Elwell Stephen Otis Elwell Stephen Otis ( March 25 , 1838 – October 21 , 1909 ) was a United States of America General who served in the Philippines late in the Spanish - American War and during the Philippine - American War . Biography . Otis was born in Frederick , Maryland on March 25 , 1838 . He attended the University of Rochester , where he was a member of the ( now defunct ) Iota Chapter of St . Anthony Hall aka the Fraternity of Delta Psi . He graduated from Harvard Law School in 1860 and was practising law during the first year of the Civil War . Civil War . During the American Civil War Otis was appointed captain in the 140th New York Regiment . He fought at the battles of Fredericksburg , Chancellorsville and Gettysburg . On December 23 , 1864 he was promoted to lieutenant colonel of his regiment . At the Battle of Spotsylvania the regiment ' s colonel was killed and Otis assumed command . He fought in all the battles of the Overland Campaign . During the Siege of Petersburg , he assumed command of the 1st Brigade , 2nd Division in V Corps leading it into action at the battle of Peebles ' Farm . During this battle he was severely wounded effectively ended his field career during the Civil War . He was promoted to brevet brigadier general of volunteers for actions at the Chappell House ( battle of Peebles Farm ) . Otis eventually recovered and was appointed lieutenant colonel of the 22nd U . S . Infantry in 1867 . Indian Wars . Otis continued serving in the army during the Indian Wars as part of the 22nd U . S . including campaigning in Montana in the aftermath of the Battle of the Little Bighorn . On February 8 , 1880 he was appointed colonel of the 20th U . S . Infantry . On November 28 , 1893 , he was appointed brigadier general in the regular army . He commanded the Department of the Columbia and the Department of Colorado . Philippine - American War . On May 4 , 1898 , he was appointed major general of volunteers and was sent to the Philippines with reinforcements for General Wesley Merritt . Otis assumed command of the VIII Corps , replacing Merritt who had become the military governor of the Philippines . Merritt served as military governor only briefly before he returned to the United States . On August 28 , 1899 Otis was appointed Military Governor for the Philippines . He also continued in command of the VIII Corps during the Philippine - American War . He conducted the U . S . Army during the battle of Manila in 1899 and during the first phase of the insurrection before fighting turned primarily to guerrilla warfare . Otis ' s response when Emilio Aguinaldo tried to stop the war by sending an emissary to General Otis to appeal for an end to the fighting in the Battle of Manila was , " fighting , having begun , must go on to the grim end . " . Otis also oversaw many of the first atrocities of the Philippine - American War by American soldiers : Later life . He was relieved of command in 1900 and replaced with Arthur MacArthur . He returned to the United States and commanded the Department of the Lakes . He was appointed major general in the regular army in 1906 . Otis was a skilled general and able administrator . However , he was generally disliked by his subordinates and peers and received harsh treatment in the press . He was known as " Granny " by his troops because of his age and graying hair . He died in Rochester , New York on October 21 , 1909 from painful angina . Family . Elwell S . Otis married twice His first wife was Louise Selden , they married in 1870 . They had two daughters His second wife was Louisa Bowman , the daughter of Alexander Hamilton Bowman and Marie Louisa Collins . The couple had only one child . They were married in 1878 . Louisa " Lulu " Otis , the widow of Elwell Otis died in Santa Barbara , California on June 8 , 1934 .