John L. Tiernon

John L. Tiernon (January 18, 1841 – March 30, 1910) was a career officer in the United States Army. A veteran of the American Civil War, Spanish–American War, and Philippine–American War, he was a Field Artillery officer who later specialized in Coast Artillery. Tiernon served from 1862 to 1903, and attained the rank of brigadier general.

Early life John Luke Tiernon was born in Madison, Indiana on January 18, 1841, the son of Anthony Tiernon and Katherine (Sendelbach) Tiernon. He was raised and educated in St. Louis, Missouri, and graduated from St. Mary's Seminary in Perryville, Missouri. He won election to the House of Representatives in the first territorial legislature, and was the body's youngest member. When the Speaker of the House, George M. Pinney, resigned in early 1862, Tiernon was elected to complete his term. He was provost marshal at Governors Island, New York. As the battery's commander, Tiernon named the post in honor of John F. Reynolds, a Union Army general who had been killed at the Battle of Gettysburg. In 1868, he was assigned as Ordnance officer on the staff of the newly organized U.S. Army Artillery School at Fort Monroe, Virginia. He was also enrolled as a student, and he graduated in April 1869. From 1874 to 1881, Tiernon served with the 3rd Artillery at Fort Porter and Fort Niagara, New York.

Continued career In 1881, he commanded Battery B, 3rd Artillery Regiment when it was assigned to Mount Vernon Barracks, Alabama, and he remained in command when the unit was posted to Fort Barrancas, Florida. From June to November 1883 and September to December 1884, Tiernon commanded the 3rd Artillery's Battery B and two other batteries during a training encampment at the maintenance shops of the East Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia Railway near Atlanta. In the late 1880s, Tiernon served with the 3rd Artillery when it was assigned to Newport Barracks, Kentucky. In the early to mid 1890s, he performed staff duty at the Fort Monroe garrison headquarters.

In 1894, Tiernon was in command of 1st Battalion, 3rd Artillery Regiment at Fort Monroe. During the Spanish–American War, Tiernon was posted to the New Jersey National Guard encampment at Sea Girt, New Jersey, where he served as mustering in officer for United States Volunteers during the army's wartime expansion. In April 1899, Tiernon was appointed to command the Light Artillery Battalion of Manila during the Philippine–American War. He was subsequently appointed as chief of the Manila police, and he served until returning to the United States in late 1901.

After his service in the Philippines, Tiernon was assigned to command Fort Banks and Fort Winthrop, Massachusetts and the Boston Artillery District. On August 12, 1903, he was promoted to brigadier general. He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Katherine Tiernon was the second wife of Brigadier General Charles L. Phillips. John Tiernon was a Buffalo-area attorney and insurance company executive.