John C. Bates

John Coalter Bates (August 26, 1842 – February 4, 1919) was Chief of Staff of the United States Army from January to April 1906. He was the last American Civil War veteran still on active duty in the United States military at the time of his retirement.

Bates was born in St. Charles County, Missouri to congressman and future Attorney General Edward Bates and Julia Davenport Coalter. He was educated at Washington University in St. Louis. He was commissioned a first lieutenant with the 11th Infantry Regiment and later became an aide to General George G. Meade, reaching the brevet rank of lieutenant colonel for gallant and meritorious service in operations resulting in the fall of Richmond and surrender of Lee's Army in April 1865.

He later served on the Indian Frontier for many years (being promoted to major in 1882 and to lieutenant colonel in 1886), was made a colonel of the 2nd Infantry Regiment in 1892, and in May 1898 was promoted to brigadier general of an Independent Brigade consisting of the 3rd Infantry Regiment and 20th Infantry Regiment in the Spanish-American War and commanded a division of volunteers in the Philippines in the early stages of the Philippine-American War. He was military governor of Cienfuegos in 1899, went that year to the Philippines, where he conducted the negotiations with the Sultan of Sulu. From 1900-1901, he commanded the 1st Division, VIII Corps, conducted operations against insurgents in southern Luzon, and then commanded that department.

He commanded a provisional division in maneuvers at Fort Riley and commanded the Departments of the Missouri and the Lakes from 1901–1904 and later the Northern Division for a year before serving as the chief of staff of the United States Army from 15 January to 13 April 1906. During this time, he was promoted to lieutenant general and later retired from active service in April 1906.

General Bates died in San Diego, California on 4 February 1919.

Dates of rank

• First Lieutenant, USA - May 1861
• Captain, USA - May 1863
• Brevet Major, USA - August 1864
• Brevet Lieutenant Colonel, USA - April 1865
• Captain, USA - 1866
• Major, USA - 1882
• Lieutenant Colonel, USA - 1886
• Colonel, USA - 1892
• Brigadier General of Volunteers - May 1898
• Major General of Volunteers - 8 July 1898
• Brigadier General, USA - 2 February 1901
• Major General, USA - 15 July 1902
• Lieutenant General, USA - 1 February 1906

References

• John Coulter Bates at the United States Army Center of Military History