Class of 1892

Born Mar. 4, 1867, Blounts Ferry, FL.​a1

Military History. — Cadet at the U. S. M. A., from June 16, 1888, to June 11, 1892, when he was graduated and promoted in the Army to

(Second Lieut. of Infantry, 1st Infantry, June 11, 1892)

Served: In garrison at Benicia Barracks, Cal., Sept. 30, 1892 to March 6, 1893;

(Transferred to 5th Artillery, March 6, 1893)

Presidio of San Francisco, Cal., to July 10, 1894; (suppressing railroad strikes in California to Sept. 3, 1894); in garrison at Presidio of San Francisco, Cal., to Oct. 24, 1896; (detached service and leave of absence, March 27 to May 5, 1895); Fort Hamilton, N. Y. H., to April 8, 1898; (leave of absence, Nov. 20, 1896 to Feb. 20, 1897); Aide-de‑camp to General Graham to Nov. 11, 1898; at Headquarters Department of the Gulf, April 9 to May 19, and at Headquarters 2d Army Corps to Nov. 1; Engineer Officer, Department of the Gulf, April 9 to May 18, 1898; on delay, Nov. 11 to Dec. 3, 1898; Aide-de‑camp to General Pennington and Engineer Officer, Department of the Gulf, Dec. 4, 1898

(First Lieut. of Artillery, 5th Artillery, March 2, 1899)

to March 30, 1899, at Headquarters Department of the Gulf; on duty with Light Battery F, 5th Artillery, en route to and in Philippine Islands, to –––––; participated in various skirmishes and engagements with Filipino insurgents near Calamba, Sept. and Oct., 1899.

Vol. V
p487 [Supplement, Vol. V: 1900‑1910]

Military History. — Served: At Calamba, P. I. to March 8, 1900; with expedition to Batangas, Jan. 12 to Feb. 5, 1900; in action against Filipino insurgents, Calamba to Binan, Jan. 1 and 2; Santo Tomas, Jan. 9 and 11; Lipa, Jan. 13; near San Pablo, Jan. 21, 1900; recommended for brevet, for action of Jan. 1, and commended for action of Jan. 13; Manila, to July 15, 1900; sailed for China, July 15, 1900; with China Relief Expedition, Pekin, China, to May 18, 1901; in action against Chinese troops at Pei Tsang, Aug. 5; Yang Tsun, Aug. 6; Pekin, Aug. 14; Imperial City, Aug. 15, 1900; recommended for brevet, for action of Aug. 15; on leave, in Japan, March 20 to April 26, 1901; Manila, P. I., to June 6, 1901.

(Captain, Artillery Corps, 106 Company, Coast Artillery,
July 1, 1901)

— Fort Walla Walla, Wash., to Aug. 19, 1901; Fort Lawton, Wash., to May 11, 1902, commanding post, to April 8, 1902; Camp Skagway, Alaska, to Sept. 22, 1902; commanding post and in charge of preliminary work at Fort William H. Seward, Haines Mission, Alaska: Fort Flagler, Wash., to Aug. 8, 1903; commanding post, Feb. 26 to May 30, 1903.

(Transferred to 3d Battery, Field Artillery, July 24, 1903)

— Camp George H. Thomas, Chickamauga Park, Ga., to Sept. 8, 1903; marching to Fort Myer, Va., to Oct. 20, 1903; Fort Myer, Va., to Aug. 21, 1905.

(Transferred to Unassigned List, Aug. 21, 1905)

— West Point, N. Y., Senior Instructor of Artillery Tactics and commanding U. S. Military Academy, detachment of field artillery, to –––––,

 p488  (Transferred to 109th Company, Coast Artillery, Jan. 9, 1906)

(Transferred to Unassigned List, June 13, 1906)

(Assigned to 3d Field Artillery, June 6, 1907)

(Transferred to 2d Field Artillery, Nov. 1, 1907)

Vol. VI
p627 [Supplement, Vol. VI: 1910‑1920]

(Charles Pelot Summerall, Born March 4, 1867.)

Military History. —

Captain, Artillery Corps, July 1, 1901.

