Evening star., 1952-08-28

Oldest Graduate OF
West Point, Dies al "a
Brig. Gen. Frederick S. Foltz, 81,
retired cavalryman, who was the
oldest living graduate of West
Point. died today at Walter Reed
Hospital following an operation.
He suffered broken hip five days
ago in a fall at his home, in the
Apartments.
Gen. Foltz was an old Indian
fighter and one of the Army's top
riders and marksmen of his day.
He was said to have been with the
first American Olympic cavalry
team at Stockholm. Sweden.
Gen. Foltz was graduated in
1879 from West Point. He termed
the four years at the Military
Academy miserable" There
were no sports. dances, Christmas
leaves, but only "the life of a
he used to say.
Recalled Mark Twain.
One of his classmates was a
nephew of Mark Twain. Gen.
Foltz recalled how he and several
others congregated in the class
mates room when "Uncle Samuel
Clemens" visited and. held story
telling sessions.
After being commissioned a Sec
ond lieutenant in the 1st Cavalry.
he was sent to the Northwest Ter
ritory. At Fort Assiniboine near
Helena, Mont, DR.. Walter Reed
was medical officer in his outfit.
During the Wounded Knee cam
paign, Gen. Foltz commanded a
troop on the Canadian border to
prevent hostile Indians from
into Canada.
Dead Rabbit Stops Indians.
He recalled the time his troop
encountered a large group of In
dians heading for the border. His
men were greatly outnumbered by
the advancing Indians. Just then
Gen. Foltz saw a jackrabbit a.
considerable distance away. He
shot the rabbit right through the
head. On seeing his marksman-
ship, the Indians decided to with
draw. .s
Gen. Foltz taught French and
Spanish at West Point from 1884
to 1888. Afterward, he was sta
toned in Montana where he ex-
plored and mapped territory
around st. Marys Lake. He was
with the cavalry recruiting depot
at Jefferson Barracks, Mo, and
Fort Apache and Fort Grant in
the Arizona Territory. From 1895
to 1898 he was in charge Of the
recruit school at Fort Riley, Kans.
In 1898 Gen. Foltz went to Cuba
and Puerto Rico. He was a col
lector Of customs in Cuba in 1899
and inspector general with the
Cuban army of occupation. In
1901 he was chief of police and
captain Of the Port of Havana.
Wainwright Was His Aide.
Gen. Foltz. then a cavalry cap
tain, was in the Philippines before
World War I. Gen. Jonathan
Wainwright, then a lieutenant,
was his aide.
He commanded the 91st Divi-
sion here and in France from 1917
to 1918. He commanded the 1920
Infantry Brigade and the debark-
alton area at Vendome, France.
before returning to the United
States as head of the 9Th Cavalry
at Fort Oglethorpe, Ga. He was
in December. 1921.
Gen. Foltz was born in Lam
caster, Pa. His father was ]. M.
Foltz. once surgeon general Of the
Navy. His boyhood was spent in
Philadelphia where his father was
a prominent doctor. He attended
Academy there.
Gen. Foltz recalled that as a
small boy his father presented him
and his two brothers to Abraham
Lincoln when he came to Phila-
delphia to make a speech.
Known as 'Uncle Fred"
Gen. Foltz had lived at the
Apartments since his re-
tirement. To those who knew the
genenral. he was Uncle
Fred"
He was a member of the Army
and Navy Club, the Loyal Order
of the Carabao and a former mem
ber Of Congressional Country
Club.
Survivors are a niece, Mrs. Mary
Bentley, with whom he lived, and
a nephew, Charles Foltz, jr., 3714
Veazey street NV, European edi-
tor of u. s. News and World Re-
port Magazine. Two nieces in New
Haven and Dallas and two nephews
in Leominster, Mass. and Lancas-
ter, Pa, also survive.
His wife. Mrs. May Kieffer Foltz,
died about IL years ago.
Two brothers, Charles S. Foltz,
publisher Of the Lancaster mtelli-
gencer Beacon, and DR.. j. Clinton
Foltz. head of a veterans hospital
in the Hudson Valley, N. Y, died
about 1889.
Graveside services will be held
at Arlington Cemetery on a date
to be announced.
Lamar Trotti, Winner