Oliver Edwards – Colonel, United States Army

by

Oliver Edwards of Masachusetts

  • Appointed from Massachusetts, Cadet, United States Military Academy, 1 June 1890 (40)
  • Second Lieutenant, 11th United States Infantry, 12 June 1894
  • First Lieutenant, 26 April 1898
  • Transferred to 6th United States Infantry, 28 April 1899
  • Captain, 28th United States Infantry, 2 February 1901
  • Transferred to 23rd Untied States Infantry, 30 October 1902
  • Transferred to 5th United States Infantry, 5 February 1903

A relative, William V. Richards, Lieutenant Colonel, United States Army, is also buried at Arlington National Cemeery.Son-in-law of Erasmus Corwin Gilbreath.  His wife, Mamie Galbraith Edwards died in 1898 at the age of 20 at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri, while her husband and father were on the way to Cuba to take part in the Spanish-American War.

MRS. MAMIE GILBREATH EDWARDS
June 24, 1898, Arizona Republican

The St. Louis Globe Democrat of Monday last contained the following pathetic account of the death and funeral of Mrs. Mamie Gilbreath Edwards, formerly of Fort Whipple,  Arizona at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri:

The funeral of Mrs. Mamie Gilbreath Edwards, wife of  Lieutenant Oliver Edwards and daughter of Major Erasmus C. Gilbreath of the Eleventh Infantry occurred at Jefferson  Barracks at 4 o’clock yesterday afternoon. The interment was in the National Cemetery. The husband and father are both at Tampa with their regiment.

The regiment went into camp at Mobile and camp life was monotonous. The chief joys of each, were the letters that came, laden with love. But the letters stopped, for the regiment went to sea, sailing for a port unknown to those who sailed. Then there was grief at the post for Mrs. Edwards grew worse and her life was despaired.

Then she grew better and when the regiment touched at Tampa she suddenly grew worse and early Friday morning she died.

The death and burial of Mrs. Edwards had a peculiar sadness about it. It was one of those pathetic things of war. Two months ago, Mrs. Edwards, 20 years old and a bride of a year, came to the barracks with her husband’s regiment. The regiment was ordered to Mobile with the invasion of Cuba in immediate prospect. The officers bade their wives good-bye leaving them in the officers quarters at the barracks. Mrs. Edwards, a soldier’s daughter and a soldier’s wife was brave.

The father and husband were reached by wire at Tampa. The husband answered.  He could not express his grief.  He said he was caring for his father who was recently injured by accident and was also prostrated by the news of his daughter’s death. They could not come home. Their country needed them.

Yesterday a white casket banked with flowers stood in Major Gilbreath’s quarters at Jefferson Barracks. There were only a few present – officers at the post, their wives and the wives of some of those at the front.  The officers were in uniform. Dr. Johnson of the first Congregational Church stood beside the coffin.  In a room above the mother and a brother wept.

The pall bearers – Captain J. Knight, Lieutenant E.M. Supp, Major Girard, Major Kress, Major Moore and a son of Captain Mack took the casket and carried it to the hearse. Carriages were waiting. Mrs. Gilbreath, her son William and some of her nearest friends joined the cortege.

EDWARDS, OLIVER

  • COL GEN STAFF USA
  • VETERAN SERVICE DATES: Unknown
  • DATE OF DEATH: 02/25/1921
  • DATE OF INTERMENT: 03/03/1921
  • BURIED AT: SECTION SS  SITE LOT 4064
  • ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERYEDWARDS, NANNIE GILBREATH
  • DATE OF DEATH: 06/17/1898
  • BURIED AT: SECTION 30  SITE 17
  • JEFFERSON BARRACKS NATIONAL CEMETERY
  • WIFE OF EDWARDS, OLIVER LT US ARMY

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