Warren Webster Whitside – Colonel, United States Army

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Warren Webster Whitside of Canada
Appointed from Tennessee, Second Lieutenant of Infantry, 10 April 1899
Transferred to 10th United States Cavalry 10 May 1899
First Lieuenant, 2 February 1901

Brigadier General Samuel Whitside is buried with his wife, Carrie, and their son Major Victor M. Whitside who died at the end of World War I.

The three of them share the same headstone that is actually a four-sided monument about 10 feet tall, (similar to the Washington Monument). Their inscriptions are written on their respective side of the monument with their plot projecting out from there. One side of the monument is blank and the plot is vacant.

About a hundred yards from their plot, Warren W. Whitside and his wife, Lillian Rigney are buried together along with their son, Captain Warren W. Whitside, Jr. who served in WW II in the US Navy.

BIOGRAPHY OF WARREN WEBSTER WHITSIDE (1875 — 1946)
COLONEL, UNITED STATES ARMY

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Warren Whitside is the grandson of William H. Whitside family who came from Ireland in 1843. The family included Warren’s father Samuel Marmaduke, (1839-1904), James, (1831-1910), William Jr. (1833), David, (1835-1891), and Sarian, (1840).

I have written a biographical genealogy of General Samuel Marmaduke, copies of which are in the Fort Riley, KS, Jefferson Barracks, (St. Louis), MO and Fort Sam Houston, Texas, archives as well as in the archives of the Norfolk Historical Society in Simcoe, Ontario.

Warren W. was born 2 Nov., 1875 in Toronto, Canada. As his father married Caroline McGavock of Nashville, Tennessee in the U.S.A. and served in the U. S. Army all of his career, He was born in Toronto and we know that in the summer of 1875, Samuel was on sick leave in London, Ontario.

1880 Arizona Territory, Pima County Census, pg. 237, 25 June 1880 at Camp Huachuca. ” Warren W. white, male, age 4, son, born Canada, father born Canada, mother born TN. Listed with father, mother, brother Dallas and 2 servants.
He is mentioned in The History of Fort Riley as being one of the boys at the Post involved with the killing of a wild cat, 4 feet, 11 inches in length!

He graduated from Washington & Lee University in Lexington, Virginia with a B.S.C. degree. He responded to the Presidents call, to his father’s dismay and entered the Volunteer Army. This is from letters from his father. Army records also give his home as Tennessee. His mother’s home was given probably, because his father was always being posted to various places in the west.

He was commissioned a Second Lieutenant of  infantry, U.S. Army on the 10th of April, 1899 and accepted on May 1, of 1899. He transferred to the Cavalry on 10th of May 1899. He then transferred to his father’s 10th Cavalry Regiment in Cuba.

He married Lillian Rigney on Thursday Jan 10 1901 at Manzannillo Cuba. She was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Rigney. Joseph Rigney was a well-known planter and sugar manufacturer of Manzanillo Province, Cuba. Warren was with the 10th Calvary at the time.

He was promoted to 1st Lieutenant on the 2nd of February 1901.

In a letter dated Jan. 2, 1902 his father writes that Warren has a daughter, (Lillian R.) who is 5 weeks old This would put daughter Lillian’s birthday in November of 1901.

From Heitman, Military service: Second Lieutenant Lieutenant April 10, 1899, Infantry, transferred to 10th Cavalry, 10th May 1899. First Lieutenant, 1st February 1901, while In Cuba with his father’s regiment. He was transferred to Vermont after the end of the Cuba war. (Heitman) Must have gone to Colorado in 1904 as daughter Elaine was born there. Son, Warren E. Jr. born Vermont, 1907.

On December 15, 1904, a letter was written by the Military to Warren at Fort Ethan Allen, Vermont, advising of his father’s death on that morning.

On the 20th of August 1906, he was promoted to Captain that was fairly quick in the peacetime army.

1910 Index of the Census, W323, shows Warren W. Whitside living in Alexandria Co. Virginia, age 34, with Lillian R. Age 30 born in Connecticut. Children Lillian R. age 8, born Cuba, Elaine T. born Colorado, age 6, and Warren E [W. Jr.?], Jr. age 3, born Vermont.

On 16 April of 1912 he was transferred to the Quartermaster Corp. of the Cavalry and placed in command of the Front Royal Remount Depot. From an article in The Quartermaster Review of September-October of 1930 we learn the history of the Depot established in 1911. The purpose of the Depot was to buy, breed and concentrate animals that had been purchased before shipment. Stallions were gathered from eastern tracks and sent to the Front Royal Remount Depot for conditioning and shipment in carload lots to other Depots and to the western zones.

