Two of the men who made the rank of major general in the U.S. Army during the period of World War One had strong Oregon ties. After the war, both would retire to Oregon and eventually die there. They were very similar in many ways, though history remembers each a bit differently. Here are the Oregon generals.

GO WEST YOUNG MAN

Both of the Oregon generals, Charles Henry Martin and Ulysses Grant McAlexander hailed from the Midwest. Martin came from Illinois and McAlexander from Minnesota. Both men were West Point graduates – the same class 1887. In fact, both of the Oregon generals spent quite some time in Oregon before World War One. Martin posted to Vancouver Barracks, married the daughter of a local Portland lawyer. Meanwhile, McAlexander spent several years on two separate occasions as the Commandant of Cadets and Professor of Military Science at Oregon Agricultural College – Oregon State University, today – in Corvallis. Both attained high ranks during the army careers. As a result of the war, both Oregon generals became anti-Communist and anti-labor in the postwar era. And both Oregon generals ran for Governor in 1934. Martin would win as a faux-New Deal Democrat, while McAlexander would lose in the Republican primary.

OREGON GENERALS FIND THEIR CALLINGS

Martin was one year older than McAlexander. He was one of ten children. His father wanted his oldest son to have a military career via West Point. After his two oldest brothers drowned on the Wabash River, Charles had to forgo his dream of being a gentleman farmer/writer and entered the Point. 

A rough start for Martin occurred after he was expelled for failing French. He regained admission to the Academy (proof early of political connections) two years later, graduating 19^th in the class of 1887. 

He spent the next ten years at Vancouver Barracks in the 14^th Infantry Regiment (”Fightin’ Irish” and later “the Golden Dragons”) the same regiment his father had served in during the Mexican War – as a Second Lieutenant and promoted to First Lieutenant in 1894. During his stay, he married his wife Louise Hughes, daughter of a prominent Portland lawyer, in 1897 thereby established true ties to the local scene.

McAlexander grew up in Minnesota and Kansas. From Kansas, McAlexander gained admission into West Point. Graduating in the 53^rd slot of his class, Ulysses joined the 13^th Infantry Regiment. Initially sent to Vicksburg and then serving at various posts in the Dakota Territory and Montana until 1891. Next, he became the Professor of Military Science and Tactics at Iowa Wesleyan College, a position that would help him later.

SPANISH AMERICAN WAR

With the 1898 war with Spain, both men – now captains – applied to see active duty. McAlexander rejoined the 13^th Regiment which was part of the 1^st Division at Santiago de Cuba earning a Silver Star for his work at the Battle of San Juan Hill as a member of the staff of 1^st Division commander, Brigadier General Jacob Kent. Too late for Cuba, Martin went with his regiment to the Philippines in June 1898. 

MARTIN IN THE PHILIPPINES WITH A BOXER INTERLUDE

The 14^th Regiment became one of the American forces included in the first of three expeditions sent to put soldiers on the ground following Admiral Dewey’s destruction of the Spanish fleet – May 1, 1898. The Spanish had about 15,000 men in Manila. By the time the American forces arrived, the Spanish already found themselves surrounded by Filipino insurrectionaries. 

The next two American influxes during July brought American numbers to around 11,000.  After negotiations between the Spanish governor and Admiral Dewey, the Spanish surrendered to American forces on August 13 after a mock battle. Martin would find himself detailed as head of the sanitation effort to clean the streets of Manila after the long siege. He did serve briefly as the commander of force attacking a blockhouse in the initial battles of what became the Philippine War.

From July to early November, Martin stayed with the 14^th as the regiment before he went with elements of the regiment sent as one of the American units taking part in relief campaign against the Boxers in China. Martin saw action in several engagements as a company commander, gaining two separate Silver Stars for his efforts. He returned to Manila, afterwards for six months before his regiment returned to the U.S. in 1901. The 14^th was rewarded for its time in the tropics by being sent to Ft Snelling, Minnesota (Minneapolis).

MCALEXANDER COMES TO THE ISLANDS

McAlexander and the 13^th Regiment followed to the Philippines arriving in late May 1899.  With the Philippine War well underway, and the men went to front lines just south of Manila.  An American offensive coincided with the dry season in November. The 13^th went by sea to San Fabian where they were part of an effort pushing from the north against the Filipino army. 

