| James Lawton Collins | |
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James Lawton Collins |
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| Born | December 10, 1882 Algiers, Louisiana |
| Died | June 30, 1963 (aged 80) |
| Place of Burial | Arlington National Cemetery |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1907–1946 |
| Rank | Major General |
| Battles/wars | Philippine–American War World War I World War II |
| Awards | Army Distinguished Service Medal (2) Silver Star |
| Relations | Joseph Lawton Collins (brother) Michael Collins (son) Kate Collins (granddaughter) |
James Lawton Collins (December 10, 1882 – June 30, 1963) was a Major General of the U.S. Army. He was the father of astronaut and Major General Michael Collins and Brigadier General James Lawton Collins Jr.. Collins was born into a large Irish Catholic family in Algiers, Louisiana, across the Mississippi River from New Orleans.
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His father, Jeremiah Bernard Collins, had left Ireland as a young boy to join the rest of the family in Cincinnati, Ohio. Family legend has it that he served as a drummer boy in the Civil War, and at the age of 16, helped to drive a herd of horses into Texas to replace the cavalry mounts that had been lost to the war. He made his way to New Orleans, where he worked for James Lawton, a grocer. Jeremiah worked his way up to running the stables for the delivery wagons, and eventually married Kate Lawton, his employer's daughter. They moved across the river to Algiers, near the terminus and rail repair shops of the Southern Pacific Railroad, which employed many workers of Irish descent. There, they established a dry goods store, with a pub in the back. Jeremiah and Kate's eleven children would work there, serving beer and food to thirsty railroad men. The first born son was named for Kate's father: James Lawton Collins.
James was not tall, about 5 ft 6 in (168 cm), but he was agile, athletic, and great with horses. Later in life, he would come to the attention of General John J. Pershing for his aggressive and successful polo playing, and as an excellent judge of horses. There is a letter in the Library of Congress in the Pershing correspondence asking James to go out to the remount station in the Shenandoah Valley and pick out a new horse for the general to ride.
James started out at Tulane University, but his mother's uncle, who was the Mayor of New Orleans, was asked by a local member of Congress if there was a bright young man who could "stay the course" at West Point. They called up James at Tulane and offered him the next appointment. He accepted.
Collins served in the 8th Cavalry during the Philippine–American War. He served as aide-de-camp to General Pershing in the Philippines, during the Mexican Punitive Expedition and in France during World War I. Later in World War I, Collins commanded a battalion of the 1st Infantry Division's 7th Field Artillery. During World War II he commanded the Puerto Rico Department and the 5th Service Command at Columbus, Ohio. Collins retired as a Major General in 1946.