Arthur MacArthur Jr. facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Arthur MacArthur Jr.
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| 3rd Military Governor of the Philippines | |
| In office May 5, 1900 – July 4, 1901 |
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| Preceded by | Elwell Stephen Otis |
| Succeeded by | William Howard Taft (as civilian Governor-General) |
| Military Governor of Pampanga | |
| In office 1900–1901 |
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| Preceded by | Frederick Dent Grant |
| Succeeded by | Ceferino Jóven |
| Personal details | |
| Born | June 2, 1845 Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | September 5, 1912 (aged 67) Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Resting place | Arlington National Cemetery |
| Spouse |
Mary Pinkney Hardy
(m. 1875) |
| Children | 3, including Arthur III and Douglas |
| Parents |
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| Relatives |
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| Education | United States Military Academy |
| Signature |  |
| Nickname | The Boy Colonel |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch/service | United States Army Union Army |
| Years of service |
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| Rank | Lieutenant general |
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| Battles/wars | |
| Awards |
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Arthur MacArthur Jr. (born June 2, 1845 – died September 5, 1912) was a high-ranking officer, a lieutenant general, in the United States Army. He became the military governor of the Philippines in 1900, when the U.S. occupied the islands. His time as governor ended a year later because he had disagreements with the civilian governor, who later became U.S. President William Howard Taft.
Arthur MacArthur Jr. and his son, Douglas MacArthur, both became general officers. They also share the special honor of being the first father and son to each receive the Medal of Honor. Douglas MacArthur later became one of only five men to reach the highest rank of General of the Army during World War II.
Contents
Arthur MacArthur Jr.'s Early Life
Arthur MacArthur Jr. was born in Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts. His father, Arthur MacArthur Sr., was a lawyer, judge, and politician. He even served as the governor of Wisconsin for a short time. His mother was Aurelia Belcher, whose father was a rich businessman. Arthur Jr. had one brother named Frank.
Arthur MacArthur Jr.'s Military Career
Arthur MacArthur Jr. joined the Army and attended the United States Military Academy. When the American Civil War began, he was living in Wisconsin.
Serving in the Civil War
On August 4, 1862, Arthur MacArthur Jr. became a first lieutenant. He served in the 24th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment. He fought in many important battles, including Chickamauga, Stones River, and the Atlanta Campaign.
During the Battle of Missionary Ridge in November 1863, 18-year-old MacArthur showed great bravery. Union soldiers were attacking Confederate forces on a hill. Many flag-bearers were shot because they were easy targets. MacArthur grabbed a fallen flag and bravely planted it at the top of Missionary Ridge. He shouted, "On Wisconsin!" For this heroic act, he was given the Medal of Honor. He was also promoted to honorary colonel the next year. At just 19 years old, he became known across the country as "The Boy Colonel."
MacArthur was badly hurt in the Battle of Franklin, getting shot in the chest and leg. But he recovered from his wounds. He was promoted to major in January 1864 and to lieutenant colonel in May 1865, shortly before leaving the volunteer army.
Fighting in the American Indian Wars
After the Civil War ended in 1865, MacArthur left the Army to study law. But he soon realized he preferred military life. So, he rejoined the Army in 1866 as a second lieutenant in the Regular Army. He was quickly promoted to captain because of his excellent Civil War record. However, promotions were slow in the peacetime army, so he remained a captain for 20 years.
Between 1866 and 1884, MacArthur was stationed in different places like Pennsylvania, New York, Utah, Louisiana, and Arkansas. In 1884, he became the commander of Fort Selden in New Mexico. The next year, he helped in the fight against Geronimo. He was promoted to major in 1889 and to lieutenant colonel in 1897.
Spanish–American War (1898)
When the Spanish–American War began, MacArthur was serving in Georgia. In June 1898, he was made an honorary brigadier general. He led the 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, of the Eighth Army Corps. He led his troops to victory at the Battle of Manila (1898) on August 12, 1898. The very next day, he was promoted to major general.
Philippine–American War (1899-1902)
MacArthur led the 2nd Division of the Eighth Corps during the Philippine–American War. He fought in the Battle of Manila (1899) and other campaigns. When the war changed from big battles to guerrilla warfare, MacArthur took command of the northern part of Luzon. In January 1900, he became a brigadier general in the Regular Army. He was then appointed military governor of the Philippines and commander of the Eighth Corps, replacing General Elwell S. Otis.
He approved the mission that led to the capture of Emilio Aguinaldo, a Filipino leader. MacArthur convinced Aguinaldo to stop fighting and promise loyalty to the United States. He was promoted to major general in the Regular Army on February 5, 1901.
