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Brigadier General <em>George W. McIver</em> was born at Carthage, Moore County, North Carolina, December 22, 1858. He died at Washington, D. C., May 9, 1947, at the age of 88 years.</p>
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As his name indicates, he came of sound Scotch stock, and on both sides of the family. The last of the revolutions of the Scots against the British Crown ended in the bloody battle of Culloden in the middle of the eighteenth century, following which the Scots were obliged to take the oath of allegiance to the Crown, among other results, there ensued a large migration of Scots to the United States. They landed near Wilmington, N. C., spread to the westward, occupying the valley of the Cape Fear River as far as the mountains. They adhered rigidly to their oath to the Crown so that at the beginning of the revolution in 1776, they were among the staunch loyalists. A unit of them was completely beaten in one of the first skirmishes of that war, outside of Wilmington, after which the movement fell into obscurity for the remainder of the war.</p>
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Through the years this element was prominent in the public life of the State and especially in matters pertaining to education. General McIver’s father was an educator and prominent in his relation to various schools and the colleges of the times. Even during the hard and troublesome times during and after the Civil War, his efforts in this respect did not slacken to secure the education of his children.</p>
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Having been appointed to the Military Academy from Greensboro in the 5th North Carolina Congressional District by the late General A. M. Scales, General Mclver was graduated June 12th, 1882 and assigned to the 7th Infantry, then serving in Minnesota and Dakota. His subsequent record is truly summarized as follows: Joined company to which assigned October 1st, 1882 at Fort Pembina, Dakota, located three miles south of the Manitoba line. Served continuously with the 7th Infantry as 2nd Lieutenant, 1st Lieutenant and Captain nearly twenty-two years until promoted Major 12th Infantry, March 29, 1904. Upon the transfer of the 7th Infantry to the Department of the Platte, November 1882, was assigned to station at old Fort Bridget in the western part of Wyoming Territory. The following year was transferred with company to Fort Fred Steele, Wyoming, and while here took part in expedition to Crisfield, Kansas, to avert threatened uprising of Indians in the Indian Territory now known as Oklahoma. Returning to Fort Fred Steele, was sent to restore order at Rock Springs, Wyoming, where there had been a riot attended by a massacre of Chinese miners. This was in September, 1885. Remained at Rock Springs until the summer of 1887 and was then transferred with company to Fort Laramie, ninety miles north of Cheyenne, Wyoming. This old post was an important point on the western trail over which many thousands of emigrants passed on their way to the northwest and to the Pacific coast. In 1887, the western emigration in covered wagons had just about ceased, due to the completion of one or more trans-continental railroads; but occasional wagon parties were to be seen even then. In 1889, Fort Laramie was ordered abandoned and the troops there were sent to a new post, Fort Logan, Colorado, near Denver. After departure of the main portion of the garrison, remained with a small detachment of soldiers through the winter of 1889-1890 to make disposition of remaining equipment and property. Final abandonment was accomplished in April, 1890, and thus passed out of the jurisdiction of the Army a post established first as a trading post and occupied as a military post in 1849. In the old frontier days it was a very important point and due to old associations, much of sentiment and romance attaches to it. Arrived at Fort Logan, Colorado, for station, April, 1890. Took part with regiment in the so-called Wounded Knee campaign against Sioux Indians in South Dakota, December 1890 to January 1891, marching two hundred and fifty miles in severe weather in the Cheyenne River country. After returning to Fort Logan from this campaign, was detailed as instructor in tactics at the U.S. Military Academy. Remained on this duty two years, and after a leave of absence spent in California, was again assigned to duty with a company serving at Rock Springs, Wyoming. Was then placed on duty as instructor with the National Guard of California, and after a year of this duty, was again assigned to duty at Fort Logan, Colorado. The Spanish-American War coming on, went with regiment, first to Chickamauga, Georgia; then to Tampa, Florida. Sailed in June, 1898 front Tampa to Santiago-de-Cuba. Took part as Captain, Company “B”, 7th infantry in action at El Caney, Cuba, July 1st, 1898 and in the subsequent actions around Santiago which led to the surrender of that post by the Spaniards, July 17th, 1898. Returned with regiment to the United States about August 28th, 1898, landing at Montauk Point, Long Island, N. Y. On leave of absence for two months due to sickness contracted in the Cuban campaign, after which went with company to Fort Brady, Michigan, fur station. At Fort Brady, Michigan, from November 24th, 1898, to April 3rd, 1900. At Leech Lake Indian Agency. Walker. Minnesota, as guard over turbulent Indians from April 4th, 1900 to May 27th, 1900. Assigned to duty in Alaska and present for duty with company at Fort Davis, Nome, Alaska, from June 28th, 1900 to October 6th, 1901. Detached from regiment and ordered on recruiting duty at Portland, Oregon. Engaged in this service from November 1st, 1901 to September 5th, 1903. Rejoined regiment at the Presidio of San Francisco, California, September 7th, 1903, the regiment sailing for the Philippine Islands October 1st, 1903. While in garrison at Manila, P, I., was promoted March 29th, 1904 to be Major, 12th Infantry, and