William Voorhees Judson

William Voorhees Judson (16 February 1865 – 29 March 1923) was an American Brigadier general, who served as a military aide with the Root Mission to the Russian Provisional Government.

William Voorhees Judson
Bain News Service, 1918. Library of Congress.
Born(1865-02-16)February 16, 1865
Indianapolis, Indiana, US[1]
DiedMarch 29, 1923(1923-03-29) (aged 58)
Winter Park, Florida, US
Buried
Allegiance United States of America
Service/branch United States Army
Years of service1888–1922
Rank Brigadier General
Unit38th Infantry Division
Battles/warsRusso-Japanese War
World War I
Russian Civil War
AwardsArmy Distinguished Service Medal[2]

Early life and education

William Voorhees Judson was born to Charles E. Judson and Abby Cady Voorhees Judson in Indianapolis, Indiana, on the February 16, 1865. He attended Harvard University for two years before being admitted into the United States Military Academy, from which he graduated third in his class in 1888.[1] James W. McAndrew, Peyton C. March, Robert Lee Howze, John Louis Hayden, Peter Charles Harris, Edward Anderson, William Robert Dashiell, William M. Morrow and Eli Alva Helmick were among his fellow classmates who would, like Judson himself, ultimately attain general officer rank.

Military career

Following his graduation from USMA, Judson then attended the Army Engineering School of Application, which he graduated from in 1891. Following that, he served as an assistant engineer in various postings; at Lake Erie, on the upper Mississippi River, and in Galveston, Texas.[1] In 1899, he was promoted to Chief Engineer and President of the Board of Public Works of Puerto Rico, where he served until 1900.

Following that, Judson served in a variety of engineering capacities until 1917. Notable postings included that as an instructor at the U.S. Army Engineer School, as the Engineer Commissioner for Washington, D.C., and as the Assistant Division Engineer for the Atlantic side of the Panama Canal. Judson also was sent as a military observer to the Russo-Japanese War from 1904 to 1905, when he returned to the US as a result of the Russian defeat. During this time, he received an honorary M.A. from Harvard in 1911.[3]

On April 6, 1917, the day of the American entry into World War I, Judson returned to Russia as part of Root Mission, headed by Elihu Root. Following Root's return to the U.S. three months later, Judson remained in Russia as head of the Root Mission itself before being detached as a military attaché to the American embassy in Petrograd and chief of the American military mission to Russia until Spring 1918.[3][2] During this time, he conducted the first face-to-face meeting between a US diplomatic representative and a Bolshevik leader when he met with Leon Trotsky on December 1, 1918.[4]

Upon his return, Judson was placed in command of the 38th Infantry Division at Camp Shelby until August 1918. From September to December 1918, Judson commanded the New York Port of Embarkation.[1]

Judson spent the remainder of his career working as the district engineer in Chicago, Illinois, retiring in 1922 due to disabilities.

Personal life

Judson married Alice Carneal in 1891. They had one son, Clay Judson.[1]

Death and legacy

Judson passed away on March 29, 1923. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery with his wife.[5] Judson wrote many letters and documents as a military attaché in Petrograd, which are considered to be of historical value. A book, Russia in War and Revolution: General William V. Judson's Accounts from Petrograd, 1917–1918 has been written on the basis of Judson's materials.[4]

References

  1. Davis, Jr., Henry Blaine (1998). Generals in Khaki. Raleigh, North Carolina: Pentland Press. p. 207. ISBN 9781571970886.
  2. "William Voorhees Judson". Military Times.
  3. Who Was Who in American History – The Military (Chicago, IL: Marquis Who's Who, Inc., 1975) p. 297
  4. Salzman, Neil (1998). Russia in War and Revolution: General William V. Judson's Accounts from Petrograd, 1917–1918. Kent, OH: Kent State University Press. ISBN 978-0873385978. OCLC 878677744. 334 p.
  5. Burial Detail: Judson, William V – ANC Explorer
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