He served as a mounted messenger in the Civil War, 1864-65; graduated from West Point in 1873. He married Ida Dawley, October 27, 1880.

Appointed Second Lieutenant, 8th United States Infantry, June 13, 1873 and was promoted through the grades to Major General, November 13, 1909. He was awarded the Medal of Honor "for distinguished bravery in action against Apache Indians at Cibicue Creek, Arizona, August 30, 1881. He was also awarded the Distinguished Service Medal in World War I.

He was a student of Army organization and administration, mainly responsible for the technical details of the Army organization, 1901-03; commanding officer, 2nd Division, 1913; Hawaiian Department, January 1914-1915; retired by operation of law, November 19, 1915. Recalled to active duty, August 26, 1917. Commanded the Central Department, Chicago, August 1917-February 1918; Author of: Horses, Saddles, and Bridles, 1918; From Yorktown to Santiago With the 6th Cavalry, 1900; Old Army Sketches, 1906; Giles Carter of Virginia, 1909; The American Army, 1915; Life and Services of General Chaffee, 1917.

He died on May 24, 1925 and was buried in Section 1 of Arlington National Cemetery.

His wife, Ida Hawley Carter (1860-1958) is buried with him. His son, Leigh Hays Carter (1884-1907) is also in the same gravesite. His second son, William Vaulx Carter (1883-January 28, 1971) who graduated from West Point in 1904 and who served as a Brigadier General and Secretary of the Service Schools and his wives, Helen Coryn Carter (May 1, 1888-August 12, 1912) and Margaret Barker Woodbury Carter (September 1, 1896-November 13, 1978) and his son, William Harding Carter II (September 23, 1915-May 17, 1944), who served as a Second Lieutenant in the Army Air Corps Reserve and who was killed-in-action in World War II, are also in the same site.

CARTER, WILLIAM H
MAJ GEN USA RTD
DATE OF DEATH: 05/24/1925
BURIED AT: SECTION W  SITE LOT 443
ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY

Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, 6th U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: At Cibicue, Arizona, 30 August 1881. Entered service at: New York, N.Y. Birth: Nashville, Tennessee. Date of issue: 17 September 1891. 

Citation:

Rescued, with the voluntary assistance of 2 soldiers, the wounded from under a heavy fire.

WASHINGTON, January 19, 1955 - Mrs. William H. Carter, widow of an Army Major General who had won the Medal of Honor for rescuing injured men under heavy Apache Indian fire in Arizona, in 1881, died yesterday at her home.  Her age was  94.

Photographs By M. R. Patterson, October 2002

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