John E. Woodward

John E. Woodward
Woodward as a colonel, circa 1920
Born	(1870-05-24)May 24, 1870 Poultney, Vermont, U.S.
Died	August 4, 1944(1944-08-04) (aged 74) Mendon, Vermont
Buried	West Point Cemetery
Allegiance	United States
Service	United States Army
Years of service	1892–1934
Rank	Brigadier General
Service number	0–411
Unit	U.S. Infantry Branch U.S. Army Adjutant General's Corps
Commands	Company L, 9th Infantry Regiment Camp Eldridge, Philippines U.S. Army Garrison, Dongshan, China 113th Infantry Regiment Camp Upton 152d Depot Brigade 24th Infantry Brigade 151st Depot Brigade 12th Division
Wars	Spanish–American War Battle of San Juan Hill Siege of Santiago Philippine–American War Moro Rebellion Pancho Villa Expedition World War I
Spouse(s)	Frances Hoven Judge (m. 1896–1944, his death)
Children	5

John E. Woodward (May 24, 1870 – August 4, 1944) was a career officer in the United States Army. A veteran of the Spanish–American War, Philippine–American War, Moro Rebellion, Pancho Villa Expedition, and World War I, he served from 1892 to 1934 and attained the rank of brigadier general. Woodward was most notable for his command of the 113th Infantry Regiment, Camp Upton, 152d Depot Brigade, 24th Infantry Brigade, 151st Depot Brigade, and 12th Division.

A native of Poultney, Vermont, Woodward was raised in the village of Rutland, Vermont, where his father served as police chief, and he was an 1887 graduate of Rutland High School. In 1888 he began attendance at the United States Military Academy (West Point); he graduated in 1892 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant of Infantry. Assigned initially to the 16th Infantry Regiment, Woodward served at Fort Douglas, Utah. He served in Cuba during the Spanish–American War and received promotion to first lieutenant.

Woodward served in the Philippines during the Philippine–American War and in 1901 he was promoted to captain in the 29th Infantry Regiment. Between 1901 and 1910, Woodward served at several posts in the United States, including Fort Douglas and Fort Sheridan, Illinois, and was twice more stationed in the Philippines. From 1910 to 1912, Woodward commanded Company L, 9th Infantry Regiment at Fort Jay, New York. He served in the Philippines again from 1912 to 1915, and was promoted to major in the 24th Infantry Regiment. From March to September 1915, he commanded the post at Camp Eldridge in the Laguna province. Woodward served in China in 1915 and 1916, first with the 15th Infantry Regiment in Tianjin, and later as commander of the garrison at Dongshan.

In April 1916, Woodward was assigned to the 7th Infantry Regiment in El Paso, Texas, and he served on the Mexico–United States border during the Pancho Villa Expedition. In May he was transferred to the Adjutant General's Corps. In July he was assigned as adjutant of the Army's Arizona District with headquarters at Camp Harry J. Jones in Douglas, Arizona. In May 1917, Woodward promoted to lieutenant colonel and assigned to duty in the office of the Adjutant General of the United States Army. During World War I, he was promoted to temporary colonel in August 1917, and he successively commanded the 113th Infantry Regiment at Camp McClellan, Alabama, the 152d Depot Brigade and Camp Upton, New York, the 24th Infantry Brigade at Camp Devens, Massachusetts, and the 151st Depot Brigade at Camp Devens. He was promoted to temporary brigadier general in August 1918.

Woodward returned to the permanent grade of lieutenant colonel in March 1919 and served with the 42nd Infantry Regiment. From 1919 to 1920 he was a student at the United States Army Command and General Staff College, and he was promoted to permanent colonel in July 1920. He graduated from the United States Army War College in 1921, and his subsequent assignments included adjutant of the First Corps Area in Boston, and Second Corps Area at Governors Island, New York. Woodward retired upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 64 in May 1934. In retirement he was a resident of Washington, D.C. and Mendon, Vermont. He died in Mendon on August 4, 1944, and was buried at West Point Cemetery.