ROBERT MAITLAND O'REILLY
O'REILLY, ROBERT MAITLAND, surgeon-general United States army, was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, January 14, 1845. His parents were John and Ellen (Maitland) O'Reilly. Among the distinguished ancestors of the family were Alexander O'Reilly, the last governor of Louisiana under Spanish rule; Thomas Fitzsimmons, who was a partner of Robert Morris, a member of the Continental congress, of the United States constitutional convention, and of the first, second, and third Congresses of the United States; Lieutenant Patrick McDonough, who was killed in the defense of Fort Erie in the War of 1812; and Major John Maitland, who served in a volunteer regiment in the same war and who was also a member of the select council of Philadelphia.
In childhood and youth Robert Maitland O'Reilly lived for the most part in the city. His health was good; he had no tasks to perform which required manual labor; and there were no unusual difficulties in the way of his acquiring an education. His preparatory studies were taken in private schools. The active work of life was commenced in 1862, in the medical department of the United States army. In January, 1864, he received the appointment of medical cadet in the army. He took a course of study at the University of Pennsylvania, from which institution he was graduated in 1866. His army service was continuous, and by successive promotions he reached the rank of major-surgeon in 1896. In the war with Spain he served from May, 1898, to May, 1899, as lieutenant-colonel, chief surgeon of volunteers. He was promoted lieutenant-colonel deputy surgeon-general in 1900, colonel assistant surgeon-general in February, 1902, and in September, 1902, after a service of forty years in the medical department of the army he was promoted to his present rank of brigadier-general surgeon-general.
He was married to Frances L. Pardee, August 16, 1877. Of their two children one is now living. Surgeon-General O'Reilly is a member of the Loyal Legion; of the Metropolitan and Chevy Chase clubs of Washington, District of Columbia; of the University and