Throughout 1900 and 1901, the 13^th was involved in pacifying the surrounding province of Pangasinan. McAlexander held one of the regimental posts at Cabaruan – next to San Fabian – from which he led occasional sorties out into the countryside to confiscate arms and capture rebels and “ladrones” (thieves), often indistinguishable. 

The regiment shifted back – McAlexander was regimental adjutant by now – into garrison duty in Manila early in 1902 before shipping back to the U.S. the end of June. They returned via Nagasaki, Japan before sailing through a typhoon for two days in the way back to San Francisco.

OREGON GENERALS MARKING TIME

Both men went through several postings upon their return to the U.S. Both would return to the Philippines for in more tranquil times. Martin served as the Chief Quartermaster for the Visayas Department from the end of 1903 until December of 1906. 

He returned to Vancouver Barracks in 1907 where he supervised construction of enlisted quarters and officer quarters as the construction quartermaster. Promoted to major, Martin spent the years of 1910 to 1913 on the General Staff of General Leonard Wood where he studied foreign military capabilities. 

Friends in high places back in Oregon managed over a three-year letter writing and arm-twisting campaign at very high levels in Washington, D.C. to have Martin selected – 1913 – for the colonelcy of the Third Oregon Volunteer Regiment – in the Oregon National Guard. Martin did a good job of reorganizing the Oregon militia at the same time looking after his local real estate holdings, maintaining and expanding his ties in the Portland business community and keeping his wife happy with a posting to home.

moving on from the northwest

Martin was looking at retiring in 1917 and needed to return to active duty before he could. The “Detached Service Law” (known more popularly as the ‘Manchu Law’) became to keep personnel from squatting – especially in Washington, DC. Officers squatting in one post were thought to lose touch with the real Army. So, in early 1915, Martin went to the 18^th Infantry Regiment after a brief hiatus at Ft Leavenworth for the Army Service School.

Gaining a promotion to Lieutenant Colonel, he found the 18^th spread out along the border with Mexico. Martin served for the most part out of Douglas, Arizona. The mission was to protect problems with Mexico’s civil war from spilling northwards.  John J. Pershing’s punitive campaign into northern Mexico following Pancho Villa’s attack on Columbus, New Mexico was a cavalry affair, and the 18^th maintained a reserve role in the affair.

MARTIN TRAINS THE NEW ARMY

Noting the possibility of action elsewhere as the World War dragged on, Martin put his retirement plans on hold and put his political friends on notice that he was a man on the rise. With America struggling to maintain its neutrality, the Preparedness Movement, led by Theodore Roosevelt and General Leonard Wood, had established four-week summer camps for would-be officers. As the U.S. finally entered the war on April 6, 1917, the Army took over the training of these camps offering graduates real commissions. Martin became the Senior Instructor – as a colonel in the National Army – at Camp Funston in Leon Springs, Texas just north of San Antonio. A hard task master who stressed discipline and obedience, only 1,500 men graduated from the original 3,500 on August 17, 1917.

Success in Texas brought Martin another promotion as a brigadier general in the National Army. Sent to Camp Grant, near Rockford, Illinois, Martin took command of the 172^nd Brigade. Then in spring of 1918, illness to Brigadier General Lyman Kennon opened the command post of the 86^th Division – and all of Camp Grant – to a newly promoted Major General (National Army) Charles H. Martin. Martin, the first to become one of the Oregon generals, trained his men hard gaining the nickname “Iron Pants”.

OFF TO EUROPE

The 86^th Division went over to Europe in September 1918 and after a stop in England, the division underwent further training in France. The men of the division never saw action together as the division – like many late arriving divisions – became a source of replacements, with groups shredded off here and there. There was some thought to bring the skeletonized division back up to strength over the winter of 1918-19 in anticipation of the war-winning offensive of 1919, but the Armistice intervened.

RACE RELATIONS

As the division was chopped up, Martin became detached for duty with the staff of the First Army during the Meuse-Argonne offensive. With Armistice, Martin gained command of the 92^nd Division, one of two African-American divisions within the ranks of the AEF. To say there was racial prejudice in the Army at the time is an understatement. 

The former commander of the 92^nd, Major General Charles Ballou was somewhat understanding of the racial situation, though to say he was non-racist would be stretching the definition. The little flexibility he did show was enough to condemn him in the eyes of Second Army commander Lieutenant General Robert Lee Bullard, a native of Alabama. Bullard was convinced that the 92^nd was nothing but a band of rapists who were afraid to fight. 

