General Wesley Merritt: Leading the U.S. Campaign in the Philippines

Wesley Merritt was born on June 16, 1834, in New York City, though some records cite 1836 or 1837. At age seven, his family relocated to St. Clair County, Illinois, where he grew up with aspirations of a legal career. However, in 1855, Merritt accepted an appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point, graduating in 1860, ranked 22nd in his class. Commissioned as a second lieutenant in the 2nd U.S. Dragoons, he began his service in Utah under John Buford, later becoming adjutant when the unit was renamed the 2nd Cavalry Regiment.