Charles Austin Coolidge, Jr. (July 19, 1844 – June 1, 1926) was a
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
soldier who served in the American Civil War, the American West, Spanish–American War, and in Asia before retiring in 1903 as a brigadier general.
Early life, education & marriage
Charles Austin Coolidge, Jr. was born on July 19, 1844, in
Boston, Massachusetts, to Charles Austin Coolidge, Sr. and Anna Maria (Rice) Coolidge. He attended
Norwich University
Norwich University – The Military College of Vermont is a private senior military college in Northfield, Vermont. It is the oldest private and senior military college in the United States and offers bachelor's and master's degrees on-campus ...
in
Northfield, Vermont
Northfield is a New England town, town in Washington County, Vermont, United States. The town lies in a valley within the Green Mountains and has been home to Norwich University since 1866. It contains the Northfield (CDP), Vermont, village of No ...
, from 1859 to 1861; in 1903 Norwich conferred his bachelor's degree as a member of the class of 1863. Later he received his
M.D.
Doctor of Medicine (abbreviated M.D., from the Latin ''Medicinae Doctor'') is a medical degree, the meaning of which varies between different jurisdictions. In the United States, and some other countries, the M.D. denotes a professional degree. T ...
from the
Wooster Medical College in
Wooster, Ohio
Wooster ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Wayne County. Located in northeastern Ohio, the city lies approximately south-southwest of Cleveland, southwest of Akron and west of Canton. The population was 27,232 at t ...
. He married Sophia Wager Lowry in
Tallahassee, Florida
Tallahassee ( ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat and only incorporated municipality in Leon County, Florida, Leon County. Tallahassee became the capital of Florida, then the Florida Territory, in 1824. In ...
, on 19 November 1867; she was the daughter of Philip Lowry and Caroline Tilghman of Philadelphia.
Military career
On 23 Oct 1862, Coolidge enlisted in the United States Army as a private in the
16th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry. In May 1864 he was appointed Second Lieutenant of the
Seventh Infantry Regiment. The Seventh at that time was on duty in New York, having just come from Gettysburg for the draft riots. Following a month of service at City Point, Virginia, the regiment remained at New York harbor until the end of the war. The regiment was then sent to Florida for the next five years.
After his unit was transferred to the American West in 1870, Lieutenant Coolidge was a member of Captain Rawn's command of ~25 regulars which opposed and stalled
Chief Looking Glass' Nez Percé Indians at
Lolo Pass. He was wounded in this campaign at the
Battle of the Big Hole
The Battle of the Big Hole was fought in Montana Territory, August 9–10, 1877, between the United States Army and the Nez Perce tribe of Native Americans during the Nez Perce War. Both sides suffered heavy casualties. The Nez Perce withd ...
on August 9, 1877. Later when appointed a Captain, he served in Montana, Dakota Territory,
Fort Snelling
Fort Snelling is a former military fortification and National Historic Landmark in the U.S. state of Minnesota on the bluffs overlooking the confluence of the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers. The military site was initially named Fort Saint Anth ...
,
Fort D.A. Russell (Wyoming)
Fort D. A. Russell, also known as Fort Francis E. Warren, Francis E. Warren Air Force Base and Fort David A. Russell, was a post and base of operations for the United States Army, and later the U.S. Air Force, Air Force, located in Cheyenne, Wyom ...
,
Rock Springs, Wyoming
Rock Springs is a city in Sweetwater County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 23,036 at the 2010 census, making it the fifth most populated city in the state of Wyoming, and the most populous city in Sweetwater County. Rock Springs is ...
, and Fort Logan near
Denver, Colorado
Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
.
At the outbreak of 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 ...
in April 1898, Coolidge attained the rank of Major in the
Seventh Infantry Regiment. He participated in the capture of
El Caney
El Caney (also Caney) is a small village six kilometers (four miles) to the northeast of Santiago, Cuba. "Caney" means longhouse in Taíno.
Overview
It was known in centuries past as the site where Hernán Cortés received a vision supposedly orde ...
on July 1, 1898, and the bombardment of
Santiago de Cuba
Santiago de Cuba is the second-largest city in Cuba and the capital city of Santiago de Cuba Province. It lies in the southeastern area of the island, some southeast of the Cuban capital of Havana.
The municipality extends over , and contains t ...
.