At Military Academy, Senior Instructor of Artillery Tactics and commanding U. S. Military Academy Detachment of Field Artillery, Aug. 22, 1905, to

(Assigned to 3d Artillery, June 6, 1907)

(Transferred to 2d Field Artillery, Nov. 1, 1907)

(Major, 3d Field Artillery, March 11, 1911)

April 15, 1911; at San Antonio, Texas, commanding Battalion of Field Artillery with Maneuver Division, to July 31, 1911; at Fort Myer, Va., to Sept. 8, 1914; (marched Battalion to New Haven, Conn., and participated in Maneuvers, July 15 to Sept. 25, 1912; located at Tobyhanna, Pa., and commanded during summers of 1912, 1913 and 1914, Camp of Instruction for Regular and National Guard Field Artillery); at Washington, D. C., Assistant to Chief of Militia Bureau and in charge of National Guard Field Artillery, to Sept. 4, 1917; located and arranged purchase of Artillery Ranges at Anniston, Ala., and at Monterey, Cal., and arranged purchase of range at Tobyhanna, Pa.; Member of Ordnance Board, 1915‑1916; Member of Board of Ordnance and Fortification, 1917; Member of Commission to investigate manufacture of munitions, 1916; Member of Military Commission to British and French Armies, 1917;

(Lieut.‑Colonel, Field Artillery, July 1, 1916)

(Colonel, Field Artillery, May 15, 1917)

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

at Camp Mills, N. Y., commanding 67th Field Artillery Brigade, Sept. 5 to Oct. 18, 1917; commanding this Brigade en route to France and in France to Sep. 20, 1917; commanding 1st Field Artillery Brigade, Dec. 22, 1917, to

(Major-General, National Army, June 20, 1918)

July 17, 1918; (in Ménil-la‑Tour Sector, Jan. 18 to April 5; in Cantigny Sector, April 22 to July 8; capture of Cantigny, May 28); commanding 1st Division, July 17 to Oct. 11, 1918; (advance at Soissons, July 18‑22; in Saizerais Sector, Aug. 8‑24; in St. Mihiel Offensive, Sept. 12‑13); commanding 5th Army Corps, Oct. 11, 1918,

(Brigadier-General, U. S. A., Feb. 16, 1919)

to Feb. 28, 1919; (in Meuse-Argonne Operations, Sept. 30 to Nov. 11, 1918); commanding 9th Army Corps to April 15; on duty with Congressional Committee to May 2; commanding 4th Army Corps to June 22; at Hdqrs. 3rd Army to July 8; at Fiume, Member Inter Allied Commission, to Aug. 14; with American Commission to Negotiate Peace, to Aug. 31; en route to U. S. to Sept. 8; at Hdqrs., A. E. F. to Sept. 30; at Camp Zachary Taylor, Ky. commanding 1st Division, to –––––

Awarded

Distinguished Service Medal

"For exceptionally meritorious and distinguished services. He commanded in turn a brigade of the First Division in the operations near Montdidier, the First Division during the Soissons and St. Mihiel offensives and in the early battles of the Argonne-Meuse advance, and the Fifth Army Corps in the later battles of this advance. In all of these important duties his calm courage, his clear judgment, and his soldierly character had a marked influence in the attainment of the successes of his commands."

Awarded

Croix de Guerre, with Palm

Oct. 30, 1918, and cited:

 p628  "Brigadier-General C. P. Summerall, Commanding the Artillery Brigade of the 1st Division of Infantry of America, has developed the technical knowledge and the valor of his Brigade to a degree which renders this organization competent to perform all the missions that could be incumbent upon it. By his energy, his courage and his indefatigable activity, he has shown himself to be a leader of the first order;" made Commander of the Legion of Honor, Nov. 11, 1918; made Grand Officer of the Crown of Belgium, Feb. 12, 1919; made Commander of the Order of the Crown of Italy; awarded the Military Medal of the Second Class of the Republic of Panama.

Vol. VII
p341 [Supplement, Vol. VII: 1920‑1930]

Military History: —

Distinguished Service Medal.

Major-General, National Army, June 26, 1918.

Brigadier-General, U. S. A., Feb. 16, 1919.

At Camp Zachary Taylor, Ky., commanding 1st Division, Oct. 1, 1919, to

Major-General, U. S. A., Apr. 5, 1920.

