Stephen Perry Jocelyn

Stephen Perry Jocelyn
1874 head and shoulders black and white photo of Stephen Perry Jocelyn in dress uniform, facing forward, looking to his left
Jocelyn in 1874. Republished in Mostly Alkali, the 1953 biography of Jocelyn authored by his son.
Born(1843-03-01)March 1, 1843
Brownington, Vermont, US
DiedMarch 8, 1920(1920-03-08) (aged 77)
Burlington, Vermont, US
Buried
Arlington National Cemetery
AllegianceUnion (American Civil War)
United States
ServiceUnion Army (American Civil War)
United States Army
Years of service1863–1865 (Union Army)
1865–1907 (United States Army)
RankBrigadier General
UnitU.S. Army Infantry Branch
CommandsCompany G, 21st Infantry Regiment
Company B, 21st Infantry
14th Infantry Regiment
U.S. Forces Samar
Department of Visayas
Department of the Columbia
WarsAmerican Civil War
Yavapai War
Nez Perce War
Bannock War
Spanish–American War
Philippine–American War
Spouse(s)
Mary Chamberlin Edgell
​
​
(m. 1856⁠–⁠1920)​
Children3
RelationsPeter Westervelt (grandson)
Signature

Stephen Perry Jocelyn (1 March 1843 – 8 March 1920) was a career officer in the United States Army. A Union Army veteran of the American Civil War, he also served in the Yavapai War, Nez Perce War, Bannock War, Spanish–American War, and Philippine–American War. Jocelyn attained the rank of brigadier general, and his command assignments included the 14th Infantry Regiment and the Department of the Columbia.

A native of Brownington, Vermont, Jocelyn was raised and educated in Barton and attended Barton Academy in Barton and Peoples Academy in Morrisville. He enlisted in the 6th Vermont Infantry Regiment for the American Civil War and received his commission as a first lieutenant in 1864. Jocelyn remained in the army after the war, and served in command and staff assignments during several American Indian Wars conflicts. He also took part in the Spanish–American War and Philippine–American War. he was promoted to brigadier general in 1907, and commanded the Department of the Columbia until retiring in 1907.

In retirement, Jocelyn was a resident of Burlington, Vermont. He died in Burlington on 8 March 1920 and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

Early life

Stephen P. Jocelyn was born in Brownington, Vermont on 1 March 1843, the son of William Joslyn and Abigail Nims (Wilder) Joslyn.[1][2][a] He was raised and educated in Brownington and Barton, and attended the public schools of Brownington and Barton.[2] Jocelyn continued his education at Brownington Academy and Barton Academy, then attended Morrisville's Peoples Academy in anticipation of beginning courses at Dartmouth College.[2][3][4]

Family

In February 1866, Jocelyn married Mary Chamberlin Edgell.[2] They were the parents of three children ― Louise, Dorothy, and Stephen Jr.[2] Louise was the wife of Julian B. Clark, a wealthy Burlington, Vermont heir disabled by polio, whose hobbies included hunting and farming.[2][5] Dorothy was the wife of William I. Westervelt, a career army officer who attained the rank of brigadier general.[2][6] Stephen was a 1916 Harvard College graduate and World War I veteran.[2] He later resided in France and authored a 1953 biography of his father, Mostly Alkali.[7]

Peter Westervelt (1919–2015), the son of William I. Westervelt and Dorothy Jocelyn, was a prominent college professor and research scientist.[8][9]

Start of career

In August 1863, Jocelyn decided to join the military for the American Civil War rather than attending college.[3] He enlisted as a private in the 6th Vermont Infantry Regiment, with which he served until August 1864, when he was commissioned as a first lieutenant in the 115th United States Colored Infantry.[1] The 115th campaigned against pro-Confederate guerillas in Kentucky until December 1864, when it was assigned to the Army of the James.[3] The regiment served in Virginia in early 1865, and Jocelyn was with it during the Fall of Richmond and post-war occupation of the city.[3] After the war, Jocelyn served with his regiment in Indianola, Texas during occupation duty, and was mustered out of the United States Volunteers in February 1866.[1][3]