During the war, U.S. President William McKinley replaced General Otis with MacArthur as the Military Governor of the Philippines in May 1900. However, William Howard Taft was sent to Manila in June 1900 to help change the government from military to civilian rule. MacArthur strongly disagreed with this timing. He believed the Philippines was not ready for civilian rule yet. Both Taft and MacArthur wrote to the Secretary of War, Elihu Root, about their disagreements.
On July 4, 1901, Taft became the Civilian Governor. General Adna Chaffee took over from MacArthur as the military head. MacArthur left the Philippines that same day and sailed back to the United States.
Returning to the United States
In the years that followed, MacArthur commanded different military departments across the U.S. In 1904, when the Russo-Japanese War began, he asked to be a military observer. He arrived in Manchuria in March 1905, just after the main fighting ended. Later, he was sent to Tokyo as a military representative.
In 1905, Secretary of War William Howard Taft met with MacArthur in Japan. During this meeting, it was decided that MacArthur's son, Douglas MacArthur, would become his assistant. They traveled over 20,000 miles on a "reconnaissance mission" (a mission to gather information) through various Asian countries from November 1905 to June 1906.
On July 17, 1906, MacArthur, his wife, and Douglas returned to San Francisco. MacArthur resumed his command of the Pacific Division. In September 1906, he was promoted to lieutenant general. Even though he was now the highest-ranking officer in the Army, he was not chosen to be the Chief of Staff. That position went to Brigadier General J. Franklin Bell.
In early 1907, MacArthur was told he would not become Chief of Staff. He was offered command of the Eastern department, but he refused. He felt it would be a step down. MacArthur retired from the Army on June 2, 1909. He was one of the last active officers who had served in the Civil War.
Personal Life
On May 19, 1875, Arthur MacArthur married Mary Pinkney "Pinky" Hardy. They had three children:
- Arthur MacArthur III (1876–1923), who became a captain in the United States Navy.
- Malcolm MacArthur (1878–1883), who sadly died young from measles.
- Douglas MacArthur (1880–1964), who was born in Little Rock, Arkansas.
On September 5, 1912, Arthur MacArthur Jr. was giving a speech to a group of veterans in Milwaukee. He was talking about a famous scouting mission from the war. He said, "Your indomitable courage..." and then stopped, saying, "Comrades, I am too weak to go on." He sat down and passed away moments later from a stroke.
MacArthur had asked not to be buried in his uniform and wanted a simple funeral without military display. He was first buried in Milwaukee, but in 1926, his body was moved to Arlington National Cemetery.
Awards and Honors
Military Awards
- Medal of Honor
- Civil War Campaign Medal
- Indian Campaign Medal
- Spanish Campaign Medal
- Philippine Campaign Medal
Legacy
Fort MacArthur, a military base that protected the San Pedro, California, harbor, was named after General Arthur MacArthur. It was used from 1914 to 1974. Camp MacArthur, a training camp used during World War I in Waco, Texas, was also named in his honor.
Dates of Rank
| Insignia | Rank | Component | Date |
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First Lieutenant | 24th Wisconsin | August 24, 1862 |
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Major | 24th Wisconsin | January 25, 1864 |
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Brevet Colonel | Volunteers | March 13, 1865 |
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Lieutenant Colonel | 24th Wisconsin | May 18, 1865 |
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Second Lieutenant | Regular Army | February 23, 1866 |
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First Lieutenant | Regular Army | February 24, 1866 |
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Captain | Regular Army | July 28, 1866 |
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Major | Regular Army | July 21, 1889 |
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Lieutenant Colonel | Regular Army | May 26, 1896 |
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Brigadier General | Volunteers | May 27, 1898 |
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Major General | Volunteers | August 28, 1898 |
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Brigadier General | Regular Army | January 2, 1900 |
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Major General | Regular Army | February 5, 1901 |
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Lieutenant General | Regular Army | September 15, 1906 |
- First Lieutenant, 24th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment, Union Army – August 4, 1862
- Major, 24th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment, Union Army – January 25, 1864
- Brevet Lieutenant Colonel and Brevet Colonel – March 13, 1865
- Lieutenant Colonel, 24th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment, Union Army – May 18, 1865
- Left Volunteer service – June 10, 1865
- Second Lieutenant – February 23, 1866
- First Lieutenant – February 24, 1866
- Captain – July 28, 1866
- Major – July 1, 1889
- Lieutenant Colonel – May 26, 1896
- Brigadier General of Volunteers – May 27, 1898
- Major General of Volunteers – August 13, 1898
- Brigadier General (Regular Army) – January 2, 1900
- Major General – February 5, 1901
- Lieutenant General – September 15, 1906
Images for kids
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Arthur MacArthur Jr.'s signature.
See Also
In Spanish: Arthur MacArthur, Jr. para niños
