George Willcox McIver – Brigadier General, United States Army

George Wilcox McIver of North Carolina
Appointed from North Carolina, Cadet, United States Military Academy, 1 July 1877 (19)
Commissioned Second Lieutenant, 7th United States Infantry, 13 June 1882
First Lieutenant, 30 November 1889

Captain, 25 April 1898

George Willcox McIver was born on December 22, 1858 at Carthage, North Carolina and died in 1947 at the age of 89. He was the son of Alexander McIver, a noted North Carolina educator, and Mary Ann Willcox. McIver was appointed to West Point in 1877 and graduated with the class of 1882. Upon graduation, he began a military career of forty years of active service including duty in the United States, Alaska, Cuba, France, and the Philippine Islands.

McIver’s military career began with service in the West (1883-1891) with the 17th U.S. Infantry. He was stationed at various forts, including Pembina, Fred Steel, Laramie, Logan, and Bridger. He was sent to Rock Springs, Wyoming (1885) along with other troops to put down civil unrest between Chinese and white miners. McIver’s unit participated in the “ Sioux Campaign” of 1890-1891 which culminated in the Battle of Wounded Knee. He served as a tactical officer at West Point (1891-1893); duty officer to Camp Pilot Butte, Montana (1893); and Regular Army officer with the California National Guard (1894), where he observed the civil unrest of the California Railroad Strikes.

In 1898, he was reunited with the 7th U.S. Infantry, which was mobilized at Chickamauga Park, Georgia, for service in Cuba during the Spanish-American War, McIver’s unit participated in the battle of El Caney.

From 1898 to 1900, McIver was stationed at Ford Brady, Michigan, and at Leech Lake Indian Agency in Walker, Minnesota. From 1900 to 1903, he was stationed at Nome and Fort St. Michael, Alaska. He was assigned to the Philippine Islands from 1903 until July, 1905, when he returned to California as the Commandant of the U.S. Military prison on Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay. In 1907, he became the Commandant of the Army’s first musketry school at Monterey, California. In 1911, he began work on a revision of the Army Small Arms Firing Manual. McIver served a second tour of duty in the Philippines (1914) before becoming executive officer of the Militia Bureau of the War Department (1915).

Before U.S. intervention in World War I, he was promoted to Brigadier General and took command of the 161st Brigade of the 81st (Wild Cat) Division which trained at Camp Jackson and Camp Sevier, South Carolina. This unit became incorporated into the American Expeditionary Force and participated in the Muese-Argonne offensive.

From 1919 until his retirement in 1922, McIver was stationed at Fort Pike, Arkansas and Fort Slocum, New York.

General McIver was buried with full military honors in Arlington National Cemetery.  His wife, Helen Howard Smedberg McIver (9 January 1869-11 October 1943) is buried with him.

MCIVER, GEORGE W
BRIG GEN US ARMY RET

• VETERAN SERVICE DATES: Unknown
• DATE OF BIRTH: 12/22/1858
• DATE OF DEATH: 05/09/1947
• DATE OF INTERMENT: 05/12/1947
• BURIED AT: SECTION 6  SITE 5680-A
  ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY

MCIVER, HELEN H W/O GEORGE WILCOX

• DATE OF BIRTH: 01/09/1869
• DATE OF DEATH: 10/11/1953
• DATE OF INTERMENT: 10/14/1953
• BURIED AT: SECTION 6  SITE 5680A NH
  ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY
• WIFE OF GW MCIVER – B/GEN USA RET

Michael Robert Patterson

Michael Robert Patterson was born in Arlington and is the son of a former officer of the US Army. So it was no wonder that sooner or later his interests drew him to American history and especially to American military history. Many of his articles can be found on renowned portals like the New York Times, Washingtonpost or Wikipedia.

Reviewed by: Michael Howard