Henry Walton Wessells, Jr. – Brigadier General, United States Army

Born at Sacketts Harbor, New York, December 24, 1846, the son of Henry W. (U.S. Army), and Hannah Cooper Wessells. He was educated at Deep Hill Institute, Danbury, Connecticut. He married Eliza Lane Meginnis, March 24, 1869.

He served as Private and Sergeant, Companies K and D, 7th United States Infantry, March 1-August 16, 1865 in the Civil War. He was commissioned Second Lieutenant and then First Lieutenant, 7th U.S. Infantry, July 21, 1865. He transferred to the 3rd U.S. Cavalry, January 1, 1871. He was promoted to Captain, December 20, 1872; Major, August 16, 1892, Lieutenant Colonel, May 8, 1899; Colonel, unassigned, February 1, 1901 and was retired for disability incurred in the line of duty, February 2, 1901.

He was advanced to the rank of Brigadier General, U.S. Army, Retired, on April 23, 1904. He served in the Indian Wars, the Spanish-American War and the Philippine Insurrection.

He died on November 9, 1929 and was buried in Section 8 of Arlington National Cemetery.

Henry Walton Wessells, Jr. of New York

Cadet, United States Naval Academy, 20 September 1862 to 12 November 1864
Private and Sergeant, Company D and Company K,  7th United States Infantry, 1 March to 16 August 1865
Second Lieutenant and First Lieutenant,  7th United States Infantry, 21 July 1865
Transferred to the 3rd United States Cavalry, 31 December 1870
Captain, 20 December 1872
Major, 3rd United States Calvary, 16 Aug 1892
Colonel, 8 May 1899
Colonel, 2nd United States Cavalry, February 1901
Retired 19 February 1901

From Spanish-American War Report:

Major Henry W. Wessells, Jr., of the Third United States Cavalry, ranks twelfth in the list of Cavalry Majors and is the senior Major of his regiment. He was born in New York and is a son of the late Brigadier General Henry W. Wessells, a veteran of the Florida War against the Seminoles, the Mexican War and the Civil War.  Wessells enlisted in Company K of the Seventh United States Infantry and on March 1, 1865 was appointed Sergeant in Company D of the same regiment.  He was promoted to a Second Lieuenantacy and to a First Lieutenancy on the same day in July 1865.  He was transferred to the cavalry arm of the service and assigned to his present regiment on January 1, 1871.  On December 20, 1872 he was appointed Captain. He appointment as Major in the Third Cavalry was made on August 16, 1892.

WESSELLS, ELIZA LANE W/O HENRY W

• DATE OF DEATH: 03/21/1927
• BURIED AT: SECTION S W  SITE 1330
  ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY

WESSELLS, HENRY W JR 

• BRIG/GEN USA RETD
• DATE OF DEATH: 11/09/1929
• BURIED AT: SECTION B LOT  SITE 1330
  ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY

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