James B. Aleshire

James Buchanan Aleshire was born in Gallipolis, Ohio on October 31, 1856, the youngest son of Reuben Aleshire and Margaret (Shepard) Aleshire.{{cite book |editor-last=Marquis |editor-first=Albert Nelson |editor-link=Albert Nelson Marquis |date=1908 |title=Who's Who In America |volume= 5 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eX0QOpl7iBQC&pg=PA22 |location=Chicago |publisher=A.N. Marquis & Company |page=22 |via=Google Books |ref={{sfnRef|Marquis}}}} Reuben Aleshire operated a successful flour milling business, and two of James Aleshire's brothers served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.{{cite book |last1=Miller |first1=Thomas Condit |last2=Maxwell |first2=Hu |date=1913 |title=West Virginia and Its People |volume=III |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Fnk_AAAAYAAJ&pg=PA1083 |location=New York |publisher=Lewis Historical Publishing Company |page=1083 |via=Google Books}} James Aleshire attended the schools of Gallipolis and Gallia Academy.{{sfn|Marquis|page=22}} In 1876, he received an appointment to the United States Military Academy from Congressman John L. Vance, who was his cousin.{{cite news |date=August 31, 1876 |title=Vance's Nepotism |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/106924460/vance/ |work=Gallipolis Journal |location=Gallipolis, OH |page=2 |via=Newspapers.com}} He graduated in June 1880 ranked 18th of 52 and received his commission as a second lieutenant in the Cavalry branch.{{cite web |url=https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Gazetteer/Places/America/United_States/Army/USMA/Cullums_Register/2844*.html |title=James B. Aleshire in Biographical Register of the Officers and Graduates of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, Vol. III to VII |last=Cullum |first=George W. |author-link=George Washington Cullum |orig-date=1930 |date=May 15, 2016 |website=Bill Thayer's Web Site |publisher=Bill Thayer |access-date=August 4, 2022 |ref={{sfnRef|Cullum}}}} Among his fellow classmates there at the academy were several men who would, like Aleshire himself, eventually attain the rank of brigadier general or higher in their military careers, such as George W. Goethals, William C. Rafferty, John L. Chamberlain, Charles J. Bailey, Frederick S. Strong, James B. Erwin, William S. Scott, and George Bell Jr., and Henry G. Sharpe.

After receiving his commission, Aleshire was assigned to the 1st Cavalry Regiment and he performed scouting and frontier duty at several posts in the western United States during the American Indian Wars.{{sfn|Cullum}} These included: Fort Bidwell, California from September 1880 to September 1881; Fort Huachuca, Arizona from September 1881 to April 1882; Fort Bidwell from April to May 1882; Fort Walla Walla, Washington from May 1882 to November 1882; Fort Bidwell from November 1882 to October 1883; and Fort Walla Walla from October 1883 to February 1884.{{sfn|Cullum}}

In December 1883 and January 1884, heavy snowfalls inundated the Ohio River Valley, which were followed by warm weather and heavy rain in February.{{cite book |last=Donehoo |first=E.R., Secretary |date=1884 |title=The Flood of 1884 in the Ohio Valley: Report of the Citizens' Relief Committee of Pittsburgh, PA. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XqBSGKTcDjMC&pg=PA3 |location=Pittsburgh, PA |publisher=Ewens & Eberle |pages=3–5 |via=Google Books |ref={{sfnRef|Donehoo}}}} Severe flooding of the Allegheny River and Ohio River in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ohio resulted,{{sfn|Donehoo|pages=3–5}} and in the spring of 1884 Aleshire was among the troops dispatched to western Pennsylvania to assist in the distribution of emergency supplies to affected residents.{{sfn|Cullum}} In May and June 1884, Aleshire performed escort duty for recruits en route to their duty stations on the Pacific coast.{{sfn|Cullum}} He next served with his regiment at Fort Custer, Montana, where he remained through September 1889.{{sfn|Cullum}}

From September 1889 to August 1890, Aleshire served as secretary of the Infantry and Cavalry School at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.{{sfn|Cullum}} In September 1890 he received promotion to first lieutenant,{{sfn|Marquis|page=22}} followed by assignment as quartermaster officer of the 1st Cavalry, first at Fort Custer, and later at Fort Grant, Arizona.{{sfn|Cullum}} He remained in the quartermaster's position until October 1895, and from December 1894 to April 1895 performed additional duty as Fort Grant's assistant chief of staff and post exchange officer.{{sfn|Cullum}} He was promoted to captain in April 1895.{{sfn|Cullum}}

