Matthew Arbuckle
Encyclopedia
Matthew Arbuckle was a career soldier in the U.S. Army closely identified with the Indian Territory
for the last thirty years of his life.
(now West Virginia), the second of four sons of Capt. Matthew Arbuckle, a veteran of the Battle of Point Pleasant
who later distinguished himself in the American Revolution
, and Frances (Hunter) Arbuckle.
in the 3rd Infantry Regiment, where he advanced to lieutenant
within eight months. In 1802, the Army disbanded the 3rd Infantry but transferred him to the 2nd Infantry Regiment
, where he was promoted to captain in 1806. He transferred to a new 3rd Infantry as a major
in 1812. His regiment was assigned to various posts in the American South during the War of 1812
. In 1814, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel
and became the regiment's second-ranking officer. The 3rd Infantry was under the command of General Andrew Jackson
during and after the war; a family story exists that Arbuckle served on Jackson's staff during the Battle of New Orleans
in 1815, but no evidence has been found for this claim.
In 1820, the Army promoted Arbuckle to colonel
and gave him command of the 7th Infantry Regiment
, four of whose companies he led in 1821 to reinforce Fort Smith on the Arkansas River
. In 1824, he moved the regiment farther west, establishing Cantonments (later Forts) Gibson
and later Towson
, the first military posts in the Indian Territory
(now Oklahoma
). As commander at Fort Gibson, he was responsible for constructing roads and maintaining peaceful relations between the Indian tribes indigenous to the region and those then forced to migrate to Indian Territory
. After ten years of this service, he was breveted to brigadier general
.
In the spring of 1834, on the eve of the First Dragoon Expedition
(also called the Dodge-Leavenworth Expedition), Brigadier General Arbuckle was replaced as regional commander by General Henry Leavenworth
and, after twelve years on the frontier, he returned to Virginia-—he believed for good. General Leavenworth, however, unexpectedly died in July 1834, and the Army recalled Brigadier General Arbuckle to command.
During the Texas Revolution
of 1835-1836, the majority of his troops were reassigned to General Zachary Taylor
's "Army of Observation" at Fort Jessup, Louisiana
, but Arbuckle managed to maintain order even as the pace of Indian removal
accelerated. By the end of the decade, the relocation of the southeastern Indian tribes to Oklahoma was largely complete. Though civil war threatened to break out among some of the tribes, in 1841, when he left Fort Gibson for the second time, Arbuckle ably reported that "I have maintained peace with this frontier."
He was transferred to Baton Rouge, Louisiana
, where he headed the military district but commanded no troops directly. He had developed a considerable professional rivalry with Zachary Taylor, which may explain why he played no significant role in the Mexican-American War. In 1848, he was posted to Fort Smith as commander of the newly-created Seventh Military District. In 1849, his troops began to provide security for Americans active in the California Gold Rush
on the southwestern route to California, which he established south of the Canadian River
. The same year, Taylor, having been elected president, urged the War Department to close Fort Smith and retire Arbuckle, but he died before this could be accomplished. Arbuckle's superiors immediately confirmed his command and re-designated Fort Smith as headquarters of the Seventh Military District. The General was making plans to extend farther west the security system that he had established to protect Americans traveling to California, when he died suddenly on 11 June 1851 in a cholera
epidemic.
Just before his death, several units of troops under his command had built an outpost on Wildhorse Creek in present-day Garvin County, Oklahoma
, and the new post was named Fort Arbuckle
in his honor. The name soon transferred in common usage to the nearby hills, which still are known as the Arbuckle Mountains
.
Indian Territory
The Indian Territory, also known as the Indian Territories and the Indian Country, was land set aside within the United States for the settlement of American Indians...
for the last thirty years of his life.
Early life
He was born 28 December 1778 in Greenbrier County, VirginiaGreenbrier County, West Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 34,453 people, 14,571 households, and 9,922 families residing in the county. The population density was 34 people per square mile . There were 17,644 housing units at an average density of 17 per square mile...
