John F. Weston

John Francis Weston (November 13, 1845 – August 3, 1917) was a Union Army officer in the American Civil War and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions during a raid on Confederate shipping. He was a brigadier general of United States Volunteers in the Spanish–American War. Weston retired from the U.S. regular army in 1909 as a major general. Having been assistant commissary general of subsistence and commissary general of subsistence from 1897 to 1905, including commissary general for the American forces in Cuba during the Spanish–American War, Weston finished his career as the highest ranking U.S. Army officer in the Philippines and, in the last year of his service, as commander of the Department of California.

Biography John Francis Weston was born in Louisville, Kentucky on November 13, 1845. He joined the Union Army's 4th Regiment Kentucky Volunteer Cavalry on November 26, 1861, having just turned age 16. Weston's father sympathized with the Confederacy and Weston's uncle and brother joined the Confederate States Army. Weston was promoted to captain on January 9, 1863, and to major on November 1, 1864. Through an audacious ruse, Weston and 5 men managed to capture the boats. On August 1, 1892, Weston was promoted to major and commissary of subsistence. On March 24, 1899, he was honorably discharged from the volunteers and returned to his regular army duties. John F. Weston retired from the U.S. Army on November 13, 1909.

Medal of Honor citation Weston's official Medal of Honor citation reads: This officer, with a small detachment, while en route to destroy steamboats loaded with supplies for the enemy, was stopped by an unfordable river, but with 5 of his men swam the river, captured 2 leaky canoes, and ferried his men across. He then encountered and defeated the enemy, and on reaching Wetumpka found the steamers anchored in midstream. By a ruse obtained possession of a boat, with which he reached the steamers and demanded and received their surrender.