Oliver Edwards (World War I general)

Oliver Edwards (December 2, 1871 – February 25, 1921) was a United States Army officer in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He served in several conflicts, including the Spanish–American War and World War I, and he received the Distinguished Service Medal for his efforts in the latter conflict.

Oliver Edwards
Brig. gen. Oliver Edwards as commander of Camp Hancock in September 1918
Born	(1871-12-02)December 2, 1871 Chesterfield, Massachusetts
Died	February 25, 1921(1921-02-25) (aged 49) Washington, D.C.
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	United States Army
Years of service	1894–1921
Rank	Brigadier general
Battles/wars	Spanish–American War Philippine–American War Second Occupation of Cuba World War I
Awards	Distinguished Service Medal
Spouse(s)	Geraldine Wessels[1]
Children	3

For the American Civil War general, see Oliver Edwards.

Biography

Brig. gen. Edwards, left, reviewing students of the Machine Gun School at Camp Hancock in September 1918.

Edwards was born in Chesterfield, Massachusetts,[2] on December 2, 1871. He graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1894 and was commissioned into the 11th Infantry Regiment.[3]

After serving in the 11th Infantry, Edwards served, in succeeding order, in the 6th, 28th, 23rd, and 5th Infantry Regiments. Edwards served in the Puerto Rican Campaign during the Spanish–American War. After serving as am aide to Jacob H. Smith during the Philippine–American War, he participated in the Second Occupation of Cuba between 1906 and 1909.[3] Edwards became a distinguished graduate of the Army School of the Line in 1910,[4] and he graduated from the Army Staff College the following year. After serving as an instructor for the college, Edwards left in 1912 to teach a course for the French Army. After returning, he served in Panama as an intelligence officer and Chief of Staff.[5]

Edwards was promoted to the rank of brigadier general on August 8, 1918. He went to France because of World War I and organized and commanded the machine Gun Training Center, receiving the Distinguished Service Medal for his work.[2] After returning to the U.S., Edwards reverted to his permanent rank of colonel and became a student at the General Staff College. He also worked in the intelligence division of the United States Department of War's general staff. Edwards died of illness on February 25, 1921, while on assignment.[5][6]

References

1. Davis, Jr. 1998, p. 114.
2. "Oliver Edwards". The Hall of Valor Project – Military Times Media Group. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
3. Davis, Jr. 1998, p. 117.
4. Davis, Jr. 1998, pp. 117–118.
5. Davis, Jr. 1998, p. 118.
6. "BG Oliver Edwards (1871–1921) – Find A Grave..." www.findagrave.com.

Bibliography

• Davis, Jr., Henry Blaine (1998). Generals in Khaki. Raleigh, North Carolina: Pentland Press. ISBN 1571970886. OCLC 40298151.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)