Abraham Kerns Arnold (March 24, 1837 – November 3, 1901) was a U.S. Cavalry officer during the American Civil War and, while a captain in the 5th U.S. Cavalry, received the Medal of Honor for leading ''"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 Davenport may refer to: Places Australia * Davenport, Northern Territory, a locality *Hundred of Davenport, cadastral unit in South Australia ** Davenport, South Australia, suburb of Port Augusta **District Council of Davenport, former local gover ...

, on May 10, 1864. He is the father of Colonel Percy Weir Arnold, a cavalry officer serving during the Spanish–American War, the

Philippine–American War The Philippine–American War or Filipino–American War ( es, Guerra filipina-estadounidense, tl, Digmaang Pilipino–Amerikano), previously referred to as the Philippine Insurrection or the Tagalog Insurgency by the United States, was an arm ...

and the First World War.

Early life and education

Born in Bedford, Pennsylvania, Arnold entered West Point and graduated with the class of 1859 as a brevet

Second Lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...

in the 2nd Cavalry Regiment.Marquis Who's Who, Inc. ''Who Was Who in American History, the Military''. Chicago: Marquis Who's Who, 1975. P. 15

Career

Participating in campaigns against the

Comanche The Comanche or Nʉmʉnʉʉ ( com, Nʉmʉnʉʉ, "the people") are a Native American tribe from the Southern Plains of the present-day United States. Comanche people today belong to the federally recognized Comanche Nation, headquartered in La ...

while stationed in Fort Inge, Arnold held a distinguished service record during the American Civil War. Promoted to first lieutenant in April 1861, he served as

adjutant Adjutant is a military appointment given to an officer who assists the commanding officer with unit administration, mostly the management of human resources in an army unit. The term is used in French-speaking armed forces as a non-commission ...

of the

5th Cavalry Regiment The 5th Cavalry Regiment ("Black Knights") is a historical unit of the United States Army that began its service on August 3, 1861, when an act of Congress enacted "that the two regiments of dragoons, the regiment of mounted riflemen, and the t ...

. He was cited ''"for gallant and meritorious services"'' at Gaines' Mill and Todds Tavern, brevetted to captain and major after both engagements respectively. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during the

Battle of Davenport Bridge A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and forc ...

leading his regiment in a cavalry charge against superior Confederate forces to rescue men under his command and preventing their capture. In June 1869, he was promoted to full major of the 6th U.S. Cavalry. By early 1879, he was directing operations against the

Apache The Apache () are a group of culturally related Native American tribes in the Southwestern United States, which include the Chiricahua, Jicarilla, Lipan, Mescalero, Mimbreño, Ndendahe (Bedonkohe or Mogollon and Nednhi or Carrizaleño an ...

s 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 Creek 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 during the next twelve years, including a term as commander of the

Cavalry and Light Artillery School The United States Army Cavalry School was part of a series of training programs and centers for its horse mounted troops or cavalry branch. History In 1838, a Cavalry School of Practice was established at Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania, which in ...

(1895-1898), and was promoted to colonel in 1891. 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 7 (seven) is the natural number following 6 and preceding 8. It is the only prime number preceding a cube. As an early prime number in the series of positive integers, the number seven has greatly symbolic associations in religion, mythology, s ...

in Cuba from January 16, 1898, until April 1, 1899.

Death and legacy

He retired on March 25, 1901, and died several months later in

Cold Spring-On-Hudson, New York Cold Spring is a village in the town of Philipstown in Putnam County, New York, United States. The population was 1,986 at the 2020 census. It borders the smaller village of Nelsonville and the hamlets of Garrison and North Highlands. The cen ...

, on November 3, 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. *

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Arnold, Abraham Kerns 1837 births 1901 deaths People from Bedford, Pennsylvania American military personnel of the Spanish–American War American people of the Indian Wars United States Army Medal of Honor recipients People of Pennsylvania in the American Civil War Union Army officers United States Army generals American Civil War recipients of the Medal of Honor United States Military Academy alumni