Columbia history – Did you know?
The July 1939 issue of The Pennsylvania Guardsman
For readers looking to do a deep dive into Shannon's life and career, the following text, derived from articles in the July 1939 edition of The Pennsylvania Guardsman, is provided. This issue is believed to be in the public domain. Readers who want to try an even deeper dive can access a copy of the magazine at the Columbia Historic Preservation Society at 19-21 North 2nd Street.
On June 24, 1939, one of Pennsylvania's most distinguished military careers came to a close when Major General Edward Caswell Shannon retired as Commanding General of the 28th Division after fifty years of unbroken service to his state and country. The man his troops affectionately called "Two Yard Shannon" — because he was always that distance ahead of his regiment's front line — left behind a legacy that spanned two wars, a border conflict, and decades of dedicated peacetime service.
Early Life and the Call to Service
Born on June 24, 1870, in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania — a town nestled near the historic grounds of Valley Forge — Edward Caswell Shannon grew up steeped in the traditions of American patriotism. The son of Frederick Hallman and Janet (Murray) Shannon, the young Shannon frequently stood in awe before Washington's former headquarters, deeply moved by the sacrifices of the Colonial troops who had suffered there nearly a century before.
He pursued studies in metallurgical chemistry at Lafayette and Lehigh colleges, and worked as a chemist and later as a manager for several industrial firms in Columbia and Phoenixville. Yet his true calling was always the military. On April 10, 1889, at the age of eighteen, he enlisted as a private in Company C, 4th Regiment Infantry, Pennsylvania National Guard — and never looked back.
Rising Through the Ranks
Shannon's rise through the enlisted and officer ranks was swift, driven by an eagerness to master the military craft that caught the attention of his superiors from the very beginning. Within a decade he had advanced from Private to Captain, earning his promotions as Corporal (1890), Sergeant (1891), Second Lieutenant (1893), First Lieutenant (1896), and finally Captain on February 21, 1898.
When Congress declared war on Spain in April 1898, Captain Shannon immediately volunteered his services. He served with distinction in Puerto Rico, returning to America at war's end and mustering out of federal service on November 16, 1898 — only to re-enter the National Guard and continue his climb.
By 1904 he was a Major, and on April 22, 1915, he was chosen to lead his regiment as Colonel. In 1916, when Mexican border troubles arose, Colonel Shannon led his command to the defense of the border, remaining there until January 17, 1917.
World War I: Birth of a Legend
When America entered the First World War in April 1917, Colonel Shannon was ready. He mustered into federal service on July 15, 1917, and was soon placed in command of the 111th Infantry, 28th Division — the famous "Iron Division" — composed of the old Sixth and Eighteenth Regiments of the Pennsylvania National Guard.
The regiment shipped overseas aboard the Olympic in May 1918. The voyage itself was eventful: on May 12, German submarine U-103 surfaced near the transport, but the quick action of Captain Bertram Hayes — throwing the massive vessel broadside — caused the sub to be turned over by the paravane. The ship's gunners fired five shells through the submarine, and destroyers secured thirty-one prisoners.
Landing at Calais, France, on May 14, 1918 — the first 28th Division unit to reach French soil — the 111th Infantry plunged into some of the war's most brutal fighting. Shannon led his men through Chateau-Thierry, the Champagne-Marne, Aisne-Marne, Fismes, Oise-Aisne, Meuse-Argonne, and finally the Thiacourt Sector — four months and four days of the most intense combat of the entire war.
The price was staggering. At Chateau-Thierry, Shannon entered battle with 1,500 men of the old 6th and 18th units. Only 256 returned with him. The casualty list for his First Battalion alone recorded 20 officers killed, 33 wounded, 496 men killed, 2,077 wounded, and 482 missing. Yet through it all, Shannon was always at the front — earning his immortal nickname "Two Yard Shannon" from the men who watched their colonel lead from the very tip of the advance.
Drawings depicting Shannon's career
His personal bravery was formally recognized with a Silver Star citation by command of General Pershing, awarded for gallantry on July 24, 1918, at the Forêt de Fère, France, where he personally reconnoitered in front of his lines under intense machine gun fire. He also received the Distinguished Service Medal for contributing materially to the success of the 28th Division in its operations against the enemy.
