John C. Bates

Who was John C. Bates?

John Coalter Bates was Chief of Staff of the United States Army from January to April 1906. Along with Arthur MacArthur, Jr., Bates was one of the last American Civil War veterans still on active duty in the United States military at the time of his retirement.

Bates was born in St. Charles County, Missouri to congressman and future Attorney General Edward Bates and Julia Davenport Coalter. He was educated at Washington University in St. Louis. He was commissioned a first lieutenant with the 11th Infantry Regiment and later became an aide to General George G. Meade, reaching the brevet rank of lieutenant colonel for gallant and meritorious service in operations resulting in the fall of Richmond and surrender of Lee's Army in April 1865.

He later served on the Indian Frontier for many years, was made a colonel of the 2nd Infantry Regiment in 1892, and in May 1898 was promoted to Brigadier general of an Independent Brigade consisting of the 3rd Infantry Regiment and 20th Infantry Regiment in the Spanish-American War and commanded a division of volunteers in the Philippines in the early stages of the Philippine-American War. He was military governor of Cienfuegos in 1899, went that year to the Philippines, where he conducted the negotiations with the Sultan of Sulu. From 1900-1901, he commanded the 1st Division, VIII Corps, conducted operations against insurgents in southern Luzon, and then commanded that department.