(now West Virginia), the second of four sons of Capt. Matthew Arbuckle, a veteran of the Battle of Point Pleasant
Battle of Point Pleasant
The Battle of Point Pleasant, known as the Battle of Kanawha in some older accounts, was the only major battle of Dunmore's War. It was fought on October 10, 1774, primarily between Virginia militia and American Indians from the Shawnee and Mingo tribes...
who later distinguished himself in the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
, and Frances (Hunter) Arbuckle.
Military career
Little is known of his early life, but on 3 March 1799 he was commissioned ensignEnsign (rank)
Ensign is a junior rank of a commissioned officer in the armed forces of some countries, normally in the infantry or navy. As the junior officer in an infantry regiment was traditionally the carrier of the ensign flag, the rank itself acquired the name....
in the 3rd Infantry Regiment, where he advanced to lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
within eight months. In 1802, the Army disbanded the 3rd Infantry but transferred him to the 2nd Infantry Regiment
2nd Infantry Regiment (United States)
The 2nd Infantry Regiment is an infantry regiment in the United States Army. It has served the United States for more than two hundred years. It is the third oldest regiment in the US Army with a Lineage date of 1808 and a history extending back to 1791...
, where he was promoted to captain in 1806. He transferred to a new 3rd Infantry as a major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
in 1812. His regiment was assigned to various posts in the American South during the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
. In 1814, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
and became the regiment's second-ranking officer. The 3rd Infantry was under the command of General Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson was the seventh President of the United States . Based in frontier Tennessee, Jackson was a politician and army general who defeated the Creek Indians at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend , and the British at the Battle of New Orleans...
during and after the war; a family story exists that Arbuckle served on Jackson's staff during the Battle of New Orleans
Battle of New Orleans
The Battle of New Orleans took place on January 8, 1815 and was the final major battle of the War of 1812. American forces, commanded by Major General Andrew Jackson, defeated an invading British Army intent on seizing New Orleans and the vast territory the United States had acquired with the...
in 1815, but no evidence has been found for this claim.
In 1820, the Army promoted Arbuckle to colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
and gave him command of the 7th Infantry Regiment
7th Infantry Regiment (United States)
The United States Army's 7th Infantry Regiment, known as "The Cottenbalers" from an incident that occurred during the Battle of New Orleans, while under the command of Andrew Jackson, when soldiers of the 7th Infantry Regiment held positions behind a breastwork of bales of cotton during the...
, four of whose companies he led in 1821 to reinforce Fort Smith on the Arkansas River
Arkansas River
The Arkansas River is a major tributary of the Mississippi River. The Arkansas generally flows to the east and southeast as it traverses the U.S. states of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The river's initial basin starts in the Western United States in Colorado, specifically the Arkansas...
. In 1824, he moved the regiment farther west, establishing Cantonments (later Forts) Gibson
Fort Gibson
Fort Gibson, now located in Oklahoma and designated Fort Gibson Historical Site, guarded the American frontier in Indian Territory from 1824 until 1890...
and later Towson
Fort Towson
Fort Towson was a frontier outpost for Frontier Army Quartermasters along the Permanent Indian Frontier located about two miles northeast of the present community of Fort Towson, Oklahoma....
, the first military posts in the Indian Territory
Indian Territory
The Indian Territory, also known as the Indian Territories and the Indian Country, was land set aside within the United States for the settlement of American Indians...
(now Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
). As commander at Fort Gibson, he was responsible for constructing roads and maintaining peaceful relations between the Indian tribes indigenous to the region and those then forced to migrate to Indian Territory
Indian Territory
The Indian Territory, also known as the Indian Territories and the Indian Country, was land set aside within the United States for the settlement of American Indians...
. After ten years of this service, he was breveted to brigadier general
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
.
In the spring of 1834, on the eve of the First Dragoon Expedition
First Dragoon Expedition
The First Dragoon Expedition of 1834 was the first official contact between the American government and the Plains Indians....