From April 1895 to October 1898, Aleshire was an assistant quartermaster in charge of purchasing horses for the Cavalry and Field Artillery branches, and was stationed first at Jefferson Barracks Military Post near St. Louis, and later Fort Sheridan near Chicago.{{sfn|Cullum}} In May 1898, the army expanded for the Spanish–American War, and he was promoted to temporary Major in the United States Volunteers.{{sfn|Cullum}} From October 1898 to December 1898 he served in Cuba as acting chief quartermaster and chief quartermaster of First Army Corps.{{sfn|Cullum}} From December 1898 to November 1899, Aleshire was assigned as chief quartermaster of the Department of Matanzas, and he was a temporary lieutenant colonel from November 1898 to April 1899.{{sfn|Cullum}} As a temporary major, Aleshire was chief quartermaster of the Department of Department of Santiago and Puerto Principe, Cuba from November 1899 to July 1900.{{sfn|Cullum}}

After his service in Cuba, Aleshire was assigned to duty in the Philippines.{{sfn|Cullum}} From October 1900 to February 1901 he was chief quartermaster of the China Relief Expedition, the U.S. effort to protect American lives and property in China during the Boxer Rebellion.{{sfn|Cullum}} He was promoted to permanent major in February 1901 and discharged from the Volunteers the following May.{{sfn|Cullum}} During the Philippine–American War, Aleshire served as head of the Army Transport Service in Manila from March 1901 to March 1903.{{sfn|Cullum}} From March to June 1903 he commanded the U.S. Army supply depot in Manila.{{sfn|Cullum}} After returning to the United States, Aleshire performed staff duty in the Office of the Quartermaster General from September 1903 to June 1907, and advanced to first assistant quartermaster general.{{sfn|Cullum}}

File:ALESHIRE, J.B. GENERAL LCCN2016856575.jpg

In July 1907, Aleshire was appointed Quartermaster General of the United States Army and advanced in rank from major to brigadier general.{{sfn|Cullum}} Despite the fact that there were 17 quartermaster officers senior to him, Aleshire was recommended to President Theodore Roosevelt by the incumbent Quartermaster General, Charles Frederic Humphrey Sr., who had served with Aleshire in Cuba and the Philippines.{{cite news |date=July 5, 1907 |title=Old Indian Fighter: Maj. Alshire Won His Spurs on the Plains; Now Quartermaster General |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/106930790/quartermaster/ |work=The Baltimore Sun |location=Baltimore, MD |page=9 |via=Newspapers.com |ref={{sfnRef|"Now Quartermaster General"}}}} In addition, Aleshire was endorsed by William Howard Taft, the Secretary of War, who had been impressed with Aleshire's performance in the Philippines during Taft's 1901 to 1903 term as provisional governor.{{sfn|"Now Quartermaster General"|page=9}}

Aleshire continued to serve as Quartermaster General until retiring for disability in September 1916; he was appointed to a second term in August 1912 and promoted to major general.{{sfn|Cullum}} As Quartermaster General, Aleshire succeeded at eliminating the unwieldy centralized control of the army supply system that had grown up after the end of the American Civil War.{{cite web |url=https://quartermaster.army.mil/bios/previous-qm-generals/quartermaster_general_bio-aleshire.html |title=Major General James B. Aleshire, 23rd Quartermaster School Commandant, July 1907 – September 1916 |date=November 30, 2020 |website=Previous Quartermaster Commandants |publisher=U.S. Army Quartermaster Corps |location=Fort Lee, VA |access-date=August 4, 2022 |ref={{sfnRef|"23rd Quartermaster School Commandant"}}}} In addition to creating administrative departments at his headquarters to manage the day to day operations of the Quartermaster Corps, he replaced centralized purchasing with a decentralized system that saved time and money by enabling department, division, and unit quartermasters to procure supplies locally.{{sfn|"23rd Quartermaster School Commandant"}} In addition, Aleshire accomplished the creation of a consolidated Quartermaster Corps by merging the army's Quartermaster, Subsistence and Pay Departments.{{sfn|"23rd Quartermaster School Commandant"}}

