John Bigelow, Jr.

John Bigelow Jr. (May 12, 1854 – February 29, 1936) was a United States Army lieutenant colonel. He was the subject of many articles on military frontier life in Outing Magazine published by his brother Poultney Bigelow and with sketches drawn in the field by the then young and obscure Frederic Remington. The book Frontier Cavalryman is based on his journals and service with the Buffalo Soldiers. He received a Silver Star and a Purple Heart for his actions in Cuba. He was assigned as a superintendent of Yosemite National Park in early 1904 and retired from the Army the following September. He became a teacher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and later an author of several books. He was recalled to active duty in World War I and served in Washington, District of Columbia until 1919. He retired again and died in 1936 at age 81.

Early life and family alt=A black and white picture of John Bigelow Jr., a young white male in his United States Military Academy Cadet uniform. His Cadet uniform has a starched white collar and his tunic has large round brass buttons interconnected by horizontal braiding. He is clean shaven with neatly combed short dark hair parted to his right. His right sleeve shows two stripes indicating he is a Cadet Lieutenant. John Bigelow Jr. was the eldest of the two sons of the statesman John Bigelow and Jane Tunis Poultney born in New York City, New York. He spent much of his early years in France and Germany. At the Mining Academy of Freiberg/Saxony he became a member of the fraternity Montania. He traveled throughout Europe with his parents. He became fluent in the French language as well as having a general understanding of German and Italian.

On December 14, 1877, the young Bigelow reported for duty at Fort Duncan in West Texas. He was assigned to Company B, 9th Cavalry. In time he learned to become a cavalry trooper. His handsome looks turned many a lady's head and he left many broken hearts behind him. His language skills and presentation were also a plus for him. His journals and sketches created a colorful portrait of his frontier service. The tall lean frame and face of Bigelow can be seen in many of Remington's later paintings and artistic works. Unfortunately this caused some problems for Bigelow. Not only did some officers become jealous of the attention given to Bigelow, but many women, married and single, competed for his attention. Bigelow had many a close call toward the state of matrimony, but improved his Spanish skills. On at least two occasions his "notoriety" caused him delay in returning to his command because of the "need" for him to attend a party while in transit at some frontier posting.

Bigelow used the campaign of Chancellorsville in his lectures "'….because that campaign presented a greater variety of military problems and experiences than any other in which an army of the United States had taken part.' In addition, he added, no other battle approaching Chancellorsville 'in importance, has been so imperfectly apprehended and described.'" Bigelow published his research on Chancellorsville in the book The Campaign of Chancellorsville: A Strategic and Tactical Study published by Yale University Press in 1910 and reissued in the 1990s by Morningside Press. This 528-page publication set a high standard for military publications of its kind.

From 1905 to 1910 he was again at MIT as a professor of French and was also the head of the Department of Modern Languages.

Superintendent of Yosemite National Park Returning to the United States, he was shuffled from one fort to another each further westward until he reached the Presidio of San Francisco in later part of 1903. His repeated efforts for an active command fell on deaf ears.

In 1904 he became the superintendent of Yosemite National Park which was then considered a retirement posting. Once again he served with elements of the 9th Cavalry Buffalo Soldiers.

In early 1904, Bigelow ordered an arboretum on the South Fork of the Merced then in the southern section of Yosemite National Park. This arboretum had pathways and benches, and some plants were identified in both English and Latin. This "Pioneer attempt" to interpret the botanical features of Yosemite was 16 years before Dr. Harold C. Bryant's nature guiding service which became the nucleus of the interpretive program for the National Park Service. Dr. Bryant was inspired by Joseph Grinnell who cited Bigelow's arboretum in his 1914 work on Yosemite.

Yosemite's arboretum is considered by the National Park System to be the first museum. The NPS cites a 1904 report, where Bigelow declared the arboretum "To provide a great museum of nature for the general public free of cost ..." Unfortunately, the forces of developers, miners and greed cut the boundaries of Yosemite in 1905 and the arboretum was nearly destroyed.

Bigelow and his Buffalo Soldiers, as military stewards, were some of the first "Park Rangers" that protected the national parks from illegal grazing, poaching, timber thieves, and forest fires. But they and their leaders came against those who influence or control politics, the soldiers followed their orders and allowed "progress."

Bigelow became more aware that he had become "persona non grata" for his staunch support for the black Buffalo Soldiers. Seeing the winds of change shrinking Yosemite and Claiming ill health, he retired from the army in late September 1904. Then he headed east toward home where he would write and teach. His efforts to become a foreign statesman like his father was turned down. His unintentional snubbing of Teddy Roosevelt in 1899 and undaunted support for black troops continued to prevent him from serving his country like his father.

He and his wife Mary suffered a tremendous loss in 1917. Their only son, Braxton had been killed in action while serving with the British near Loos. Braxton decided to get in the war early and in 1915 became an officer in the British Royal Engineers. By the time of his death he was a Captain and had received many awards for his service.

Honors and awards During his military career, Bigelow earned the Silver Star while attacking up San Juan Hill in Cuba. He received a Purple Heart for his four wounds received there.

Military promotions

Publications

The Principles of Strategy, Illustrated Mainly from American Campaigns. Philadelphia: Lippincott Co., 1894. Reminiscences of the Santiago Campaign. New York and London: Harper & Brothers Publishers, 1899. The Campaign of Chancellorsville: A Strategic and Tactical Study. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1910.