John Schofield
John McAllister Schofield arrived in the world on the 29th of September 1831. He was born in Gerry, New York to Reverend James Schofield and Caroline McAllister. His father served as a Baptist minister who moved his family from Sinclairville to Bristol, Illinois. The household grew to include ten children who survived infancy. When John turned twelve years old, the family settled in Freeport, Illinois. There his father became the town's first Baptist minister.
Schofield spent his youth helping farm land and building homes. He surveyed property in northern Wisconsin before teaching school for one year in Oneco, Illinois. A U.S. Representative named Thomas J. Turner secured an appointment for him at West Point. Schofield sold land to pay for travel expenses and reported there on the 1st of June 1849. During his final year he worked as a teaching assistant in mathematics.
An accusation of allowing offensive jokes on blackboards led to his dismissal. He met with Senator Stephen A. Douglas to appeal the decision. A review board voted to rescind the expulsion despite one dissenting vote from Lt. George H. Thomas. Schofield graduated in 1853 ranking seventh in his class. He received a commission as brevet second lieutenant in the artillery.
The Civil War erupted while Schofield served as First Lieutenant at Fort Moultrie in South Carolina. He later noted those same guns would bombard Fort Sumter four years later. After contracting fevers during service in Florida, he recovered at Culpeper, Virginia. Returning to health, he taught natural philosophy at West Point until 1860.
When war began, Schofield helped ensure Missouri remained loyal to the Union. He became a major in the 1st Missouri Infantry Regiment. He served as chief of staff to Major General Nathaniel Lyon. Lyon died during the Battle of Wilson's Creek in August 1861. Schofield acted with conspicuous gallantry during that engagement.
A Federal brigade suffered defeat at Newtonia on the 30th of September 1862. Both James G. Blunt and Schofield rushed to reinforce the position. They sent Confederate forces fleeing south into Arkansas. The Army of the Frontier numbered 20,000 men though only 14,000 were fit for duty. Schofield led this force across northwest Arkansas on October 17.
Confederate troops under Thomas C. Hindman retreated south on October 29. Schofield withdrew his divisions northeast to Springfield, Missouri on November 4. He was eventually relieved of duty due to altercations with Samuel Ryan Curtis.
President Andrew Johnson appointed Schofield as military governor of Virginia. He oversaw elections where both black and white citizens voted. These votes resulted in the Virginia Constitutional Convention of 1868. Radical Republicans took control of that convention and proposed disenfranchising former Confederates.
Schofield voiced concerns about corruption to Congress and General Ulysses Grant. His position held high importance due to proximity to Washington D.C. Confederate President Jefferson Davis awaited trial under Judge John Curtiss Underwood. After Johnson forced Edwin M. Stanton to resign, Schofield served as Secretary of War from June 1868 to March 1869.
He received a special diplomatic mission to France regarding French troops in Mexico. Schofield joined the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States. He later served as the Order's commander-in-chief from 1899 to 1903 after retiring from active duty.
Starting in 1876 until 1881, Schofield became superintendent of West Point. A major focus involved reducing hazing within the academy. He also worked to increase professionalism among cadets. In 1878 he drew ire from Radical Republicans by reopening the case of Major General Fitz John Porter.
A review board used new evidence from Confederate generals who participated at Bull Run. They found Porter had been wrongly convicted for cowardice. Schofield then faced controversy over an incident involving African American cadet Johnson Chesnut Whittaker. Whittaker was found bruised and beaten in his cot on the 5th of April 1880.
An administration claimed Whittaker fabricated the story to win sympathy. A Congressional investigation resulted in Schofield's removal from his post in 1881. He subsequently commanded several military divisions including the Department of the Gulf and the Military Division of the Pacific.
John Schofield married Harriet Whitehorn Bartlett who was daughter of W.F.C. Bartlett. They had two daughters and four sons together. Two sons named John and Henry died before reaching adulthood. William Bartlett Schofield survived to become a U.S. Army officer rising to Major rank.
After Harriet died in 1888 she was buried with her father and son John. At age 60 Schofield remarried to Georgia Wells Kilbourne in Keokuk, Iowa. She was twenty-seven years old when they wed in June 1891. They had one daughter named Georgiana.
Accusations of favoritism dogged his career due to his reformer image. His brother George Wheeler Schofield became a brevet Brigadier General during the war. Another brother Charles Brewster Schofield graduated from West Point in 1870. C.B. Schofield served as aide during Indian Wars from 1878 to 1885.
General Schofield received the Medal of Honor on the 2nd of July 1892 for actions at Wilson's Creek. The medal was recommended by Schofield himself while he served as interim Secretary of War. Historian Benson Bobrick criticized the citation for its vagueness regarding specific details.
His memoirs titled Forty-six Years in the Army were published in 1897. Before his death he became the last surviving member of Andrew Johnson's cabinet. He died at St. Augustine, Florida on the 4th of March 1906.
Cadets at West Point and other academies memorize an excerpt from his graduation address to the class of 1879. Schofield is buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Section 2 Grave 1108. Schofield Barracks in Hawaii bear his name today.
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Common questions
When was John Schofield born and where did he grow up?
John McAllister Schofield arrived in the world on the 29th of September 1831. He grew up in Freeport, Illinois after his family moved from Gerry, New York.
How did John Schofield get into West Point and what happened during his time there?
A U.S. Representative named Thomas J. Turner secured an appointment for him at West Point. An accusation of allowing offensive jokes led to his dismissal but a review board voted to rescind the expulsion despite one dissenting vote from Lt. George H. Thomas.
What role did John Schofield play during the Civil War battles in Missouri?
Schofield helped ensure Missouri remained loyal to the Union as a major in the 1st Missouri Infantry Regiment. He served as chief of staff to Major General Nathaniel Lyon and acted with conspicuous gallantry during the Battle of Wilson's Creek in August 1861.
Why was John Schofield removed from his post as superintendent of West Point?
An administration claimed African American cadet Johnson Chesnut Whittaker fabricated a story about being beaten to win sympathy. A Congressional investigation resulted in Schofield's removal from his post in 1881 following this incident on the 5th of April 1880.
When did John Schofield receive the Medal of Honor and for which battle?
General Schofield received the Medal of Honor on the 2nd of July 1892 for actions at Wilson's Creek. The medal was recommended by Schofield himself while he served as interim Secretary of War.
Where is John Schofield buried and what legacy does he leave behind today?
John Schofield is buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Section 2 Grave 1108. Schofield Barracks in Hawaii bear his name today and he died at St. Augustine, Florida on the 4th of March 1906.
All sources
15 references cited across the entry
- 2bookJohn M. Schofield and the Politics of GeneralshipUniv of North Carolina Press — 2006
- 5bookCommanding Generals and Chiefs of Staff 1775–2005William Gardner Bell — Center of Military History, United States Army — 2005
- 6web"Civil War Medal of Honor citations" (S–Z): Schofield, John M.AmericanCivilWar.com
- 7webMedal of Honor website (M–Z): Schofield, John M.United States Army Center of Military History
- 12inlineTheodore Rex, p. 165
- 14bookThe Washington Sketch BookIda Hinman — Hartman & Cadick — 1895