Martin’s availability, his disciplinarian approach and his “right” views when it came to race all played a role in his selection. His job was to re-instill discipline within the division and make sure they were ready to resume their lives in the U.S. without thoughts of the more multicultural approach they had enjoyed in France.

DISCIPLINE RESTORED AND OCCUPATION

For two months, the worst details were given, and leaves cancelled. The division transferred to Le Mans, in preparation for their return voyage. Bullard recommended the division to be the first to leave, back to the control of segregation in America – they would be the last division to leave Europe.

With discipline re-instilled into the 92^nd Division, Martin became reassigned to the 90^th Division for occupation duties is Germany. For Martin and many of the officers of the 90^th, it was a warm homecoming. Martin trained many of the same men when he served as Senior Instructor at Leon Springs (the 90^th Division comprised of men from the Texas regions). One of his brigade commanders was none other than his old West Point classmate, Ulysses McAlexander, who commanded the 180^th Brigade – Texas Brigade.

So, let’s catch up with our other Oregon general’s life.

MCALEXANDER TEACHES

Upon McAlexander’s return from the Philippines, he continued to serve in the 13^th Regiment – even writing a regimental history going from the time of the unit’s inception during the War of 1812 until his recent activities during the Philippine War. Drawing upon his old teaching skills in Iowa, McAlexander served as Professor of Military Science and Tactics at Oregon Agricultural College for two periods – 1907 to 1911 and 1915 to 1917. The interruption comprised of another period of duty with the 13^th in the Philippines during which time he gained a promotion to Major.

McAlexander is fondly remembered at the now Oregon State University. The armory building – built in 1911, still used by the ROTC program at the school – became renamed the McAlexander Fieldhouse in his honor in 1971. Many of his students would go on to serve during World War One. McAlexander helped teach at the summer Preparedness camps during the summer of 1916 at both Monterey, California and at American Lake, Washington. He gained another promotion to Lieutenant Colonel during the same period.

A REGIMENT TO COMMAND

With the onset of war, McAlexander gained a promotion Colonel and arrived in France with the 1^st Division in late June 1917 – one of the first Americans. Serving in an administrative role initially, he was given command of the 18^th Regiment (here, the career paths of both of the Oregon generals became shared as both spent time with the 18th at one point or another) in July. He began getting his men ready for the front until December when suddenly, he suffered a relief of command. 

RELIEVED OF COMMAND

I have read two stories concerning his relief. Stephen Harris in his Rock of the Marne says his relief came about when he was caught sleeping at his post in a combat zone. This story is expanded upon in the footnotes by Michael Neiberg in his history The Battle of the Second Marne: “McAlexander was in fact not sleeping on duty, but spending the night at a forward combat post, a leadership technique he often used. That a colonel found sleeping at the front line could be a slacker speaks volumes about the nature of senior leadership in trench warfare.”  

Martin King in his Lost Voices: The Untold Stories of America’s World War One Veterans and their Families says the relief came about because of his stubborn outspoken views relating to the French being unable to teach him anything new about war.

The truth may have been a combination. McAlexander reportedly profanely expressed his views regarding American soldiers needing to concentrate more on their rifle skill than artillery (Here, he was something that Pershing agreed with) to the 1^st Division commander, Robert Lee Bullard. 

The story about sleeping on the front line could represent a fantasy with Pershing going along with Bullard to keep the two strong-willed men away from each other.    

MCALEXANDER RECREATES HIMSELF

Either way, relieved of command, McAlexxander went back to St. Nazaire for a desk job at the port. Hard and diligent work paid off and Pershing soon gave McAlexander another shot at command. In May 1918, McAlexander gained the colonelcy of the 38^th Regiment, a part of the 3^rd Division.

The 3^rd Division had only arrived in France in April and May. Their first assignment was to the French command in response to the German successes in their second Spring Offensive. Launched at the end of May, the offensive proved a great success because the French general in charge had moved his forces up into the first two lines along the front, without reserves to call upon. 

