COL Fitzhugh Lee Minnigerode
Commander - 1919
Born - November 10, 1978, Died – 1947



He was a son of Charles Frederick Ernest Minnigerode, an aide-de-camp to General Robert E. Lee, veteran of Fitzhugh Lee’s cavalry, and pastor of St. Paul’s Protestant Episcopal Church in Richmond, and a grandson of Reverend George Minnigerode, Lutheran minister, and émigré to the United States. His brother, Cuthbert Powell Minnigerode was a director of the Corcoran Art Gallery in Washington, D. C. Born at the Oatlands, Leesburg, Loudon County, Virginia, he was baptized in honor of his father’s Civil War commander.



In May 1902 he enlisted as a private in Troop F, 12th Cavalry and rose through the ranks to become a Second Lieutenant of Infantry on October 15, 1904. He served under then Brigadier General John J. “Blackjack” Pershing fighting the Moros in the Philippine Insurrection. He was promoted to First Lieutenant in March 1911 and to Captain on July 1, 1916. In August 1917 he was promoted to Major and to Lieutenant Colonel within a year after. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, Croix de Guerre, and Legion of Honor for his service with the 114th Infantry Regiment during WWI. He retired from active duty in 1920 due to “mild” deafness resulting from gun fire.



He married the former Patricia O’Brien of San Francisco and lived in Italy. He was a contributor to The Times Magazine for which he was hired as European Correspondent on October 12, 1925. He remained in the London office until 1928 when he returned to the United States. He wrote many features on military tactics and about Army generals. He became an assistant to Dr. John H. Finley, editor in chief of The Times, shortly after his return.



His health began to fail in 1934 and he moved to Arizona. He later lived in Texas, New Mexico, Mexico and elsewhere in the far west contributing articles about the Southwest. In June 1939, he published a book of poetry, “Arrow in the Twilight”. COL (Ret.) Minnigerode reported on Third Army maneuvers in August 1938 and then retired to his home near Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio, Texas on September 25, 1940.



Much of the material here was taken from his Obituary contributed by LTC (USA Ret.) Joseph M. Massaro.