After his discharge from the wartime volunteers, Jocelyn was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the regular army's 6th Infantry Regiment.[1][3] He continued to perform post-war occupation duty during the Reconstruction era, this time in South Carolina.[3] He was promoted to first lieutenant in July 1866, and beginning in 1867 served with the 6th Infantry at Fort Gibson, Indian Territory.[1][3] As part of post-war force reductions, Jocelyn was mustered out of the 6th Infantry on 1 January 1871.[1] On 9 March, he returned to duty, this time as a second lieutenant with the 21st Infantry Regiment.[1]

During 1871, Jocelyn served in Arizona Territory, where he took part in the Yavapai War.[3] From 1872 to 1874, he was posted to northern California and southern Oregon, and was stationed at Fort Bidwell, Camp Warner, Fort Klamath.[3] Jocelyn was promoted to first lieutenant on 4 April 1873 and captain on 19 May 1874.[1] In 1875, population increases that followed the development of gold mining that resulted from the 1867 Alaska Purchase led to the U.S. takeover of Fort Stikine, a former British trading post on the panhandle.[3] The post was christened Fort Wrangel, and Jocelyn commanded the post and the 21st Infantry's Company G until 1877.[3][10] He participated in the 1877 Nez Perce War and commanded Company B, 21st Infantry during the Battle of the Clearwater and Battle of Camas Creek.[3][11] He also took part in the 1878 Bannock War, after which he was granted a year-long leave of absence during which he traveled extensively in Europe.[3]

Continued career

Jocelyn as a lieutenant colonel, c. 1900

After his 1879 leave of absence, Jocelyn was assigned to duty at Fort Townsend, Washington Territory, where he remained until 1884.[3] During October and November 1881, he commanded an expedition on the Skagit River during tension between Upper Skagit Indian Tribes and white settlers.[3] In 1882, he commanded an expedition that reconnoitered a telegraph route between Port Angeles and Cape Flattery.[3]

During his time in Washington Territory, Jocelyn earned a reputation as an expert in military drill and ceremony, and units under his command won several competitions during the 1880s and 1890s.[3] Beginning in 1884, the 21st Infantry garrisoned a succession of posts in Wyoming, Utah, and Nebraska, and Jocelyn served successively at Fort Fred Steele, Wyoming, Fort Duchesne, Utah, Fort Douglas, Utah, and Fort Sidney, Nebraska.[3] In February 1890, he received promotion to the brevet rank of major to recognize his gallantry during the Nez Perce War.[2]

In June 1897, Jocelyn was promoted to major in the 19th Infantry.[1] During the Spanish–American War he was assigned to Fort Ethan Allen, Vermont, where he served beginning in May 1898 as mustering-in officer for the 1st Vermont Infantry Regiment, a unit of United States Volunteers raised for the war.[12] He served as mustering-out officer for the same unit in August 1898, and he was promoted to lieutenant colonel of the 25th Infantry in March 1899.[1][12]

Later career

From volume IV (1921) of Vermont: The Green Mountain State

Between 1899 and 1901, Jocelyn served in the Philippines with the 25th Infantry during the Philippine–American War.[4] He was promoted to colonel and commander of the 14th Infantry Regiment in February 1901.[4] Jocelyn commanded U.S. forces on the island of Samar in 1903, and the Department of Visayas in 1904.[4] In 1904, Jocelyn performed temporary duty as professor of military science at the University of Vermont.[13] From 1904 to 1906, Jocelyn served as chief of staff of the army's Pacific Division, and in this assignment he aided in coordinating the US government's response to the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.[4][14] He was promoted to brigadier general in June 1906 and from 1906 to 1907, Jocelyn commanded the Department of the Columbia.[1][4] Having reached the mandatory retirement age of 64, he retired as a brigadier general on 1 March 1907.[1]

