 1863; Captain 22 Apr 1864; Major 5 Sept 1871; Lieutenant Colonel 12 Oct 1886; Colonel 2 Oct 1895; Brigadier-General, volunteers 27 May 1898. Gillespie was honorable discharged from volunteers 31 Oct 1898; Brigadier-General chief of Engineers 3 May 1901

He was awarded Medal of Honor 27 Oct 1897 for most distinguished or district gallant in action near Bethesda Church Va 31 May 1864; he went through the enemy's lines to communicate with General Sheridan and verify his presence. He was seized as a prisoner but escaped again ordered to surrender but dashed away under fire Gillispie reached General Sheridan's command and thence immediately returned to General Meade with very valuable information while serving as 1st Lieutenant in the Corps of Engineers. Brevet Major Gillespie 1 Aug 1864 for gallant and meritorious services during the campaign before Richmond Va and Lieutenant Colonel 9 Apr 1865 for gallant and meritorious services in the campaign from Winchester to Appomattox C H Va.

In 1896 the Army changed the ribbon on its Medal from the original upper field of blue over alternating red and white vertical stripes to a ribbon of vertical red-blue-white-blue-red stripes. In 1904 the Army adopted a new design for its Medal of Honor. The change was prompted by various veterans groups issuing membership badges that closely resembled the Medal of Honor. The Parisian jewelry firm of Messrs. Arthur, Bertrand, and Berenger submitted several designs. One was approved, and on November 22, 1904, a patent was issued to General G. L. Gillespie, himself a Civil War recipient of the Medal, protecting the new Medal. After the patent expired in 1918, Congress passed a law forbidding the unauthorized duplication of military medals. In the early 1990's Congress passed Title 18, U.S. Code, Section 704 forbidding the sale, trading, and possession of Medals of Honor.

On 23 April 1904, Congress authorized a new design of the medal. The design adopted at that time was designed by Major General George L. Gillespie and is the one currently in use. The medal was worn either suspended from the neck or pinned over the left breast in precedence to other military decorations.

George Gillespie Jr was awarded the Medal of Honor.

An American soldier who received the highest military decoration that the United States bestows to members of the military, the Medal of Honor, for his actions during the American Civil War.

On October 27, 1897, Gillespie received the Medal of Honor for carrying dispatches through enemy lines under withering fire to Major General Philip Sheridan at the Battle of Cold Harbor, Virginia on May 31, 1864. He was later Sheridan's Chief Engineer in the Army of the Shenandoah and the Military Division of the Gulf. At the end of the war, Gillespie held the Regular Army rank of captain and a brevet (temporary promotion) to the rank of lieutenant colonel.

After the Civil War, Gillespie successively supervised the improvement of harbors at Cleveland, Ohio, Chicago, Boston, and New York City. He initiated the construction of the canal at the Cascades of the Columbia River and built the famous Tillamook Rock Lighthouse off the Oregon coast. Gillespie also served on the Board of Engineers and for six years as president of the Mississippi River Commission.

With the outbreak of the Spanish–American War, Gillespie was promoted to brigadier general of Volunteers on May 27, 1898. He commanded the Army's Department of the East until October 31, 1898, when he was discharged from the Volunteers and reverted to his Regular Army rank of colonel.

Gillespie was appointed as Chief of Engineers on May 3, 1901, and promoted to brigadier general the same day. He was acting U.S. Secretary of War in August 1901. He had charge of ceremonies at President William McKinley's funeral and at the laying of the cornerstone of the Army War College building in 1903.

About 1904 he redesigned the United States Army's version of the Medal of Honor. The new design replaced the original design dating from 1862 which was often erroneously mistaken for the membership badge of the Grand Army of the Republic—an organization for Union veterans of the American Civil War. General Gillespie's design entirely changed the planchet to feature the head of Minerva in the center of a star surrounded by a wreath. The ribbon was changed from red, white and blue stripes to a light blue ribbon with thirteen white stars.

General Gillespie married Rhobie Frances McMaster. Together they had two sons: Robert McMaster and Laurence Lewis.

Gillespie's final assignment was as Assistant Chief of Staff of the United States Army from 1904 to 1905 with the rank of major general.

Gillespie was a companion of the District of Columbia Commandery of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States (MOLLUS) and was assigned MOLLUS insignia number 4061. He was also a member of the Society of the Army of the Potomac.

Major General Gillespie retired from the Army on June 15, 1905, having reached the mandatory retirement age of 64.

He died on September 27, 1913, in Saratoga Springs, New York. He was buried in the post cemetery at the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York.

Sources

1. ↑ "Tennessee Births and Christenings, 1828-1939", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F6LR-MZZ : 27 January 2020), George Lewis Gillespie, 1842.

• "Tennessee Births and Christenings, 1828-1939", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F6LR-MZZ : 27 January 2020), George Lewis Gillespie, 1842.

• "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MCDB-Z4W : 23 December 2020), Geo L Gillispie in household of Geo L Gillispie, Kingston, Roane, Tennessee, United States; citing family , NARA microfilm publication (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).

• "United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M8T8-LJ8 : 18 February 2021), George L Gillespie in entry for Geo S Gillespie, 1860.

• "New York, New York City Marriage Records, 1829-1940," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:24CW-1P2 : 10 February 2018), George Lewis Gillespie in entry for Robert Gillespie and Lillian Stokes, 20 Apr 1897; citing Marriage, Manhattan, New York, New York, United States, New York City Municipal Archives, New York; FHL microfilm 1,487,627.

• "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MSKN-3ZY : accessed 13 March 2021), George L Gillispie, Borough of Manhattan, Election District 21 New York City Ward 27, New York County, New York, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 743, sheet 14B, family 212, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,241,114.

• "New York, State Death Index, 1880-1956", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QG5L-6K2T : 20 October 2019), George L Gillespie, 1913.

• "Rhode Island, Vital records, 1846-1898, 1901-1953," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F84Z-52Z : 4 November 2020), George Lewis Gillespie in entry for Frances Rhobie McMaster Gillespie, 1921; citing Death, Newport, Newport, Rhode Island, United States, Rhode Island State Archives, Providence; FHL microfilm 004248489.

• "New York, New York City Municipal Deaths, 1795-1949", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2WR7-81H : 3 June 2020), George Lewis Gillespie in entry for Laurence Lewis Gillespie, 1940.

• "New York, New York City Municipal Deaths, 1795-1949", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2WY7-DMC : 3 June 2020), George Gillespie in entry for Robert Gillespie, 1947.

• Historical Register and Dictionary of the United States Army, page 457

• Find A Grave: Memorial #22413 george-lewis-gillespie
• https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/22413/george-lewis-gillespie

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Lewis_Gillespie_Jr.

Sorry, the bio still needs more editing caused by merging of 2 records so a lot of duplication!