George A . Garretson George Armstrong Garretson ( January 30 , 1844 - December 8 , 1916 ) enlisted as private in the Union Army during the Civil War and later graduated from the U . S . Military Academy at West Point , New York . He returned to duty for the Spanish American War as a Brigadier - general of U . S . Volunteers . In civilian life he held many prominent positions including President of The Bank of Commerce . National Association ; First Vice - President , The Guardian Savings & Trust Company ; Trustee , Western Reserve University ; Director , The Cleveland Electric Railway Co . ; Director and Chairman of Board , The Great Lakes Towing Company ; Treasurer , The Montreal Mining Company ; Director , The Citizens Savings & Trust Company ; Director . The Wheeling & Lake Erie R . R . Co . ; Director , The Cleveland Stone Company ; Treasurer , Cleveland Subdivision Ohio Branch , American National Red Cross , all of Cleveland , Ohio . Early life and family . Garretson was born at New Lisbon , Ohio . He was the son of Hiram Garretson , who was born in 1817 in York county , Pennsylvania , and was the son of George and Anne ( Griffith ) Garretson , who in 1820 left Pennsylvania and came to Ohio , settling at New Lisbon , Columbiana county , and Margaret King Armstrong , the daughter of General John and Isabella ( McKaig ) Armstrong , who removed from Pennsylvania to Columbiana county , Ohio , in 1804 . She had three children , and died May 16 , 1852 . His father , within a few years after his birth , removed with his family to Cleveland , and became engaged in the wholesale grocery business in the firm of Hanna , Garretson & Company . Garretson was reared in Cleveland , and was given the benefit of exceptional educational advantages . After attending the public schools of Cleveland for two years he entered a first - class private boarding school at Cornwall - on - the - Hudson , New York , where he pursued his studies until the breaking out of the late Civil war . He was married on the 21st day of September , 1870 , to Miss Anna Scowden , daughter of the late Theodore R . Scowden . Her death occurred in August , 1886 , and on the 5th day of December , 1888 , he was married to Miss Emma Ripka Ely , daughter of the late Honorable George H . Ely , one of Cleveland ' s prominent and deservedly honored citizens . Two children have been born by this marriage , Margaret Ely and George Ely . Civil War . Garretson was barely eighteen when our Civil War commenced , but he at once enlisted as private in the 84th Ohio Infantry , which was organized at Camp Chase , Ohio , for three months ' service . Garretson served from May 26 to September 20 , 1862 . He then applied for admission to West Point , and was appointed cadet in 1863 . Post bellum service . Upon his graduation from the U . S . Military Academy on June 17 , 1867 he received appointment as Second Lieutenant in the 4th U . S . Artillery . He served with that regiment at different posts during the years 1867 — ' 68 , and in 1869 was appointed Signal Officer on the staff of Major General John Pope , commanding the Department of the Lakes at Detroit , Michigan . In 1869 , the Government began preparations for reducing the army to a peace basis , and inactivity and slow promotion being the result Garretson resigned from the service on January 1 , 1870 , with the permission of General W . T . Sherman , Commander - in - Chief , and with the full understanding that in case of need at any time his services would be tendered to the Government . Civil life . At his father ' s desire , he returned to Cleveland and became connected with the wholesale grocery business but in 1875 he entered upon a more congenial business career with The Second National Bank . In this bank and its successor , The National Bank of Commerce , he served as clerk , assistant cashier , cashier , vice - president , and , from 1890 to his death , as its president . State militia and the Ohio National Guard . Garretson was interested in the State militia , but owing to business reasons was compelled to decline any appointment until 1877 , when at the time of threatened riots in Cleveland , he assisted Colonel W . H . Harris , late of the United States Army and a graduate of West Point , in organizing the First Cleveland Troop of Cavalry , of which Colonel Harris was captain and Garretson First Lieutenant . He retained his commission in the above organization until 1884 , when , upon the resignation of Colonel Harris , he was elected to succeed him in command of the company . In 1887 the troop became Troop A , Ohio Cavalry in the Ohio National Guard , Garretson remaining in command as captain until 1892 , when business interests compelled him to resign and give up military matters , notwithstanding tempting offers of high rank in the State service had been repeatedly made to him . On January 12 , 1880 , Garretson was appointed Colonel and Aide - de - camp on the staff of Governor Charles Foster , and upon the re - election of the Governor in 1882 was recommissioned for two years , and served until the expiration of his term on January 14 , 1884 . War with Spain . At the beginning of the Spanish - American War , he offered his services to President McKinley , and received his appointment as Brigadier General of U . S . Volunteers , May 27 , 1898 and took command of the Second Brigade , First Division of the Second Army Corps on June 8 , 1898 at Camp Alger and left camp for Cuba on July 5 , 1898 . This brigade was sent instead to fight in the Puerto Rico Campaign in the Battle of Yauco and the Battle of Guayama . He served in Cuba and Porto Rico , and received his honorable discharge November 30 , 1898 . Organisations . Garretson was a member of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States . He was a trustee of the Lakeside Hospital , and took a strong interest in other charitable and benevolent institutions of Cleveland such as the Red Cross , the Fresh Air Camp , etc . He had always been a Republican in politics , but never had political aspirations . He was an officer in several banking and other business organizations of Cleveland .