In retirement, Jocelyn resided in Burlington, Vermont, where his interests included membership in the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States.[1] He became a member in California in 1884.[1] In 1894, he transferred his membership to the Vermont commandery.[1] After retiring from the army, Jocelyn served as a member of the Vermont commandery's executive council from 1908 to 1909.[1] He was senior vice commander from 1910 to 1911, and commander from 1911 to 1912.[1]

In addition to his MOLLUS membership, Jocelyn's additional interests included membership in the Buffalo Historical Society, General Society of Colonial Wars, and New England Historic Genealogical Society.[4] He was active in the Episcopal Church and belonged to the Army and Navy Club in Washington, D.C., the Army and Navy Club in New York City, the Manila Army and Navy Club, and New York City's Union League Club.[4]

Jocelyn died in Burlington on March 8, 1920.[1] He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.[15]

Works by

  • "Alaskan Notes". Journal of the Military Service Institution of the United States. Vol. XVIII. Governor's Island, New York: Military Service Institution of the United States. 1896. pp. 342–349 – via Google Books.

Effective dates of promotion

The dates of Jocelyn's Union Army promotions were:[1]

The dates of Jocelyn's regular army promotions were:[1]

Notes

  1. ^ Jocelyn's father spelled the family name "Joslyn"; Jocelyn and his siblings spelled it "Jocelyn".[2]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t Journal of the Proceedings of the Thirty-third Annual Meeting of the Commandery-in-Chief. Philadelphia: Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States. 24 October 1917. p. 367 – via Google Books.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Hill, Edwin Charles, ed. (1920). The Historical Register. New York: Edwin C. Hill. pp. 151–152 – via Google Books.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Powell, William H.; Shippen, Edward, eds. (1892). Officers of the Army and Navy (Regular) Who Served In The Civil War. Philadelphia: L. R. Hamersly & Co. p. 217 – via Google Books.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h Marquis, Albert N. (1912). Who's Who In America. Vol. VIII. Chicago: A. N. Marquis & Company. pp. 1107–1108 – via Google Books.
  5. ^ "Julian Clark Dies of Stroke". St. Albans Messenger. St. Albans, Vermont. 8 November 1958. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Westervelt Dies; Retired General". Brattleboro Reformer. Brattleboro, Vermont. Associated Press. 3 March 1960. p. 12 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Book on Army Life Sent to Punta Gorda". The News-Press. Fort Myers, Florida. 16 August 1953. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ Debus, Allen G. (1968). World Who's who in Science: A Biographical Dictionary of Notable. Chicago: Marquis-Who's Who. p. 1783.
  9. ^ "Peter Westervelt Obituary". Providence, Rhode Island. The Providence Journal. 5 February 2015. Retrieved 22 March 2015.
  10. ^ Brown, Mark Herbert (1967). The Flight of the Nez Perce. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press. p. 145. ISBN 978-0-8032-6069-6 – via Google Books.
  11. ^ US Secretary of War (1879). Report of the Secretary of War. Vol. I. Washington, D.C.: US Government Printing Office. p. 126 – via Google Books.
  12. ^ a b Forbes, Charles Spooner, ed. (September 1898). "Vermont's War Record". The Vermonter. St. Albans, Vermont. pp. 25, 27 – via Google Books.
  13. ^ "New Honors for Col. Jocelyn". St. Johnsbury Republican. St. Johnsbury, Vermont. 10 February 1904. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ Crockett, Walter Hill (1921). "Death Notice, Stephen Perry Jocelyn". Vermont: The Green Mountain State. Vol. IV. New York: Century History Company. p. Following page 314 – via Google Books.
  15. ^ "Brig.-Gen. S. P. Jocelyn". The Burlington Free Press. Burlington, Vermont. 11 March 1920. p. 5 – via Newspapers.com.