Warren was in the Quartermaster Corps from 16 April 1912 to 14 December 1912 at Front Royal. and then his records show he was with the QMC from March 1913 to 3rd of April 1916. This is confusing, but this is how the records record it. I can only assume that he performed various duties, some with Cavalry Units other with the Quartermaster Corps.
May 15, 1917 he was promoted to Major, again with the QMC from 25 July 1917-19 August 1917. We know from the Daily Union article he was with the 89th division during its formation and overseas in World War I. Ultimately he would serve the Division as the commander of Trains and Military Police. It was for this service that he received the Distinguished Service Metal, the third highest award in the army and the highest award in the Army for meritorious service.

He was awarded the DSM on 30 January 1929 by Major General Malin Craig at Fort Clayton, Panama. He was serving as the Department Quartermaster of the Panama Canal Department at the time. Re this see Major Samuel Russell, US Army.

When Craig was a Lieutenant he served under Captain Samuel Whitside at Fort Huachuca in Texas. Craig and Warren were boy hood friends.

On August 20, 1922, Lieutenant Colonel Whitside reported for duty as Quartermaster of Fort Riley. Again he was transferred to the QMC on 23 August of 1923 and on the 26th of March 1924 he was promoted to Colonel. In 1923 Warren was referred to in the History of Fort Riley, as Colonel W.W. Whitside, then Quartermaster of Fort Riley and the Commandant of the Cavalry school when they decided to move the Ogden monument to its current position.

In 1925, Colonel Whitside was instrumental in the move of the Wounded Knee monument to its present location. In 1925 he was relieved as Quartermaster by Colonel A. McClure leaving behind in remembrance the named Camp Whitside,” a part of Fort Riley. The Irwin Army Hospital and the Union Pacific Depot are now in Camp Whitside. It is marked on all maps including the Junction City phone book map.

He was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal during his career and received an honorable discharge, 30 June, 1939.
He retired to Front Royal, Virginia, died there in 1964 and is buried in Arlington Cemetery about 100 yards from his father and mother.

The following is an exact transcription of an Article in the Daily Union, Junction City, July 21,1992 It was written by a researcher in the area doing a series on prominent officers, who had served at Camp Riley.

“Warren W. Whitside: (1875-1964). Midway between the yellow lime stone buildings on the main post of Fort Riley, and white semi-permanent structures at Camp Funston, stands another major Fort Riley installation, Camp Whitside.
Camp Whitside is named for Colonel Warren W. Whitside, United States Army. Whitside was born in Canada in 1875. His father was Major Samuel M. Whitside a cavalry officer who was famous as an Indian fighter in the period 1875 to 1890. Samuel Whitside founded Fort Huachuca, Arizona in 1877 while chasing the wily Apache, Geronimo. In 1890 he commanded a battalion of the 7th Cavalry during the battle of Wounded Knee in South Dakota where the last hostile band of Sioux on the northern plains were destroyed.

“Warren Whitside attended Washington & Lee University and was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant of infantry in 1899. A short while later he transferred to his father’s branch, the cavalry. In 1912 he was detailed to the Quartermaster Corps and was given command of the Front Royal Remount Depot in Virginia.

“In 1917, Whitside was made Division Quartermaster of the 89th Division, which was organized and trained for action in World War 1 at Camp Funston. The Division Commander was General Leonard Wood. As a Lieutenant Colonel, Whitside served as Division Quartermaster of the 89th Division in France and at times he acted as Assistant Chief of Staff, G1.

“After World War 1, Whitside was again assigned to Fort Riley, this time as Post Quartermaster. During this tour he was instrumental in moving the Ogden and Wounded Knee monument to their present location. Whitside left Fort Riley in 1925. After serving in various other assignment of responsibility he was again named in 1934 to head the Front Royal Remount Depot, where he remained until his retirement inn 1939 after 40 years continuous service. Whitside retired to Front Royal, Virginia, where he died October 3rd, 1964 and is buried at Arlington.”

WHITSIDE, LILLIAN R WIDOW OF WARREN WEBSTER

  • DATE OF BIRTH: 06/09/1879
  • DATE OF DEATH: 07/06/1970
  • DATE OF INTERMENT: 07/08/1970
  • BURIED AT: SECTION 1  SITE 799- A L
    ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY
  • WIFE OF WW WHITSIDE

WHITSIDE, WARREN WEBSTER JR
CPT USN

  • VETERAN SERVICE DATES: Unknown
  • DATE OF BIRTH: 07/13/1906
  • DATE OF DEATH: 05/22/1969
  • DATE OF INTERMENT: 05/26/1969
  • BURIED AT: SECTION 1  SITE 300-B
    ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY

WHITSIDE, WARREN WEBSTER
COL US ARMY

  • VETERAN SERVICE DATES: Unknown
  • DATE OF BIRTH: 05/01/1875
  • DATE OF DEATH: 10/03/1964
  • DATE OF INTERMENT: 10/06/1964
  • BURIED AT: SECTION I  SITE 299-A RR
    ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY

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