Brigadier General Abraham "Kerns" Arnold

Brigadier General Abraham "Kerns" Arnold (USA)

• https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/7869930/abraham_kerns_arnold
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham_Arnold

General Arnold was a US 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 "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–American War and the First World War.

Biography

From The Hall of Valor Project [https://valor.militarytimes.com/hero/31]

Born in Bedford, Pennsylvania, Arnold entered West Point and graduated with the class of 1859 as a brevet Second Lieutenant in the 2nd Cavalry Regiment. 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 April 1861, he served as adjutant of the 5th Cavalry Regiment. 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 Congressional 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. 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 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 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 3, 1901. His grave can be found in the Cemetery of Saint Philip's Church Garrison, New York.

Abraham Kerns Arnold DATE OF BIRTH: March 24, 1837

PLACE OF BIRTH:

Bedford, Pennsylvania

HOME OF RECORD:

Bedford, Pennsylvania

Abraham Arnold graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, Class of 1859. He was the brother-in-law of Medal of Honor recipient Samuel Benjamin, a classmate at West Point who graduated in 1861.

AWARDS BY DATE OF ACTION: 1 of 1

Medal of Honor AWARDED FOR ACTIONS DURING Civil War

Service: Army

Division: 5th U.S. Cavalry

GENERAL ORDERS: Date of Issue: September 1, 1893

CITATION: The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to Captain Abraham Kerns Arnold, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism on 10 May 1864, while serving with 5th U.S. Cavalry, in action at Davenport Bridge, Virginia. By a gallant charge against a superior force of the enemy, Captain Arnold extricated his command from a perilous position in which it had been ordered.

[https://regularcavalryincivilwar.com/2014/05/08/starting-the-1864-c...]/

Regular Cavalry in the Civil War

Starting the 1864 Campaigns 150 years ago today, the Army of the Potomac’s Cavalry Corps engaged in its first battle of 1864 at Todd’s Tavern. Before looking at the battle itself, I thought it would be helpful to look at the state of the three regular regiments in the Reserve Brigade as the campaign began. Listing the numbers may seem tedious, but it will go a long way to help the reader visualize the effects of the year’s battles on these understrength regiments. 1864 was an absolutely brutal year for these regiments, and one would be combat ineffective by year’s end.

On April 28th, the regiments of the Reserve Brigade moved out of their winter camps near Mitchell’s Station and encamped about 1.5 miles from Culpeper. At this time the brigade consisted of the 1st, 2nd and 5th U.S. Cavalry, the 6th Pennsylvania Cavalry, and the 1st New York Dragoons. Colonel Alfred Gibbs, commander of the 1st New York Dragoons, commanded the brigade, as Brigadier General Wesley Merritt was in temporary command of the First Division.

The 1st U.S. Cavalry was commanded at the beginning of May by Captain Nelson B. Sweitzer. This Pennsylvania native was the most experienced of the three commanders. An 1853 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy, he had served in the regiment his entire career. It had 8 officers and 487 enlisted men present for duty of an authorized 42 officers and 1,189 enlisted men. Its twelve companies averaged 40 enlisted men each. On the April 1864 return, the regiment requested 356 recruits to bring it up to full strength.

The 2nd U.S. Cavalry started 1864 campaigning under Captain Theophilus F. Rodenbough. A civilian appointee from his native Pennsylvania in 1861, Rodenbough was by now a veteran, his only absence from the regiment a brief stint as a prisoner of war after Second Manassas. The regiment had eight officers and 271 enlisted men present for duty, with another 131 enlisted men on extra duty. Its twelve companies averaged only 21 enlisted men each. On the April 1864 return, the regiment requested 559 recruits to bring it up to full strength.

The 5th U.S. Cavalry was commanded at this time by Captain Abraham K. Arnold. Another Pennsylvanian, Arnold graduated from West Point in 1859. He missed the regiment’s ill-fated charge at Gaines Mill, serving as an aide de camp to General McClellan until March of the previous year. He distinguished himself multiple times during the Overland Campaign, earning a Medal of Honor. Only seven of the regiment’s twelve companies were present for duty, as Companies B, F, K and L served as escort to General Grant’s headquarters, and Company D served at Point Lookout, Maryland. Indeed, the regiment had 23 of its assigned officers and 263 enlisted men on detached service, at army headquarters and elsewhere. The seven companies present mustered only 6 officers and 206 enlisted men, an average of 29 men each. On the April 1864 return, the regiment requested 630 recruits to bring it up to full strength.

Unfortunately, I don’t presently have unit strengths for the 6th Pennsylvania and the 1st New York Dragoons. The 1st New York a relatively inexperienced unit, but the 6th Pennsylvania had served in every 1862 campaign of the Army of the Potomac, and its numbers reflected its veteran status.

The three regiments combined for a present for duty strength of 22 officers and 964 enlisted men, of an authorized strength of 126 officers and 3,567 enlisted men. Officer strength was 17.4% and enlisted strength was 27%. And the hardest year’s campaigning was about to begin.