Abraham Kerns Arnold (March 24, 1837 – November 3, 1901) was a

U.S. Cavalry The United States Cavalry, or U.S. Cavalry, was the designation of the mounted force of the United States Army by an act of Congress on 3 August 1861.Price (1883) p. 103, 104 This act converted the U.S. Army's two regiments of dragoons, one r ...

officer during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

and, while a captain in the

5th U.S. Cavalry 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 ...

, received the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. ...

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

Spanish–American War , partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence , image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg , image_size = 300px , caption = (clock ...

, 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 World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

Early life and education

Born in

Bedford, Pennsylvania Bedford is a borough and spa town in and the county seat of Bedford County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It is located west of Harrisburg, the state capital, and east of Pittsburgh. Bedford's population was 2,861 at the 2020 census. His ...

, 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 Fort Inge was a frontier fort in Uvalde County, Texas, United States. History Established as Camp Leona on March 13, 1849, Fort Inge was garrisoned intermittently until March 19, 1869. The fort served as a base for United States Army troops assign ...

, Arnold held a distinguished service record during the

. 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 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 The 6th Cavalry ("Fighting Sixth'") is a regiment of the United States Army that began as a regiment of cavalry in the American Civil War. It currently is organized into aviation squadrons that are assigned to several different combat aviation ...

. 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 Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

later that year in pursuit of renegade Apaches to

Lake Guzman A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much larger ...

. As acting assistant adjutant general to General

Orlando B. Willcox Orlando Bolivar Willcox (April 16, 1823 – May 11, 1907) was an American soldier who served as a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Early life Willcox was born in Detroit, Michigan. He entered the United States Military Ac ...

, 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 (1895-1898), and was promoted to colonel in 1891. During the

, he accepted a field commission as brigadier general of volunteers and led 2nd U.S. Division of the 7th Army Corps in

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...

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