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Brigadier General <em>Farrand Sayre</em> passed away on April 17, 1952 at his home in Baltimore, Maryland, where he and his daughter had been living since the death of Mrs. Sayre in 1945.</p>
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He was born on June 17, 1861 in Lewis County, Missouri, where his father, Emelius Kitchell Sayre, a graduate of Amherst, had a 4,000 acre farm. A sister, who graduated from Vassar College in 1869, tutored him till he won a West Point cadetship in a competitive examination held at Hannibal, Missouri in September 1879.</p>
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“Corp” (as he was called by his classmates and intimate friends among his contemporaries in the Army) graduated No. 21 in the Class of ‘84,—the smallest class numerically that was graduated from the Military Academy since 1864. Its graduates numbered only 37 men. A classmate writing in the Bulletin for April 1924 says, “I believe this class was the first to form an association and get out a Bulletin—also we have had a larger percentage return to each reunion than any other”. In the Bulletin for January 1927 a classmate records, “It was the Class of 1884 which set the example to all other West Point classes of forming organizations to include all members of the class whether or not they had completed the full course. Now each year at West Point all former cadets, whether graduates or not, are asked to be the guests of the institution. The result has been of great benefit to the Army”.</p>
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Sayre chose the Cavalry at a time when the Cavalry was the most active branch of the Service. On graduation he was assigned to the Eighth Cavalry, and his first Army station was with portions of that regiment at Fort McIntosh, Laredo, Texas. In 1885-86 he served in the Geronimo campaign in Arizona and New Mexico. Late in 1887 he marched from Fort McIntosh with a squadron of the 8th Cavalry to Fort Davis, Texas. It was at Fort Davis that he met Kate Hamlin Phelps, who was visiting her uncle, Captain Frederick E. Phelps, West Point Class of 1870, and commanding Troop “F”, 8th Cavalry. They were married in May 1888 just prior to the departure of the Eighth Cavalry on its 2,000 mile march from Texas to Dakota, the longest march in the history of Cavalry. Sayre later saw active service in Cuba in the War with Spain.</p>
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He served at Fort Sill from 1900-04, when Oklahoma was still a Territory and the old post was still many miles from a railroad. Here, Captain of a troop, he was also in charge of the Apache Prisoners of War. Geronimo, the Medicine Man of the Apaches, was a frequent visitor at his quarters, where, squatted on the floor, he would discourse by the hour in Spanish. Sayre’s well known qualities of great patience and kindness won him the deep affection of these Indians whom he had once chased from the Mogollon Mountains of New Mexico to old Fort Concho in Arizona.</p>
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Sayre was an Honor graduate of the Infantry and Cavalry School in 1905; a graduate of the Army Staff College in 1906, and a graduate of the Army War College in 1917. He served as an instructor in the Department of Military Art (finally heading that Department) in the Army Service Schools at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, for five years between 1906 and 1913. During this period he published his first book, “Map Maneuvers and Tactical Rides”, which was adopted for use in the Army Service Schools and authorized by the War Department for issue to the Regular Army and Militia. He also assisted in the production of other books published by the Department.</p>
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World War I closed the Army War College in the Spring of 1917 and Sayre was assigned to command the 11th Cavalry in the Brownsville District of Texas—his first regiment as Colonel. The training was intensive but the service was pleasant. Mr. G. R. Willson, American Consul at Matamoros, wrote of Sayre, “He speaks Spanish well and has exceptional faculties for dealing with Latin American peoples. I have never known him to fail in securing and holding their friendship, confidence and cooperation. These faculties of the Colonel’s were of considerate assistance to me in administering my duties as Consul. The friendly relations which existed between the Mexican Commander of Matamoros and Colonel Sayre in Brownsville did much to promote satisfactory relations between the two towns.” He was promoted to the grade of Brigadier General (temporary) in October 1918 and given command of the First Cavalry Brigade.</p>
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The following year Sayre was returned to the permanent grade of Colonel and again commanded the 16th Cavalry. Early in March 1920, Mr. W. T. Burnett, Chairman of the Rotary Club of Brownsville, Texas, sent duplicate telegrams to the Adjutant General of the Army and to U.S. Representative John N. Garner: “A report is in circulation to the effect that Military Officers of this District may be transferred and we fear that this may result in the transfer of Colonel Farrand Sayre, Sixtenth Cavalry. No man has ever done more to establish friendly relations with the Mexican authorities than has Colonel Sayre and establishment of these relations has brought about the elimination of Border troubles in this District, a thorough understanding between the authorities, civil and military, on both sides of the Border and has given a feeling of safety and security to, the people of the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas which is responsible to a great degree if not entirely for the unprecedented development now in progress in all of the territory lying between the mouth of the river and Rio Grande City. The citizens of the Valley would regard Colonel Sayre’s removal at this time a public calamity and without Colonel Sayre’s knowledge we respectfully request that he be not removed from the field in which he has already accomplished so much and in which he can continue to render great service to the Department and our people. Anything you can do to help us will be heartily appreciated.”</p>
