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 [decorative delimiter] Class of 1885

Vol. III
p385
3058

(Born Kan.)

Joseph Ernstº Kuhn

(Ap'd Kan.)

1

Born Leavenworth, KS.​a

Military History. — Cadet at the Military Academy, July 1, 1881, to June 14, 1885, when he was graduated and promoted in the Army to

Second Lieut., Corps of Engineers, June 14, 1885.

Served: with the Battalion of Engineers at Willet's Point, N. Y., Sep. 30, 1885, to May 10, 1888, being Ordnance Officer of the Post of Willet's Point, May 25, 1887, to May 11, 1888; as Recorder of Board of Engineer Officers on Bridge across the Mississippi River at Dubuque, Io., July 28 to Sep. 1, 1887; as Assistant to Lieut.‑Colonel Indicates a West Point graduate and gives his Class.Mansfield,

(First Lieut., Corps of Engineers, June 15, 1888)

May 15 to Dec. 19, 1888, and to Major Indicates a West Point graduate and gives his Class.Ludlow, Dec. 19, 1888, to Aug. 30, 1889; and at the Military Academy as Assistant Professor of Civil and Military Engineering, to ––––

Vol. IV
p398
[Supplement, Vol. IV: 1890‑1900]

Military History. — Served: At U. S. M. A., West Point, N. Y., as Instructor of Civil and Military Engineering, Aug. 31, 1889 to Aug. 1, 1894.​b — In charge of the supervision of the erection of a new Academic Building​c at West Point, N. Y., May 22, 1891 to June 10, 1893. — Acting Adjutant of U. S. Military Academy, July 13 to Aug. 13, 1892. — On duty under the immediate orders of Colonel Indicates a West Point graduate and gives his Class.Mendell, at San Francisco, Cal., Aug. 6, 1894 to Oct. 12, 1895. — In charge of the defences of San Francisco Bay at Fort Winfield Scott and Fort Mason, and of the improvement of Oakland Harbor, Cal., Oct. 12, 1895 to Jan. 31, 1896. — On duty under the immediate orders of Colonel Indicates a West Point graduate and gives his Class.Suter, Jan. 31 to July 26, 1896.

(Captain, Corps of Engineers, May 26, 1898)

— On duty in office of the Chief of Engineers, Washington, D. C., from Aug. 1, 1896 to –––––; Assistant to the Chief of Engineers, March 2, 1897  p399 to –––––; Disbursing Officer, office of the Chief of Engineers, May 23, 1896 to ––––

(Major and Chief Engineer, U. S. Volunteers, May 31, 1898)

(Honorably discharged from Volunteer Service, April 12, 1899)

Vol. V
p367
[Supplement, Vol. V: 1900‑1910]

Military History. — Served: On duty in office of the Chief of Engineers, Washington, D. C., from Aug. 1, 1896 to Aug. 1, 1900; Assistant to the Chief of Engineers, March 2, 1897 to Aug. 1, 1900; Disbursing Officer, office of the Chief of Engineers, May 23, 1896 to Aug. 1, 1900; at U. S. Military Academy, Aug. 15, 1900 to Sept. 1, 1903, in charge of erection of officers' mess and remodeling library building; with Company M, 3d Battalion of Engineers, Sept. 1, 1903 to March 1, 1904; in Philippine Islands, Oct. 1, 1903 to March 2, 1904; Military Attache at the U. S. Legation at Tokio, Japan, for purpose of observing the Japanese Army during war with Russia, March 23, 1904 to

(Major, Corps of Engineers, April 23, 1904)

Nov. 18, 1905; on temporary duty, office Chief of Staff, Dec. 11, 1905 to June 10, 1906; on duty at Norfolk, Va., in charge of fortification work, river and harbor improvements, Nov. 1, 1906 to –––––.

(Lieut.‑Colonel, Corps of Engineers, Oct. 16, 1909)

Vol. VI
p391
[Supplement, Vol. VI: 1910‑1920]

(Born June 14, 1864.)

Military History. —

Major, Corps of Engineers, April 23, 1904.

