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Class of 1869

Vol. III
p136 2295

(Born Ill.)

Earl Dennisonº Thomas1

(Ap'd Ill.)

Military History. — Cadet at the Military Academy, July 1, 1865, to June 15, 1869, when he was graduated and promoted in the Army to

Second Lieut., 5th Cavalry, June 15, 1869.

Served: on frontier duty at Ft. McPherson, Neb., and Scouting (being engaged in the Fight on Red Willow Creek, Neb., June 8, 1870), Sep. 30, 1869, to Feb. 19, 1872 (leave of absence, Nov. 15, 1870, to Jan. 15, 1871, and Feb. 19 to May 25, 1872); in garrison at San Francisco, Cal., to

(First Lieut., 5th Cavalry, Mar. 1, 1872)

July, 1872; on frontier duty at Gila Bend, Ara., July, 1872, — Scouting against Apaches in Arizona, being engaged in the Action near Salt River, Dec. 28, 1872, near Gila River, Jan. 16, 1873, and Diamond River, Ara., Feb. 20, 1873, — Camp McDowell, Ara., Sep. 3, 1872, to Apr., 1873 (leave of absence, Jan. 31 to Mar. 1, 1873), — Camps Date Creek and Hualapai, Ara., Apr. to Aug., 1873, — Ft. Whipple, Ara., Aug. 31, 1873, to Mar., 1875 (Scouting, Sep. 25 to Nov., 1878), — Aide-de‑Camp to Bvt. Major-General Indicates a West Point graduate, Class of 1852: a link to his biographical entry in Cullum's Register. Kautz, Mar. 22, 1875, to mid‑June, 1878, and Acting Engineer Officer of the Department of Arizona, Mar. 22, 1875, to Mar. 13, 1878 (leave of absence, June 8 to Sep. 28, 1878), — Ft. Washakie, Wy., Oct. 6, 1878, to Feb. 5, 1880, — Acting Assistant Quartermaster and various detached services, to Feb., 1883 (leave of absence, to May 3, 1883), — Ft. Niobrara and detached duties, to May 8, 1885, — Ft. Reno, I. T.,

(Captain, 5th Cavalry, Apr. 1, 1885)

to Aug. 29, 1885, — Ft. Riley, Kan. (Expedition against Ute Indians, June 12 to Oct. 1, 1886), to July 25, 1887, — Ft. Sill, I. T., and quelling Disturbances in Chickasaw Nation, to Dec. 9, 1888, — duty connected with purchase of Cavalry Horses, to May 9, 1889, — in camp and suppressing Oklahoma Disturbances, to Nov. 27, 1889, — measuring roads, to Dec. 1, 1889, — and Ft. Sill, I. T., to –––––.

Vol. IV
p190 [Supplement, Vol. IV: 1890‑1900]

Military History. —

(Brevet 1st Lieutenant, Feb. 27, 1890, for gallant services in action against Indians, near Fort McPherson, Neb., June 8, 1870)

(Brevet Captain, Feb. 27, 1890, for gallant services in action against Indians at the Caves, Ariz., Dec. 28, 1872, and distinguished services in the campaign against Indians in Arizona, in April, 1874)

Served: At Fort Sill, Okla., to July, 1890. — Suppressing Indian disturbances at Anadarko, Okla., July, 1890. — In charge of road construction between Fort Sill and Anadarko, Okla., Aug., 1890. — In charge of escort to Cherokee Commission, May and June, 1891. — On duty opening Cheyenne and Arapahoe Indian Reservation, removing intruders, March and April, 1892. — Inspecting National Guard of Arkansas, Aug., 1892. — Dedicatory ceremonies, World's Fair, Chicago, Oct., 1892. — Fort McIntosh, Tex., 1893. — Inspecting horses, July, 1894. — On leave of absence from July to Oct., 1894. — Fort Sam Houston, Tex., 1896. — "Tyler Fruit Palace,"a Tyler, Tex., July, 1897. — Riverside Park, Tex., July, 1897. — Marched to Fort Ringgold, Tex., Jan., 1898. — In command of post from Feb., 1898 to May, 1898. — Inspecting horses for U. S. Volunteer Cavalry and 1st Texas Cavalry, May, 1898 to Feb., 1899. — Ordered to duty with regiment in Puerto Rico; arrived at San Juan, March 1, 1899.

