Abraham Arnold

Infobox Military Person
name= Abraham Kerns Arnold
born= birth date|1837|3|24
died= death date and age|1901|11|3|1837|3|24
placeofbirth= Bedford, Pennsylvania
placeofdeath= Cold Spring-On-Hudson, New York
placeofburial= Cemetery of Saint Philip's Church Garrison, New York


caption= Abraham Arnold
nickname=
allegiance= United States of America Union
branch= United States Army Union Army
serviceyears=1858–1901
rank=Brigadier General
commands=
unit=
battles= American Civil War Spanish-American War Indian Wars
awards=Medal of Honor
laterwork=

Abraham Kerns Arnold (March 24, 1837 – November 3, 1901) was a US Cavalry officer during the American Civil War and, while a captain in the 5th U.S. Cavalry, was awarded the Medal of Honor for leading a "a gallant charge against a superior force of the enemy, extricated his command from a perilous position in which it had been ordered" against Confederate forces at Davenport Bridge, Virginia on May 10, 1864.

He is the father of Colonel Percy Weir Arnold, a cavalry officer serving during the Spanish-American War, the Philippine Insurrection and the First World War.

Biography

Born in Bedford, Pennsylvania, Arnold entered West Point and graduated from the academy in 1859 as a brevet Second Lieutenant in the 2nd U.S. Cavalry. Participating in campaigns against the Commanche while stationed in Fort Inge, Arnold held a distinguished service record during the American Civil War. Promoted to first lieutenant in 1861, he was cited "for gallant and meritorious services" at Gaines' Mill and Todd's Tavern brevetted captain and major after both engagements respectively. He was, most notably, awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his actions during the Battle of Davenport Bridge leading a cavalry charge against superior Confederate forces to rescue men under his command and preventing their capture.

In 1869, he became a full major as commander the 6th U.S. Cavalry and, by early-1879, he was directing operations against the Apaches in southeastern Arizona accompanying an expedition into Mexico later that year in pursuit of renegade Apaches to Lake Guzman. As acting assistant adjutant general to General Orlando B. Willcox, Arnold would also take part in the Battle of Cibecue on August 30, 1881. As a lieutenant colonel in 1886, he would also fight in the expedition against the Crows of the North Plains the following year. He would hold a number of command posts with various cavalry units during the next twelve years.

During the Spanish-American War, he accepted a field commission as brigadier general of volunteers and led 2nd U.S. Division of the 7th Army Corps in Cuba from January 16, 1898 until April 1, 1899.

He retired on March 25, 1901 and died several months later in Cold Spring-On-Hudson, New York on November 23, 1901. His grave can be found in the Cemetery of Saint Philip's Church Garrison, New York.

Bibliography

*"Notes on Horses for Cavalry Service" (1869)
*"A System of Exercises and Gymnastics for Use in School of Soldier Mounted" (1887)
*"The Cavalry at Gaines' Mill" (1889)
*"Special Report on Combined Manoeuvers at the Cavalry and Light Artillery" (1896)

References

*"Appletons' Annual Cyclopædia and Register of Important Events of the Year, 1902". New York: D. Appleton & Co., 1902.
*"The Encyclopedia Americana: A Library of Universal Knowledge". Albany: J.B. Lyon Company, 1918.
*Gilman, Daniel Coit; Harry Thurston Peck and Frank Moore Colby, ed. "The New International Encyclopædia, Vol. II". New York: Dodd, Mead & Co., 1902.
*Thomas, Joseph. "Universal Pronouncing Dictionary of Biography and Mythology, Vol. I - AA to HER". Philadelphia: J.P. Lippencott Company, 1908.
*Thrapp, Dan L. "Encyclopedia of Frontier Biography: In Three Volumes, Volume I (A-F)". Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1988. ISBN 0-8032-9418-2

Further reading

*Price, George F. "Across the Continent with the Fifth Cavalry". New York: D. Van Nostrand, 1883.

ee also

*List of Medal of Honor recipients
*
*List of American Civil War generals

External links

*findagrave|7869930 Retrieved on 2008-04-02
* [http://www.medalofhonor.com/AbrahamArnold.htm Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient: Abraham Arnold]

Persondata
NAME= Arnold, Abraham Kerns
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION= American Civil War Medal of Honor recipient
DATE OF BIRTH= March 24, 1837
PLACE OF BIRTH= Bedford, Pennsylvania
DATE OF DEATH= November 3, 1901
PLACE OF DEATH= Cold Spring-On-Hudson, New York