![9th-US-Infantry-Regt-Sacred-Gate](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d5/9th-US-Infantry-Regt-Sacred-Gate.jpeg)
Coolidge was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel of the
Ninth Infantry Regiment on May 16, 1899, and he took part in the engagements at
Zapote Bridge
Zapote Bridge is a stone arch pedestrian bridge crossing the Zapote River in the Philippines. It connects the cities of Las Piñas in Metro Manila and Bacoor in the province of Cavite. The bridge and its surrounding area was the site of two battl ...
and
Tarlac, Philippine Islands. In June 1900 the regiment was ordered to China as part of the
China Relief Expedition
The China Relief Expedition was an expedition in China undertaken by the United States Armed Forces to rescue United States citizens, European nationals, and other foreign nationals during the latter years of the Boxer Rebellion, which lasted f ...
. He assumed command following the death of Colonel
Emerson H. Liscum during the
Boxer Rebellion
The Boxer Rebellion, also known as the Boxer Uprising, the Boxer Insurrection, or the Yihetuan Movement, was an anti-foreign, anti-colonial, and anti-Christian uprising in China between 1899 and 1901, towards the end of the Qing dynasty, by ...
as part of the
Allies
An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...
relief of the
Legation
A legation was a diplomatic representative office of lower rank than an embassy. Where an embassy was headed by an ambassador, a legation was headed by a Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary, minister. Ambassadors diplomatic rank, out ...
at
Tianjin
Tianjin (; ; Mandarin: ), alternately romanized as Tientsin (), is a municipality and a coastal metropolis in Northern China on the shore of the Bohai Sea. It is one of the nine national central cities in Mainland China, with a total popul ...
from June to July 1900. After the departure of Colonel
Robert Leamy Meade
Robert Leamy Meade (December 25, 1842 – February 11, 1910) was an officer in the United States Marine Corps during the American Civil War, Spanish–American War and Boxer Rebellion. He was the nephew of Major General George G. Meade.
Early ...
of the Marines from China on July 26, 1900, Lieutenant Colonel Coolidge was placed in command of the American forces in China until the arrival of
General Adna Chaffee in early August 1900. Also during the Boxer Rebellion on August 14, 1900, he led the first American force to enter the
Forbidden City
The Forbidden City () is a Chinese palace, palace complex in Dongcheng District, Beijing, China, at the center of the Imperial City, Beijing, Imperial City of Beijing. It is surrounded by numerous opulent imperial gardens and temples includ ...
in
Beijing
}
Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...
.
In 1901 Coolidge was named Colonel of the Seventh Infantry Regiment, transferred to the
Presidio of San Francisco
The Presidio of San Francisco (originally, El Presidio Real de San Francisco or The Royal Fortress of Saint Francis) is a park and former U.S. Army post on the northern tip of the San Francisco Peninsula in San Francisco, California, and is part o ...
, where he retired August 8, 1903, as a Brigadier General.
Retirement and death
Coolidge moved to Detroit shortly after the San Francisco earthquake in August 1906. He had been exceptionally active in work of military veterans' organizations and he was a member of the
Loyal Legion, the
GAR
Gars are members of the family Lepisosteidae, which are the only surviving members of the Ginglymodi, an ancient holosteian group of ray-finned fish, which first appeared during the Triassic, over 240 million years ago. Gars comprise seven livin ...
,
Sons of the American Revolution
The National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR or NSSAR) is an American Congressional charter, congressionally chartered organization, founded in 1889 and headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, Louisville, Kentucky. A non-prof ...
and the
United Spanish War Veterans
The United Spanish War Veterans was an American veterans' organization which consisted of veterans of the Spanish–American War, Philippine–American War and China Relief Expedition.
Origins
Soon after the Spanish–American War ended, in early ...
.
He was a Councilor of the
Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America (BSA, colloquially the Boy Scouts) is one of the largest scouting organizations and one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with about 1.2 million youth participants. The BSA was founded i ...
and a President of the
American Philatelic Society
The American Philatelic Society (APS) is the largest nonprofit stamp collecting foundation of philately in the world. Both the membership and interests of the society are worldwide.
History
The organization, originally named the ''American Phil ...
. He was admitted to the Detroit Post of the
GAR
Gars are members of the family Lepisosteidae, which are the only surviving members of the Ginglymodi, an ancient holosteian group of ray-finned fish, which first appeared during the Triassic, over 240 million years ago. Gars comprise seven livin ...
in 1906, elected Junior Commander two years later and named Commander in 1912.
Brigadier General Charles Austin Coolidge died June 2, 1926, at Grace Hospital in Detroit, Michigan in his eighty-first year. He had been ill since May 19, 1926, when he suffered a stroke while attending the
Lloyd Tilghman
Lloyd Tilghman (January 26, 1816 – May 16, 1863) was a Confederate general in the American Civil War.
