Loyd Wheaton

Stormed enemy works under heavy fire to lead his regiment.

Loyd Wheaton's military career is a remarkable story of a man who spent more than forty years in uniform. Born in Penfield, Michigan, on July 15, 1838, he enlisted in the Army right at the start of the Civil War in April 1861, starting out as a First Sergeant in the 8th Illinois Infantry. He didn't stay an enlisted man for long, though. By March 1862, he was a Captain and ended up getting wounded at the Battle of Shiloh. Throughout the war, he proved his worth in both staff and combat roles, eventually becoming a Lieutenant Colonel.

His most famous moment came on April 9, 1865, at the Battle of Fort Blakely in Alabama. While leading the right wing of his regiment under intense artillery and rifle fire, Wheaton leaped right through an embrasure—an opening meant for enemy cannons—to become the very first man inside the Confederate defenses. Because of that incredible bravery and leadership under fire, he was awarded the Medal of Honor in 1894.

After the Civil War ended and the volunteer armies went home, Wheaton decided to stay in the Regular Army. He spent the next few decades out West during the Indian Wars, most notably serving with the 20th U.S. Infantry during the 1874 Black Hills Expedition. When the Spanish-American War kicked off in 1898, the Army needed his vast experience, promoting him to Brigadier General of Volunteers to command a brigade in the Seventh Army Corps.

Soon after, Wheaton was sent to the Philippines in 1899, where he took command of a Provisional Brigade. He saw plenty of action there, leading his men during the Pasig River expedition, the capture of Malolos, and the heavy fighting at the Battle of Zapote River. Later that fall, he directed a major offensive inland from the Lingayen Gulf, dealing a decisive blow to Filipino forces at the Battle of San Jacinto on November 11. He eventually took charge of the entire Department of Northern Luzon.

After hitting the mandatory retirement age, Wheaton finally stepped down from active duty on July 15, 1902, wearing the stars of a Major General. He lived for another sixteen years before passing away on September 17, 1918, and rests at Greenwood Cemetery in Rockford, Illinois.