File:111-SC-7111 - Maj Gen J B Aleshire - NARA - 55175044 (cropped) (cropped).jpg

During Aleshire's tenure, he was responsible for creation of the United States Army Remount Service, which provided horses, mules, and dogs to the army.{{cite magazine |last=Cederwald |first=C. C. |date=November–December 1928 |title=The Remount Service Past and Present |url=http://old.quartermasterfoundation.org/remount_service.htm |magazine=The Quartermaster Review |location=Fort Lee, VA |publisher=US Army Quartermaster Foundation |access-date= August 4, 2022 |ref={{sfnRef|Cederwald}}}} The Remount Service established remount depots at Fort Reno, Oklahoma, Fort Keogh, Montana, and Front Royal, Virginia.{{sfn|Cederwald}} The Remount Service continued to operate until the end of World War II, when its functions were taken over by the United States Department of Agriculture.{{cite web |url=http://old.quartermasterfoundation.org/remount.htm |title=The Quartermaster Remount Service |date=September 30, 2000 |website=Old.QuartermasterFoundation.Org |publisher=US Army Quartermaster Foundation |location=Fort Lee, VA |access-date=August 4, 2022}}

Aleshire was appointed to a third term as Quartermaster General in August 1916, but declining health caused him to retire for disability a month later.{{sfn|"23rd Quartermaster School Commandant"}} When he retired, Aleshire requested return to active duty if the United States entered World War I.{{sfn|"23rd Quartermaster School Commandant"}} In June 1917, two months after the American entry into the war, he was recalled and appointed to the Council of National Defense, the federal government body that planned and coordinated farm, industrial, financial, and transportation support to the war effort.{{sfn|"23rd Quartermaster School Commandant"}} He was subsequently appointed chairman of the council's Priority Committee, and he served until retiring for the second time in July 1918.{{sfn|"23rd Quartermaster School Commandant"}}

File:ANCExplorer James Buchanan Aleshire and Joseph Page Aleshire grave.jpg

In retirement, Aleshire resided in Sheridan, Wyoming.{{sfn|Cullum}} He died in Sheridan on June 1, 1925.{{sfn|Cullum}} Aleshire was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.{{sfn|Cullum}}

During his career, Aleshire received the following awards:{{efn|Based on the assignments Aleshire carried out during his career, he was eligible for four campaign medals and the World War I Victory Medal.}}

• Indian Campaign Medal
• Spanish War Service Medal
• Philippine Campaign Medal
• China Campaign Medal
• World War I Victory Medal

File:US Army Remount Station Front Royal.jpg

Following the China relief expedition, Aleshire was one of the organizers of the Military Order of the Dragon and served on the organization's executive committee.{{cite book |author=The Military Order of the Dragon |date=1912 |title=Military Order of the Dragon, 1900–1911 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xxYZAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA44 |location=Washington, DC |publisher=Byron S. Adams |page=44 |via=Google Books}} Aleshire was also an active member of the Military Order of the Carabao following his Philippines service; in December 1913, he was appointed to a committee that visited President Woodrow Wilson to formally apologize after news reports indicated songs disparaging of Wilson and the Filipino people had been sung at the group's annual gathering earlier in the month.{{cite news |date=December 6, 1913 |title=Wilson's Ire Up, He Quits Carabao |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/106935282/wilson/ |newspaper=The Washington Post |location=Washington, DC |pages=1–2 |via=Newspapers.com |others=second page can be viewed at Newspapers.com/clip/106935374/carabao/}}

In 1914, the Army Transport Service acquired a tugboat, which was renamed U.S.T. Maj. Gen. J.B. Aleshire.{{cite web |url=http://www.navsource.org/archives/30/15/159006.htm |title=Maj. Gen. J.B. Aleshire ex A.T.S. Tug No.3 |last=Priolo |first=Gary P. |date=July 10, 2020 |website=Army Ship Photo Archive |publisher=NavSource Online |access-date=August 4, 2022 |ref={{sfnRef|Priolo}}}} In 1946, Aleshire was taken out of service and sold to a New York City ship towing company.{{sfn|Priolo}} Aleshire Road on Joint Base San Antonio, Texas is named for Aleshire.{{cite book |title=Surrounded By History: Joint Base San Antonio |url=https://www.jbsa.mil/Portals/102/Documents/JBSA%20History/Surrounded%20By%20History.pdf |location=Joint Base San Antonio, TX |publisher=The Fort Sam Houston Museum |page=43 |access-date=August 4, 2022}} Aleshire Remount Depot in Front Royal, Virginia was named for him.{{cite web |url=https://www.nova4h.com/facilities/outdoor-spaces/equine/equine-remount/ |title=Remount History |last=Gaines |first=Andrea |date=2018 |website=James Swart Animal Center History |publisher=Northern Virginia 4-H Educational and Conference Center |location=Front Royal, VA |access-date=August 4, 2022 |archive-date=August 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220805003557/https://www.nova4h.com/facilities/outdoor-spaces/equine/equine-remount/ |url-status=dead }} He was inducted into the Quartermaster Corps Hall of Fame in 1989.{{sfn|"23rd Quartermaster School Commandant"}}

