Samuel Ovenshine

United States Army general (1843–1932)

Samuel Ovenshine

Ovenshine in 1899

Born| (1843-04-02)April 2, 1843
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died| July 5, 1932(1932-07-05) (aged 89)
Washington D.C., U.S.
Place of burial|

Arlington National Cemetery

Allegiance|  United States of America
Union
Branch|  United States Army
Union Army
Years of service| 1861–1899
Rank|  Brigadier General
Commands| 23rd Infantry Regiment
Battles / wars|

* American Civil War
* American Indian Wars
* Spanish–American War
* Philippine–American War
* Battle of Manila
* Battle of Zapote River

Awards| Silver Star

Samuel Ovenshine (April 2, 1843 – July 5, 1932) was a United States Army officer who served as a brigadier general during the Philippine–American War.

## Biography

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Ovenshine was born on April 2, 1843, in Philadelphia. He was studying to become a lawyer when he was interrupted by the outbreak of the Civil War. On September 25, 1861, he was appointed first lieutenant in the 5th U.S. Infantry Regiment. He served in Kansas and New Mexico and ended the war as a captain.

Ovenshine stayed with the 5th U.S. during the Indian Wars. His unit formed the vanguard of Alfred H. Terry's column during the aftermath of the Battle of Little Bighorn and served in Nelson A. Miles' force at the Battle of Bearpaw Mountain.

Ovenshine in 1898

Ovenshine was promoted to major in the 23rd United States Infantry on July 10, 1885, and commanded the post of Fort Davis in 1890.[1] He was promoted to lieutenant colonel of the 15th United States Infantry Regiment on January 31, 1891, and colonel of the 23rd United States Infantry Regiment on April 26, 1895.

Colonel Ovenshine and the 23rd U.S. were sent to the Philippines during the Spanish–American War as part of Wesley Merritt's Eighth Army Corps. The fighting against the Spanish had already subsided by the time Ovenshine arrived, but hostilities between the U.S. Army and Filipinos were now growing.

Ovenshine as lieutenant colonel of the 15th Infantry Regiment in 1894

Ovenshine was promoted to brigadier general of volunteers by the end of September 1898[2] and took command of the 2nd Brigade in Arthur MacArthur's 1st Division of Eighth Corps. Ovenshine led his brigade during the battle of Manila in 1899 and during the battle of Zapote Bridge. He received a Silver Star for his actions in these two battles. On October 18, 1899, he was promoted to brigadier general in the U.S. Army and two days later retired. He died in Washington, D.C., on July 5, 1932, and was buried in Section 1 of Arlington National Cemetery.[3]

## Family

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In April 1864, Ovenshine married Sallie Yeatman Thompson in Santa Fe, New Mexico.[4] They were the parents of seven children, six of whom lived to adulthood.[5]

* Harriet, the wife of army officer Edwin Babbitt Weeks[6]
* Emma Yeatman, the wife of Lieutenant General James Harbord.[7]
* Samuel Selden, who was born in 1868 and died in 1873[8]
* Englebert Glover, who retired from the army with the rank of colonel[9]
* Alexander Thompson, who retired from the army as a brigadier general[10][11]
* Mary Aston, the wife of army officer Guy Stevens Norvell[12]
* Sallie Yeatman, a career schoolteacher in the Washington, D.C. area.[13]

## References

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1. ^ Fort Davis
2. ^ 23rd U.S. Infantry Regiment
3. ^ Burial Details: Ovenshine, Samuel – ANC Explorer
4. ^ "Wedding Announcement, Lieutenant S. Ovenshine and Sallie Y. Thompson". Daily Missouri Democrat. St. Louis, Missouri. April 15, 1864. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
5. ^ "Hero Of Two Wars Dies At Home here". The Evening Star. Washington, D.C. July 6, 1932. p. B-4 – via Newspapers.com.
6. ^ "Death Notice, Harriet O. Weeks". The Evening Star. Washington, D.C. August 31, 1948. p. A-8 – via Newspapers.com.
7. ^ Shay, Michael E. (2011). Revered Commander, Maligned General: The Life of Clarence Ransom Edwards, 1859–1931. Columbia, Missouri: University of Missouri Press. p. 80\. ISBN 978-0-8262-1922-0 – via Google Books.
8. ^ Ft. Leavenworth National Cemetery (1873). "U.S. Veterans' Gravesites, ca.1775-2019, Entry for Samuel S. Ovenshine". Ancestry.com. Lehi, Utah: Ancestry.com, LLC. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
9. ^ "Col. Ovenshine, veteran of 1898". The Evening Star. Washington, D.C. January 9, 1968. p. B-5 – via GenealogyBank.com.
10. ^ Williamson, Stanley H., ed. (1927). Who's Who In The Nation's Capital. Washington, D.C.: Ransdell Incorporated. p. 440 – via Google Books.
11. ^ "Gen. Ovenshine Dies". San Angelo Standard-Times. San Angelo, Texas. Associated Press. March 7, 1963. p. 12A – via Newspapers.com.
12. ^ "Death Notice, Mary O. Norvell". Army Times. Washington, D.C. May 31, 1982. p. 51 – via GenealogyBank.com.
13. ^ "Miss Sallie Y. Ovenshine, Related to Two Generals". The Evening Star. Washington, D.C. June 13, 1960. p. B-4 – via newspapers.com.