GERMAN OFFENSIVE ON THE MARNE

The German barrage tore up the lines and – like in the first Spring Offensive – the German forces poured forward, in this case over the Chemin des Dames and the Vesle River all the way to Chateau Thierry on the Marne River some 18 miles away. Also, like in the first Spring Offensive, the German advance finally came to a halt because of logistical problems. But the offensive had caused great havoc on the Allied side – the French government readied to move away from Paris – only 40 miles west from Chateau Thierry. General Pershing allowed American units to come under foreign command in the emergency. 

The 3^rd Division (now controlled by the French Sixth Army) fronted along the Marne east of Chateau Thierry with the 38^th Regiment defending on a northward swinging loop in the Marne just where the little Surmelin River enters from the south. A successful drive by the Germans to open the Surmelin valley would open the door to Montmiral to the south and then Paris to the west.

German plans to launch a new offensive in both the Reims region and along the Marne. The Allies already knew of the attack plans after the capture of German officers carrying plans for the offensive, the Friedensturm or Peace Offensive. The offensive came in the early hours of July 15, and the opening barrages succeeded in pushing back the French regiment on the east of the 38^th Regiment’s position and the U.S. 30^th Regiment on the west. 

38TH REGIMENT HOLDS STRONG

The 38^th Regiment found itself attacked on three sides as McAlexander aligned one battalion forward and two on either side. For two days, the 38^th held off attacks from two German divisions before the German offensive was called off. As part of a new Allied counteroffensive, the 38^th crossed the Marne on July 22 occupying the town of Jaulgonne on the north bank and even extending their reach up the north side of the Marne valley towards the town of Le Charmel before withdrawing back to Jaulgonne because of lack of support from the flanking units. The regiment saw relief finally at the day’s end. McAlexander had led from the front throughout the battle. As the regiment withdrew after its relief, he was blown off his feet by a near miss spending the next two days in a bunk recovering from a concussion.

ROCK OF THE MARNE

McAlexander wrote up and delivered his after-action report to the chief of staff – Colonel Robert Kelton – of the 3^rd Division shortly after his regiment’ had been relieved’s relief. As they talked, the division commander, General Joseph Dickman walked in and Kelton pushed McAlexander forward saying, “General Dickman, this is the Rock of the Marne.” He would go on to write in a report to Pershing’s assistant chief of staff Colonel Fox Conner, Of the four Infantry Colonels in this Division, McAlexander is easily the best in my mind. He was like the rock of the Surmelin Valley as George H. Thomas was of Chickamauga, and the sooner you put brigadier stars on him the better for the AEF …” 

afteraction memorials

For his actions on 15 and 16 July, McAlexander received the Distinguished Service Cross (General Dickman did not consider the Medal of Honor appropriate for upper ranking officers). For 22 July, he gained the Distinguished Service Medal. The French issued a Croix de Guerre with Palm; made him an officer in the Legion of Honor; cited him for an Ordre de la Armee (for Jaulgonne) and made him an honorary corporal of the Chasseurs Alpins while the Italians issued a Croce al Merito di Guerra. Ulysses McAlexander also gained a promotion to brigadier general on August 16. Now, both men were truly Oregon generals

The newly arrived 90^th Division needed a brigadier for the 180^th Brigade (Texas Brigade) with McAlexander their brigadier. He led the brigade into battle at both St Mihiel and later in the Meuse-Argonne in the latter stages. And at the war’s conclusion, the two generals with Oregon connections come together again – circle compete.

POST WAR OREGON GENERALS

Both men would continue in the Army post-World War One – Martin finished his career as commander of the Panama Canal zone – until 1924. Both would retire as major generals to Oregon. 

McAlexander retired to Newport, Oregon where he built a house which is now home to the Pacific Heritage Center while also maintaining a home in Portland. He remained associated with Oregon Agricultural College where he helped build the Memorial Union Building and gained an honorary doctorate in 1930. Both Oregon generals ran for governor in Oregon in 1934. Only one would win.

Martin had involved himself in local Portland real estate and then local politics, becoming a Democratic congressman from the Portland district in 1930-1934. He became governor as a “New Deal” governor (he was actually anti-New Deal) from 1934-1938.  McAlexander lost his bid to become governor earlier in the Republican primary, otherwise it would have made for an interesting election race between the two Oregon generals. Both Martin and Alexander had become anti-labor feeling there was no difference between the labor and the Bolshevik movements.  

Martin died in 1946 and lies buried in River View Cemetery amongst the other big wheels of Portland history. McAlexander died earlier in September 1936 and lies in Arlington National Cemetery.