Sept. 18, 1920, when First Division was transferred to Camp Dix, N. J., remaining in command until June 30, 1921; awaiting transport and en route via San Francisco to Honolulu, T. H., to Aug. 1921; assumed command of Hawaiian Department on Aug. 5, 1921, and completed his tour of service there on Aug. 12, 1924; returned to the United States and was on leave and en route to station to Oct. 5, 1924, on which date he assumed command of the 8th Corps Area at Fort Sam Houston, Tex., remaining until Jan. 11, 1925; assumed command on Jan. 16, 1925, of the 2nd Corps Area at Governor's Island, N. Y., where he remained until Nov. 20, 1926; at Washington, D. C., as

Chief of Staff, U. S. A., Nov. 21, 1926 to Nov. 20, 1930.

General, Chief of Staff, U. S. A., Feb. 23, 1929.

Awaiting retirement, Nov. 20, 1930, to March 31, 1931.

General, U. S. A., Retired, Mar. 31, 1931,
By Operation of Law.

Awarded

Distinguished Service Cross.

"For extraordinary heroism in action on July 19, 1918, before Berzy le Sec near Soissons, during the Aisne-Marne Offensive. General Summerall commanding the 1st Division visited, with great gallantry and with utter disregard for his own safety, the extreme front lines of his division and personally made a reconnaissance of the position in the face of heavy hostile machine‑gun and artillery fire, exhorting his men to renew the attack on Berzy le Sec, promising them a power­ful artillery support, and so encouraging them by his presence and example that they declared their readiness to take the town for him. Due to his great courage and utter  p342 disregard for his own safety the men of his division were inspired to enormous and heroic efforts, captured Berzy le Sec the next morning, under terrific enemy fire, and later in the day the division reached all its objectives."

Awarded four Silver Stars and cited "for gallantry in action against insurgent forces at San Cristobal, Luzon, Philippine Islands, Jan. 1, 1900," and again "for gallantry in action against insurgent forces at Binang, Luzon, Philippine Islands, Jan. 2, 1900," and again, "for gallantry in action against Chinese Boxers at Yang-Tsun, China, Aug. 6, 1900," and again "for gallantry in action against Chinese Boxer forces during the storming of the gates to the Imperial City, Peking, China, Aug. 15, 1900."

Awarded Croix de Guerre with two Palms, France; Commander of the Legion of Honor, France; Grand Officer of the Crown of Belgium; Commander of the Order of the Crown of Italy; Military Medal of the Second Class of the Republic of Panama; Grand Officer, Order of Prince Danilo I of Montenegro.

Vol. VIII
p88 [Supplement, Vol. VIII: 1930‑1940]

Military History: —

Gen., Ret., Mar. 31, 1931.

Awarded S. S. 3 Oak Clusters; Order of Military Merit of Cuba; Grand Ribbon Polonia Restituta.

Civil History: — President of The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, Sept. 12, 1931 to –––––; LL. D., Hobart College, 21; Williams College, 27; College of Charleston, 35; Brown University, 36; D MS Pa. Mil. College, 27. Phi Beta Kappa, Omicron Delta Kappa, Blue Key fraternities. Member Board of Trustees, Converse College, 37, to –––––; President, National Gulf-Atlantic Ship Canal Assn., 32 to –––––; Chairman, Florida Ship Canal Authority, 33, to –––––; member South Carolina Rural Electrification Authority, 35, to –––––; Mason at Sight 35, 32 degree Scottish Rite 35; 33 degree, honorary, 38; 33 degree, active, member Supreme Council, 39; P. M., Pythagorean Lodge, since 38.

Vol. IX
p58 [Supplement, Vol. IX: 1940‑1950]

Military History: —

Gen Ret 31 Mar 31

Civil History: — President of The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, 12 Sep 31 –––––; Member Board of Trustees, Converse College, 37‑39; President, National Gulf-Atlantic Ship Canal Assn, 32 –––––; Chairman, Florida Ship Canal Authority, 33 –––––; Member South Carolina Rural Electrification Authority, 35 –––––; Pres Huguenot Society of South Carolina, 40‑48; Pres South Carolina Society Sons of the American Revolution, 48 –––––; Pres South Carolina Association of Colleges, 50 –––––; Chrm Charleston Chapter American Red Cross, 32‑46; Member Supreme Council Scottish Rite, Sovereign Grand Inspector-General in South Carolina, Grand Treasurer General, Grand Almoner, Past Master and 33d Degree Mason. The Citadel, Charleston SC

Died, May 14, 1955, at Washington, DC: Aged 88.​a2

Buried, Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, VA.