Ninth Commandant
30 January 1891 - 2 October 1903

Charles Heywood was born in Waterville, Maine, on 3 October 1839. He was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps in 1858. During the Civil War he distinguished himself at the capture of Forts Clark and Hatteras, and at sea with Admiral Farragut.

In 1885, he commanded the force of 250 Marines from the Marine Barracks, Brooklyn Navy Yard, that crossed the Isthmus of Panama to free Panama City from rebel forces.

Six years later, in 1891, he became Colonel Commandant. With modern ideas of personnel management, he instituted the fitness reports and promotion examination systems, and established the School of Application at Marine Barracks, Washington, for newly commissioned officers. It was the equivalent of today's Basic School at Quantico. During the Spanish-American War, Heywood saw the Corps expand some 50 percent and was himself promoted to brigadier general.

In 1902, Heywood was promoted to major general, the first Marine to hold the rank, and retired the following year with the Corps at its highest strength up to that point, 7,800 officers and men.

General Heywood died in Washington, D.C., on 26 February 1915 and was interred in Arlington National Cemetery.