assigned to duty at Camp Jossman, near Iloilo. Several months later was transferred to the 4th Infantry and returned with that regiment to the United States in the summer of 1905. On duty with the 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry, at various places about the harbor of San Francisco from July 19th, 1905 to February 12th, 1906. Was on leave of absence in San Francisco at the time of the earthquake and fire April 16th, 1906 and having volunteered for service, was placed on duty with homeless refugees and given charge of all those assembled in the Golden Gate Park district. Was on duty here from April 19th to June 1st, 1906. Was transferred from the 4th Infantry to the 20th Infantry August 18th, 1906, joining the latter regiment at the Presidio of Monterey, California, October 4th, 1906. Remained at this station till January 1st, 1912 and while serving here was promoted to the grade of Lieutenant Colonel March 11th, 1911. Detailed as Commandant of the Musketry School, Presidio of Monterey, September 10th, 1907, and continued on this duty until July 1st, 1911. This school was the progenitor of the present Infantry School at Fort Henning, Ga. From July 1st, 1911 to January 1st, 1912, as President of a Board of Officers, was engaged in the work of making a revision of the Army Small Arms Firing Regulations. After leaving the Presidio of Monterey, sailed from San Francisco for the Philippine Islands, January 2nd, 1912 to join the 13th Infantry as Lieutenant Colonel. Served with this regiment until detailed to the Adjutant General’s Department December 2nd, 1913. Was promoted Colonel March 13th. 1914 and assigned to the command of the 13th Infantry, stationed at Fort Wm. McKinley, near Manila. Relieved from duty in the Philippine Islands December 15th, 1914, and assigned to duty at the War Department in Washington as Executive Officer of the Militia Bureau. Was appointed Brigadier General, National Army August 3, 1917, and was honorably discharged from that grade August 31, 1919. Following appointment as Brigadier General, was assigned to duty at Camp Jackson, S. C., and to the command of the 161st Infantry Brigade, 81st Division. Served continuously with this command in the United States and overseas until it was mustered out of the service in June, 1919. Following two months of duty at the cantonment of Camp Pike, Arkansas, after return from overseas, was honorably discharged as Brigadier General and reverted to the grade of Colonel. Was then assigned to the command of the discharge and replacement depot, Fort Slocum, New York, and remained on this duty until retired by operation of law December 22nd, 1922, after more than forty (40) years of active service in the Army.</p>
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The campaign against Santiago-de-Cuba was notable for two conditions. It was carried on through the heat of a tropical summer in a country subjected to tropical fevers, including yellow fever, and with small arms alone, without artillery support, against an entrenched position. The Spanish, who are clever engineers, had developed the slit trench, since common in war, but which we then went up against for the first time, and found the enemy to be also well concealed against ground observation in the era preceding the airplane.</p>
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Our troops, consisting almost entirely of the Regular Army, were armed only with the rifle (an excellent one of the period) but they drove the enemy back in short order and took the city, due in no small part to their excellent small arms training prior to the war. To this training. General McIver had contributed greatly. His interest in this training continuing after the war, he later was assigned (1907-1911) as Commandant of the Musketry School, Presidio of Monterey, and as President of a Board of Officers engaged in the revision of the Army Small Arms Firing Regulations.</p>
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General Mclver, as were so many of the Army at Santiago, was stricken by the prevailing Cuban fever, and on his return to the United States in August 1898 with his command was invalided home for two months. He received the citation of the Purple Heart for this campaign.</p>
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Through his long service General Mclver carried out loyally and efficiently all the various tasks assigned to him through all the grades, from subaltern to division commander. And, throughout a long life, he was a loyal and faithful friend. So pronounced was the innate modesty of his personality that the writer, a classmate, is gratified for the opportunity to hear witness that only those who were favored with his close friendship had an opportunity to gain—a full appreciation of the real worth of the man, personally and professionally.</p>
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General Mclver was married June 28, 1893 to Helen Howard Smedberg of San Francisco, California. Five children were born of this union, two daughters and three sons, all of whom are now living. Their first child, a daughter, married Paul Mefford Runyon and lives on Staten Island. The youngest, also a daughter, was born in the Philippines, was graduated at Bryn Mawr, and is married to Harold H. Leich. Of the three sons, the two elder were graduated at the Naval Academy; the elder of these, George Willcox Mclver, Jr., at 19 as No. 5 in the class of March 1917; the younger, Renwick Smedberg Mclver, as No. 45 in the Class of 1921-A of 300 members. The third son, Alexander Mclver, was graduated from the Virginia Military Institute in 1928 and commissioned as an Engineer Officer in the Officers Reserve Corps. The two sons who graduated from the Naval Academy were both commissioned in the Navy and served more than four years before leaving the service by resignation.</p>
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<em>—A Classmate</em></p>
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