Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-10-17
People You Ask About
Information About Folks in
the Public Eye Will Be Given
in This Column in Answer
to Readers Questions. Your
Name Will Not Be Printed.
Let The Bee Tell You.
General Peyton @. March.
t The Bee Tell You

General Peyton C. March has had
a long and brilliant career as an Of
ficer of the United States army. in
the course of which he rose from
the rank of second lieutenant to the
highest post in the service, that of
chief Of the general staff, in which
capacity he served during the war
with Germany.
General March was born .at
Easton, Pa, December 81, 1854. His
father was a famous scholar on the
faculty Of Lafayette college, and the
youth not only had q full course of
study at this institution, but grew
up in an environment calculated to
establish high Intellectual and moral
ideals. Selecting military life as a
profession he went to West Point
and superimposed upon his culture
in the humanities the technical
knowledge and disciplinary training
of the military academy.
Upon his graduation from West
Point In 1888 he was assigned to
the Third artillery. He was pro-
NOTED first lieutenant. Fifth Field
artillery, October 25, 1894. He
served as aide-de-camp on the staff
of General Macarthur in 1899, was
acting assistant adjutant general,
Second division, Eighth army corps,
in the same year. and lieutenant COL
onel SD U. S. volunteer infantry in
1900.
Lieutenant March commanded the
Aston battery during the war in
Cuba until it was mustered out, and
then went to the Philippines, where
he led the American forces in the
famous battle In the clouds"
The late General Funston's capture
of Aguinaldo obscured the brilliant
part that Major March played in the
pursuit of the Filipino leader. The
part that he took in the >'battle of
the Clouds" however, won him the
commentator of the president and
promotion to the rank of colonel of
volunteers. 1t was in this battle that
Gen. Gregorio del Pillar, one Of the
ablest Of the Filipino leaders, was
killed. Del Pillar and his forces took
their stand on an almost perpendi-
cular hill 5000 feet above the level
of the sea, almost hidden by the
clouds that obscured the mountain
top. Major March led his men in
the climb up the hill into the hail Of
lead the enemy poured into the
American ranks. The bitterly con-
tested engagement resulted in the
death of Del Pillar and the surrender
Of his men.
But up to the time the United
States entered the world war Col
onel March was unknown except to
his circle of friends and to army Of
f1cers and men with whom he had
studied and served. One Of tha Off
rr,I,o 1r,1 ~,
we'll Of him was General Pershing.
Pershing that General March was
placed in charge of the American
artillery in France. The colonel re-
ceived his appointment and promo
ton to brigadier general when he
arrived in France with an artillery
brigade. His services there were so
satisfactory that he was soon pro-
NOTED to major general. Then, in
the early part Of 1918, he was sum-
moned to Washington to become
acting chief of staff, followed sew
eral months later by his appoint
ment as chief of staff and his pro-
motion to the grade Of general.
At Lafayette college General
March was wonderful base ball
pitcher and star fullback He earned
his letter in track sports as well, and
was a Delta Kappa Epsilon man.
He was the second Of six strappfng
sons, all Of them more than six feet
tall.
In 1891 General March was mar
ried to Mrs. Josephine Cunningham
Of Washington. Three daughters
were born of the marriage, all Of
whom married army officers. Mrs.
Mach died in 1904.