(Major of Cavalry, 8th Cavalry, Feb. 14, 1899)º

(Major and Inspector-General, U. S. Volunteers, May 12, 1898)º

(Transferred to 5th Cavalry, May 23, 1899)

Served: As Major and Inspector-General of Volunteers, 1st Division, 1st Corps, Chickamauga Park, Ga., May 29 to June 7, 1899. — Inspector-General, 1st Division, 4th Corps; Inspector-General, 3d Division, 4th Corps; Inspector-General, 2d Division, 4th Corps; Inspector-General, 1st Division, 4th Corps, from June, 1898 to Jan., 1899.

(Honorably discharged from Volunteer Service, March 7, 1899)

— Joined regiment at Mayaguez, P. R., March 10, 1899.

Vol. V
p160 [Supplement, Vol. V: 1900‑1910]

Military History. — At Porto Rico, March, 1899 to Aug., 1900. — Associate Justice, U. S. Provisional Court, Porto Rico, July, 1899 to April 30, 1900. — Fort Myer, Va., 1900 to 1901. — Special duty under instructions of Quartermaster-General, inspecting horses for cavalry and artillery, 1900 to 1902. — Inspector-General by detail, Feb. 28, 1901.

(Lieut.‑Colonel of Cavalry, 13th Cavalry, Nov. 16, 1901)

— In command of Fort Robinson, Neb., Jan. to April, 1902. — Command of Fort Keogh, Montana, 1902 to 1908. — In command of 13th Cavalry p161 en route to the Philippine Islands and at Calamba, P. I., Feb. to Apr., 1903.

(Colonel of Cavalry, 7th Cavalry, April 19, 1903)

— Transferred to the 11th Cavalry, April 21, 1903. — Camp Wallace, Union, P. I., 1903 to 1904. — Command of troops in Northern Luzon, outbreak Vigan Constabulary expedition Feb., 1904. — En route to United States, March and April, 1904. — In command of Fort Des Moines, Iowa, 1904 to 1906. — In command of 11th Cavalry, Fort Des Moines and Cuba, 1904 to 1907. — Inspecting cavalry and artillery horses for Philippine Islands, at East St. Louis, and Chicago, Ill.; St. Paul, Minn.; and Kansas City, Mo., 1904, 1905, 1906. — Fort Riley, Kansas, 1906. — Expedition to Cuba, 1906, command of 11th Cavalry. — Havana and Pinar del Rio, Cuba, 1906 to 1907. — Placed in charge of the Province of Pinar del Rio, Cuba, 1906. — While in Cuba participated in marches from Pinar del Rio to the following named points: Guane, San Juan Y. Martinez, Vinales, 1906; San Diego de los Banos, Las Pozas, La Mulata, San Marcos, Bahia Honda, Cocarajicorle, La Chancleta, 1907; Pinar del Rio Province.

(Brig.‑General, U. S. Army, April 18, 1907)

— En route to the United States from Cuba, May, 1907. — In command of Department of the Missouri, May, 1907. — In command of Department of the Colorado, June 1, 1907 to –––––.

Vol. VI
p142 [Supplement, Vol. VI: 1910‑1920]

(Born Jan. 4, 1847.)

Military History. —

Colonel, 7th Cavalry, April 19, 1903.

Brigadier-General, U. S. A., April 18, 1907.

In command of Department of the Missouri, May, 1907; in command of Department of the Colorado, June 1, 1907, to Jan. 4, 1911.

Brigadier-General, U. S. A., Retired, Jan. 4, 1911,
By Operation of Law.

Vol. VII
p97 [Supplement, Vol. VII: 1920‑1930]

Military History: —

Brigadier-General, U. S. A., April 18, 1907.

Brigadier-General, U. S. A., Retired, Jan. 4, 1911,
By Operation of Law.

Died, Feb. 17, 1921, at Laurel, Md.: Aged 74.

Portrait and obituary in Annual Report, Association of Graduates, for 1921.

Buried, Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, VA.

The Author's Note:

1 Earl D. Thomas, before becoming a Cadet, enlisted in the Eighth Illinois Cavalry, and served in the Army of the Potomac throughout the Rebellion till Apr. 22, 1865, when he was discharged as Sergeant-Major to enter the Military Academy.

Thayer's Note:

a A regional fair, an important exhibit of horticultural and orchard products of East Texas.

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