A railroad construction engineer by background, he was selected by the Confederate government to build two forts to defend the Tennessee ...
monument unveiling at
Vicksburg, Mississippi
Vicksburg is a historic city in Warren County, Mississippi, United States. It is the county seat, and the population at the 2010 census was 23,856.
Located on a high bluff on the east bank of the Mississippi River across from Louisiana, Vic ...
. He was buried at
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery is one of two national cemeteries run by the United States Army. Nearly 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington, Virginia. There are about 30 funerals conducted on weekdays and 7 held on Sa ...
.
Military awards
General Coolidge earned the following military awards:
*
Civil War Campaign Medal
The Civil War Campaign Medal is considered the first campaign service medal of the United States Armed Forces. The decoration was awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces who had served in the American Civil War between 1861 and 1865.
...
*
Indian Campaign Medal
The Indian Campaign Medal is a decoration established by War Department General Orders 12, 1907.
*
Spanish Campaign Medal
The Spanish Campaign Medal was a military award of the United States Armed Forces which recognized those men of the U.S. military who had served in the Spanish–American War. Although a single decoration, there were two versions of the Spanish C ...
*
Philippine Campaign Medal
The Philippine Campaign Medal is a medal of the United States Armed Forces which was created to denote service of U.S. military men in the Philippine–American War between the years of 1899 and 1913. Although a single service medal, the Philippin ...
*
China Relief Expedition Medal
The China Relief Expedition Medal was a decoration of the United States military which was issued to members of both the United States Navy and the United States Marines for service in the China Relief Expedition between 1900 and 1901 during the ...
Family relations & genealogy
Charles A. Coolidge and his wife Sophie in 1870 adopted a son,
Sherman Coolidge
Sherman Coolidge (February 22, 1862January 24, 1932), an Episcopal Church (United States), Episcopal Church priest and educator, helped found and lead the Society of American Indians (1911–1923). That first national American Indian rights organiz ...
(1862–1932) of
Arapahoe
The Arapaho (; french: Arapahos, ) are a Native American people historically living on the plains of Colorado and Wyoming. They were close allies of the Cheyenne tribe and loosely aligned with the Lakota and Dakota.
By the 1850s, Arapaho band ...
ancestry, who became a prominent leader in the Native American community. General Coolidge was the son of Charles and Anna Maria Rice Coolidge. He was a direct descendant of John Coolidge (1604–1691) who emigrated from England about 1630 to
Watertown, Massachusetts
Watertown is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, and is part of Greater Boston. The population was 35,329 in the 2020 census. Its neighborhoods include Bemis, Coolidge Square, East Watertown, Watertown Square, and the West End.
Watertown ...
, and he was a cousin of
President Coolidge
Calvin Coolidge (born John Calvin Coolidge Jr.; ; July 4, 1872January 5, 1933) was the 30th president of the United States from 1923 to 1929. Born in Vermont, Coolidge was a Republican lawyer from New England who climbed up the ladder of Mas ...
. His grandfather
Henry Rice was a member of the Boston City Council and was a Massachusetts state legislator. He was also a descendant of
Edmund Rice
Edmund is a masculine given name or surname in the English language. The name is derived from the Old English elements ''ēad'', meaning "prosperity" or "riches", and ''mund'', meaning "protector".
Persons named Edmund include:
People Kings an ...
another early immigrant to
Massachusetts Bay Colony
The Massachusetts Bay Colony (1630–1691), more formally the Colony of Massachusetts Bay, was an English settlement on the east coast of North America around the Massachusetts Bay, the northernmost of the several colonies later reorganized as the ...
as follows:
[Edmund Rice (1638) Association, 2009. Descendants of Edmund Rice: The First Nine Generations. (CD-ROM)]
* Brig. Gen Charles A. Coolidge (1844–1926), son of
** Anna Maria Rice (1817–1886), daughter of
::*
Henry Rice (1786–1867), son of
::* Noah Rice (1751–1820), son of
::* Jabez Rice (1702–1783), son of
:::* Caleb Rice (1666–1739), son of
:::* Joseph Rice (1637–1711), son of
::::*
Edmund Rice
Edmund is a masculine given name or surname in the English language. The name is derived from the Old English elements ''ēad'', meaning "prosperity" or "riches", and ''mund'', meaning "protector".
Persons named Edmund include:
People Kings an ...
, (c. 1594–1663)
References
External links
Arlington National Cemetery
{{DEFAULTSORT:Coolidge, Charles A.
1844 births
1926 deaths
Burials at Arlington National Cemetery
Coolidge family
College of Wooster alumni
Norwich University alumni
People of Massachusetts in the American Civil War
Members of the Sons of the American Revolution
Union Army soldiers
United States Army generals