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Sayre’s last service was in the First Corps Area,—in command at Camp Devens and, later, in charge of the Organized Reserves, First Corps Area, at Boston, Massachusetts. When he was retired on June 17, 1925, on reaching 64 years of age, he had completed 45 years on the active list.</p>
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A few months after retirement Sayre took a civil service examination to become parole agent in the Massachusetts Department of Correction. While engaged in this work he took courses at Harvard in penology and criminology. His interest and constructive imagination were credited by Deputy Commissioner Stone for “services that have been of untold value to the Department”. The Bay State retired him again at 70 years of age in accordance with its retirement law.</p>
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The Sayres came to Baltimore in 1932 to live near their only child, Elizabeth (Mrs. H. R. Kilbourne) and that same year Sayre met Dr. George Boas, Professor of Philosophy at Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Boas got him interested in a course at the Hopkins on pre-Socratic philosophy. Corp spent several months dusting off his Greek to enable him to use it as a tool in getting at the original sources and in 1933 he enrolled as a student in the Graduate School at Johns Hopkins University. By 1936 he found he could get the degree of Master of Arts if he passed examinations in French and German. He boned up for a few weeks, passed the examinations and received his M.A. degree in June 1936.</p>
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While studying the Greek cynics in his M.A. work “Corp’’ came close to reaching several conclusions that were at variance with scholarship. Dr. Arthur O. Lovejoy, then head of the Philosophy Department at Johns Hopkins University urged him to continue his studies and in June 1938 (at the age of 77) he received the Ph.D. degree from the Hopkins (J.H.U.). His former adjutant at Camp Gaillard. C. Z. wrote of him in part at this time, “Always courteous and considerate of the civilian community in the vicinity of his command, at the same time indifferent to personal publicity, through his unassuming manner, efficiency and natural dignity he was able to maintain his command in a fine state of morale. He was also a believer in sports activities. In the Canal Zone at the age of 61 while playing first base in a married officers-bachelor ball game, he collected three hits out of four times up and made only one error,—giving every indication that sixteen years later getting a diploma and a Ph.D. would just all be in a day’s work.”</p>
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In 1940 when the War Department wanted volunteers he volunteered for examinations in French, Spanish, German,—received Translators Certificates from the War Department in all three languages and did a great deal of translating. Colonel Ralph C. Smith, General Staff (Executive Officer, G-2) wrote, “Your work is aiding us materially.”</p>
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Sayre’s first book on philosophy, “<em>Diogenes of Sinope</em>,” was published late in 1938. Of this book Prof. Kurt von Fritz of Columbia University (New York City), writing February 26, 1939, says. “... though I do not agree with you in all points you have certainly cleared up a great many problems and in some points on which I previously held a different opinion,—you are right.” Prof. Arthur O. Lovejoy writing in January 1939 says of “<em>Diogenes of Sinope</em>,” “No one, certainly, will hereafter be able to deal with the history of Cynicism without taking account of your study.”</p>
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In 1948, at the age of 87 years, Sayre published a second book on Cynicism, “<em>The Greek Cynics</em>” and this book received more favorable comment. It has been in demand in this country and abroad and now, after the death of its author, it is still selling well.</p>
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Corp told a classmate, “When I started this school work I had no idea of being a Ph.D. The books were iconoclastic merely because they were based on facts and not legends. Diogenes falsified the currency of his native land and was driven out. As for the old story about his looking for an honest man, the ancients never heard of that tale. I took Diogenes from the pedestal on which his followers had placed him and examined him with the halo removed.” Sayre felt that he brought to bear the common sense and rounded viewpoint gained from his training at the Military Academy and his service in the Army.</p>
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This laborious work was done in a study bright with Navajo rugs, pictures of old Army posts, old Army friends and classmates. On one wall was a buckskin,—the buck shot near Mule Springs, New Mexico in 1886 and tanned. In 1902 at Fort Sill while in charge of the Apache Prisoners of War the hereditary Chief of the Apaches, Christian Naitche, quite an artist, had painted on it an Apache Ceremonial Dance.</p>
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Failing eyesight plagued Sayre’s last three years, and his garden, a never ending source of interest, took more and more of his time. Neighbors and friends greatly admired the gritty old soldier who in heat or cold, fair weather, rain or snow, each day spent his daylight hours digging and improving.</p>
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<em>—B. S. K.</em></p>
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