(also called the Dodge-Leavenworth Expedition), Brigadier General Arbuckle was replaced as regional commander by General Henry Leavenworth
Henry Leavenworth
Henry Leavenworth was an American soldier active in the War of 1812 and early military expeditions against the Plains Indians...
and, after twelve years on the frontier, he returned to Virginia-—he believed for good. General Leavenworth, however, unexpectedly died in July 1834, and the Army recalled Brigadier General Arbuckle to command.
During the Texas Revolution
Texas Revolution
The Texas Revolution or Texas War of Independence was an armed conflict between Mexico and settlers in the Texas portion of the Mexican state Coahuila y Tejas. The war lasted from October 2, 1835 to April 21, 1836...
of 1835-1836, the majority of his troops were reassigned to General Zachary Taylor
Zachary Taylor
Zachary Taylor was the 12th President of the United States and an American military leader. Initially uninterested in politics, Taylor nonetheless ran as a Whig in the 1848 presidential election, defeating Lewis Cass...
's "Army of Observation" at Fort Jessup, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, but Arbuckle managed to maintain order even as the pace of Indian removal
Indian Removal
Indian removal was a nineteenth century policy of the government of the United States to relocate Native American tribes living east of the Mississippi River to lands west of the river...
accelerated. By the end of the decade, the relocation of the southeastern Indian tribes to Oklahoma was largely complete. Though civil war threatened to break out among some of the tribes, in 1841, when he left Fort Gibson for the second time, Arbuckle ably reported that "I have maintained peace with this frontier."
He was transferred to Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge is the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is located in East Baton Rouge Parish and is the second-largest city in the state.Baton Rouge is a major industrial, petrochemical, medical, and research center of the American South...
, where he headed the military district but commanded no troops directly. He had developed a considerable professional rivalry with Zachary Taylor, which may explain why he played no significant role in the Mexican-American War. In 1848, he was posted to Fort Smith as commander of the newly-created Seventh Military District. In 1849, his troops began to provide security for Americans active in the California Gold Rush
California Gold Rush
The California Gold Rush began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The first to hear confirmed information of the gold rush were the people in Oregon, the Sandwich Islands , and Latin America, who were the first to start flocking to...
on the southwestern route to California, which he established south of the Canadian River
Canadian River
The Canadian River is the longest tributary of the Arkansas River. It is about long, starting in Colorado and traveling through New Mexico, the Texas Panhandle, and most of Oklahoma....
. The same year, Taylor, having been elected president, urged the War Department to close Fort Smith and retire Arbuckle, but he died before this could be accomplished. Arbuckle's superiors immediately confirmed his command and re-designated Fort Smith as headquarters of the Seventh Military District. The General was making plans to extend farther west the security system that he had established to protect Americans traveling to California, when he died suddenly on 11 June 1851 in a cholera
Cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The main symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission occurs primarily by drinking or eating water or food that has been contaminated by the diarrhea of an infected person or the feces...
epidemic.
Just before his death, several units of troops under his command had built an outpost on Wildhorse Creek in present-day Garvin County, Oklahoma
Garvin County, Oklahoma
Garvin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of 2000, the population was 27,210. Its county seat is Pauls Valley.-History:...
, and the new post was named Fort Arbuckle
Fort Arbuckle
Not to be confused with Old Fort Arbuckle , a site in Tulsa County, Oklahoma.Fort Arbuckle was a United States military fort near Hoover, Oklahoma....
in his honor. The name soon transferred in common usage to the nearby hills, which still are known as the Arbuckle Mountains
Arbuckle Mountains
The Arbuckle Mountains are an ancient mountain range in south-central Oklahoma in the United States. The granite rocks of the Arbuckles date back to the Proterozoic Era some 1.4 billion years ago which were overlain by sediments during the Paleozoic Era. The range reaches a height of 1,412 feet...
.