The regiment's early valor had been recognized even before these engagements. On July 4, 1918, French Colonel Matter of the 153rd French Infantry Regiment wrote a glowing commendation of the 111th's two platoons who had fought alongside his unit at Hill 204 on July 1 — calling their conduct in their "baptism of fire" admirable, and praising their ardor, bravery, and hand-to-hand courage against the enemy.
Return Home and Postwar Command
Shannon returned to New York from France a hero. When asked by reporters for a comment, he smiled and said simply: "We cut hell out of them." He then led his regiment up Broad Street in Philadelphia to the cheers of thousands.
His promotion to Brigadier General came on June 19, 1919. He was appointed to command the 56th Infantry Brigade, Pennsylvania National Guard, and later the 52nd Cavalry Brigade in 1926. On March 24, 1933, following the retirement of Major General William G. Price, Jr., Shannon was assigned to command the 28th Division itself.
His confirmation as Major General by the Pennsylvania Senate in March 1933 was itself historic — the Senate unanimously confirmed his appointment without the formality of referring it to the Committee on Executive Nominations, the first time in the history of the Senate that this formality had been waived. Governor Gifford Pinchot, in signing the bill, declared that Pennsylvania "needs and wants" Shannon as its Commanding General.
Commander of the 28th Division
As Commanding General of the 28th Division, Shannon brought the same disciplined, principled leadership that had defined his field command. Colonel Robert Morris, Chief of Staff of the 28th Division, outlined Shannon's objectives upon taking command: to qualify himself fully for command of an infantry division; to train all arms and services to function as a coordinated command; to foster in every officer a sense of responsibility as a leader; and to raise the division's military education to the highest level attainable by citizen soldiers.
His methods were tested dramatically during the catastrophic Pennsylvania floods of 1936, when more than 50% of the National Guard was mobilized within fifty hours under the most adverse imaginable conditions. Operating almost entirely by telephone and radio, with officers given sweeping local authority, the division brought order out of chaos across a front of nearly 500 miles — saving lives, feeding communities, and forming a cohesive chain of command in circumstances that would have overwhelmed a less well-trained force.
He also oversaw two Army Command Post Exercises at Camp Dix and Camp Devens, and established a Division Staff school — later extended to Brigade and Regimental staffs — that significantly improved the efficiency of command throughout the division.
Civilian Life and Public Service
Shannon's service was never confined to the military sphere. He served as Prothonotary of Lancaster County and as Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania. He was a director of several corporations, a delegate to the Republican National Convention in 1932, and a tireless supporter of hospitals, the Red Cross, Boy Scouts, and civic improvement.
For eighteen years he served on the Board of Trustees of the Pennsylvania Soldiers Orphan School, never missing a meeting and contributing immeasurably to the school's growing efficiency and reputation.
Farewell to a General
On June 17, 1939, more than two hundred officers of the Pennsylvania National Guard gathered at the historic Union League Club of Philadelphia to honor Shannon at a testimonial dinner. Speakers included Brigadier General Smedley D. Butler, retired Major General of Marines; Major General J. K. Parsons of the Third Corps Area; Admiral Julius C. Townsend of the 4th Naval District; and many others representing all branches of the armed forces.
General and Mrs. Shannon received a silver punch bowl and ladle from the officers of the 28th Division, and a silver service tray on behalf of his staff.
A week later, at Indiantown Gap on June 24 — his birthday — Shannon took a final review of the 52nd Cavalry Brigade, the unit he had commanded for a decade, and attended a farewell luncheon with officers from all branches of service.
Legacy
Major General Edward Caswell Shannon retired as one of the most beloved and respected commanders in the history of the Pennsylvania National Guard. His men knew him not as a distant authority but as the grey-haired man who was always ahead of them in the line, who prayed over his decimated platoons returning from their first battles, and who gave fifty years of his life in the service of his state and nation without hesitation or complaint.
As Sergeant Major Vincent E. Carmichael of the 109th Infantry wrote of him: "He is a real officer and a gentleman."
The standard he set for the 28th Division, his colleagues pledged, would not be forgotten — a standard built not on paperwork or ceremony, but on loyalty, fairness, discipline freely given, and the unshakeable belief that every soldier deserved to be treated with justice and supported in the performance of his duty.
"Two Yard Shannon" — always two yards ahead — had earned his rest.
Additional information and photos are presented HERE.
