Henry Howard Whitney

Henry Howard Whitney
Whitney as a captain at the time of the Spanish–American War.
Born	(1866-12-25)December 25, 1866 Glen Hope, Pennsylvania
Died	April 2, 1949(1949-04-02) (aged 82) Madison, New Jersey
Buried	Arlington National Cemetery
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Army
Years of service	1892–1920
Rank	Brigadier General
Battles/wars	Spanish–American War Pancho Villa Expedition World War I
Awards	Distinguished Service Cross Army Distinguished Service Medal French Legion of Honor (Officer) Romanian Order of the Crown (Commander) Order of Prince Danilo I (Commander) Montenegro

Henry Howard Whitney (December 25, 1866 – April 2, 1949) was a United States military officer who attained the rank of brigadier general. He was known primarily for the spy missions he carried out in Puerto Rico and Cuba prior to the start of the Spanish–American War.

Whitney was born in Glen Hope, Pennsylvania on December 25, 1866. The son of a clergyman and Union Army veteran of the American Civil War, he graduated from Dickinson Seminary and passed a competitive examination for appointment to the United States Military Academy in 1888. He graduated number 11 of 62 in the class of 1892, and was the class president for all four of his years at West Point.

Whitney was commissioned in the 4th Field Artillery. He was on special duty at the War Department from 1896 to 1898. In 1898, he was appointed Military Attaché to the American legation in Buenos Aires, and soon afterwards agreed to undertake a covert mission for the Secretary of War in anticipation of the Spanish–American War.

Whitney disguised himself as an English sailor, evaded capture by Spanish authorities, and made a military reconnaissance of Puerto Rico and Cuba, thereby gaining intelligence upon which General Nelson A. Miles based the war's Puerto Rican Campaign, and General William Rufus Shafter based his campaign in Cuba. In 1918, Whitney was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for heroism in carrying out this spy mission.