In 1886, Aleshire married Harriet A. Dana in Dubuque, Iowa.{{sfn|Marquis|page=22}} They were the parents of three children; Joseph, Margaret (sometimes known as Marjorie), and Dorothy.{{cite news |date=July 12, 1920 |title=Dies In Honolulu; Miss Marjorie Aleshire |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/106933808/aleshire/ |work=The Evening Star |location=Washington, DC |page=7 |via=Newspapers.com}}{{cite news |date=February 24, 1951 |title=Personal Mention: Mrs. A.G. Hatch |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/106933369/hatch/ |work=Rutland Herald |location=Rutland, VT |page=14 |via=Newspapers.com}}{{cite news |date=October 14, 1968 |title=Obituary, Mrs. Alexander G. Hatch |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/106933538/hatch/ |work=Rutland Herald |location=Rutland, VT |page=4 |via=Newspapers.com |ref={{sfnRef|"Obituary, Mrs. Alexander G. Hatch"}}}}

Joseph Page Aleshire (1887–1951) was a 1910 West Point graduate.{{cite book |editor-last=Branham |editor-first=Charles N. |date=1969 |title=Register of Graduates and Former Cadets of the United States Military Academy |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8HabECJ71A0C&pg=PA319 |location=West Point, NY |publisher=West Point Alumni Foundation |page=319 |via=Google Books |ref={{sfnRef|Branham}}}} He served in World War I and World War II, attained the rank of colonel, and was a recipient of the Army Distinguished Service Medal, Silver Star, and Legion of Merit.{{sfn|Branham|page=319}} Aleshire Road on Fort Bliss, Texas was named for him.{{cite news |date=June 16, 1963 |title=How Did It Get Its Name |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/106961828/aleshire/ |work=El Paso Times |location=El Paso, TX |page=6D |via=Newspapers.com}}

Margaret Deborah Aleshire (1889–1920) died at Tripler Army Medical Center after staying at the Fort Shafter, Hawaii home of her sister during an extended illness.{{cite news |date=July 12, 1920 |title=Aleshire Funeral |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/76645049/obituary-for-margaret-dana-aleshire/ |work=The Honolulu Advertiser |location=Honolulu, HI |page=3 |via=Newspapers.com}}

Dorothy Dana Aleshire (1893–1968) was the wife of Alexander Gilchrist Hatch, a United States Naval Academy graduate who attained the rank of lieutenant commander as a submarine commander during World War I.{{sfn|"Obituary, Mrs. Alexander G. Hatch"|page=4}}{{cite news |date=December 10, 1953 |title=Alexander G. Hatch Dies |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/106959620/hatch/ |work=Rutland Herald |location=Rutland, VT |page=3 |via=Newspapers.com}}

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• [https://ancexplorer.army.mil/publicwmv/#/arlington-national/search/results/1/CghhbGVzaGlyZRIFamFtZXMaAWI-/ James B. Aleshire] at Arlington National Cemetery

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Category:1856 births

Category:1925 deaths

Category:People from Gallipolis, Ohio

Category:People from Sheridan, Wyoming

Category:United States Military Academy alumni

Category:United States Army personnel of the Indian Wars

Category:American military personnel of the Spanish–American War

Category:American military personnel of the Boxer Rebellion

Category:American military personnel of the Philippine–American War

Category:United States Army generals

Category:United States Army generals of World War I

Category:Burials at Arlington National Cemetery

Category:Military personnel from Ohio

Category:United States Army Cavalry Branch personnel