John Edmondson Stephens – Brigadier General, United States Army

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John Edmondson “Mug” Stephens was from Nashville, Tennessee. He was born on 8 November 1874 in Brentwood, Tennessee, just 9 miles from Nashville and was studying at Vanderbilt University when appointed to the Military Academy in the class of 1898.

He left Vanderbilt, but finished his degree there between graduation from West Point and his first assignment. (Editor’s Note: West Point graduates did not receive college degrees until 1934.)

As an Artillery officer, Stephens served at posts across New York State before teaching mathematics at West Point from 1900-04. He then went to the Philippines and returned to the States to work in the Inspector General Department. Just prior to the war, he was Chief of the War Plans Branch of the War Plans Division.

Following this assignment, Stephens was promoted to Brigadier General and given command of the 61st Artillery Brigade. While in the field in France, General Stephens contracted pneumonia and died, after a brief illness, on 4 January 1919. He was 44 years old.

Dear Mike:
I would like to commend you for your fantastic website on Arlington National Cemetery. It is wonderfully laid out and easy to use with the most interesting information and gorgeous pictures I have found.

I was doing a casual search of my Great-Grandfather’s name, John Edmundson Stephens, Brigadier General, United States Army, and your site was the first that popped up. When I went to the site I was so pleasently suprised to see my Great-Grandfather’s West Point portrait displayed along with information of his first son John displayed below. I do not know who put the information together, but they did a wonderful job.

However, John senior has another son buried at Arlington. Major James Richard Stephens, United States Army, is also buried there (Section 39, Site 1316) along with his wife Margaret Higgins Stephens. Major Stephens served as a POW camp commander in World War II in Epinal, France (POW Camp 451, housed mostly Italian prisoners), but also beagan his career as an enlisted Marine who served in Nicaragua in the early 1920s and “mustang’ed” his way up through the ranks, eventually moving over to the United States Army.

I would like to ask that you add the info of Major James Richard Stephens, United States Army, World War II, September 10, 1906-May 15, 1968 to the website.

Thank you so much for the informative site you have put together and for your dedicated service to our nation.
With deepest respects,

CWO2 James E. Shelton, United States Coast Guard, March 2007

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STEPHENS, JOHN E
BRIG GEN USA

  • DATE OF DEATH: 01/04/1919
  • BURIED AT: SECTION ESS  SITE 18658
    ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY

STEPHENS, JOHN EDMONDSON JR
LT USN

  • DATE OF DEATH: 02/17/1950
  • BURIED AT: SECTION 10
    ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY

STEPHENS, JAMES RICHARD
MAJ   US ARMY
WORLD WAR II

  • DATE OF BIRTH: 09/10/1906
  • DATE OF DEATH: 05/15/1968
  • BURIED AT: SECTION 39  SITE 1316
    ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY

STEPHENS, MARGARET H

  • DATE OF BIRTH: 05/06/1912
  • DATE OF DEATH: 01/22/1997
  • BURIED AT: SECTION 39  SITE 1316
    ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY
  • WIFE OF STEPHENS, JAMES RICHARD, MAJ US ARMY

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