At Norfolk, Va., in charge of fortification work and of river and harbor improvements, Nov. 1, 1906, to July, 1909; at Fort Leavenworth, Kans., Senior Instructor, Department of Military Engineering, Army Service Schools, July, 1909, to

(Lieut.‑Colonel, Corps of Engineers, Oct. 16, 1909)

August, 1912; at Philadelphia, Pa., in charge of fortification work and river improvements, August, 1912, to August, 1913; at Washington Bks., D. C., commanding post, Engineer Depot and Engineer School, August, 1913, to Dec. 1, 1914; Member of Military Mission to accompany German Army in the field, Dec. 1, 1914, to March, 1915;

(Colonel, Corps of Engineers, March 12, 1915)

Military Attaché at Berlin, Germany, March, 1915, to Dec. 5, 1916; at Brownsville, Texas commanding 1st Regiment of Engineers, Jan. 3, to

(Brigadier-General, U. S. A., Jan. 2, 1917)

Feb. 1, 1917; at Washington, D. C., President Army War College, Feb. 3, to

(Major-General, National Army, Aug. 5, 1917)

Aug. 25, 1917, when he assumed command of 79th Division at Camp Meade, Md.; at Camp Meade to June 30, 1918, and movement of Division to France commenced; first element of Division landed at Brest July 13 and moved to 12th Training Area at Chatillon-sur‑Seine, July 16‑19; Division ordered to 10th Training Area, Prauthoy, France, July 26; at Prauthoy, undergoing intensive training, Aug. 1 to Sept. 8; in Robert Espagne Area, southwest of Verdun, Sept. 11 to 14, when Division moved by night to Avocourt Sector, (adjoining and west of Hill 304 and Dead Man's Hill), relieving 157th French Division; took command of Sector Sept. 16; in Meuse-Argonne offensive, Sept. 26‑30, Division penetrating enemy's lines 10.5 kilometers, taking Montfaucon and Nantillons; relieved by 3rd Division, Sept. 30 and marched to new St. Mihiel front, relieving 26th Division and taking command, Oct. 6; held line to Oct. 26 when Division marched north and took position in front on heights east of Meuse, north of Verdun; took over command, Oct. 30; commenced drive Nov. 3 and pushed forward until 11:00 A.M., Nov. 11, driving Germans north 4.5 kilometers, and then changing direction and driving them east 4.5 kilometers; after Armistice, Division remained in front in vicinity of Damvillers, with P. C. at Vacherauville, to Dec. 26, when it marched south to the Sailly Area, 15 miles south of Verdun, where it was billeted to March 28, 1919; in temporary command of 9th Army Corps at St. Mihiel, Feb. 1 to Mar. 3, 1919; marched Division to Riencourt Area, March 28 to April 3, 1919; in Riencourt Area, to April 24 when Division was moved to St. Nazaire and Nantes Areas; embarked May 14‑19 and arrived in New York and Newport News, Va., May 24 to June 5; Division demobilized at Camp Dix, N. J., and at Camp Meade, Md., May 29 to June 10, 1919;º

Vol. VII
p220
[Supplement, Vol. VII: 1920‑1930]

Military History: —

Brigadier-General, Jan. 2, 1917.

Major-General, National Army, Aug. 5, 1917.

At Camp Dix, N. J., and at Camp Meade, Md., commanding 79th Division during its demobilization, May 29 to June 10, 1919; at Camp Kearny, Calif.,º commanding camp, July 17, 1919, to

Returned to Grade of Brigadier-General, June 30, 1920.

Sept. 1, 1920; at Schofield Bks., Hawaii, commanding post, Hawaiian Division and 21st Infantry Brigade, Sept. 27, 1920, to Sept. 2, 1923; at Vancouver Bks., Wash., commanding 5th Infantry Brigade, Oct. 15, 1923, to

Major-General, U. S. A., June 18, 1925.

July 13, 1925.

Major-General, U. S. A., Retired, Aug. 31, 1925,
At His Own Request, After Over 40 Years' Service.

Civil History: — Chairman San Diego Chapter American Red Cross, 1927 to 1930; Technical Advisor to Copley Press, 1928 to 1930.

Vol. VIII
p68
[Supplement, Vol. VIII: 1930‑1940]

Military History: —

Maj.‑Gen., Ret., Aug. 31, 1925.

Civil History: — Chairman, San Diego Chapter American Red Cross, 1927 to 1930; Technical Advisor to Copley Press, 1922 to 1935; President, Community Chest, 1931.

Died, Nov. 12, 1935, at San Diego, Calif.: Aged 71.

Portrait and obituary in Annual Report, Association of Graduates, for 1937.º

Buried, Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, VA.


Thayer's Notes:

a Gen. Kuhn's birthplace is from his AOG obituary.

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b During this time, Lt. Kuhn helped Col. (then Lt.) Indicates a West Point graduate and gives his Class.Cornélis Willcox with his A French-English Military Technical Dictionary enough to be among those thanked by him in his Preface.

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c At the time, the West Academic Building; still standing, now the Pershing Barracks.


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