Thomas M. Anderson
Encyclopedia
Thomas McArthur Anderson (January 21, 1836 – May 8, 1917) was a career officer in the United States Army
who served as a general in the Spanish-American War
and the Philippine-American War
.
. He attended the Cincinnati School of Law and was admitted to the bar in Cincinnati
.
When the Civil War
broke out, Anderson enlisted in the volunteer army as a private in the 6th Ohio Volunteer Infantry. Under the influences of his uncle, Robert Anderson
of Fort Sumter
fame, he received a commission in the Regular Army as second lieutenant in the 2nd U.S. Cavalry. Shortly after he was promoted to captain in the 12th U.S. Infantry. He received brevet promotions to major for the Wilderness
and lieutenant colonel for Spotsylvania.
He stayed in the regular army after the war's end. He served in the 10th U.S. Infantry, 9th U.S. Infantry and finally rose to the rank of colonel
of the 14th U.S. Infantry on September 6, 1886. In February 1897 Anderson and 100 soldiers of the 14th set up a base in Skagway
and Dyea, Alaska
at the start of the Klondike gold rush
to protect miners along the trails into Canada as well as to keep watch on the border. At the start of the Spanish-American war he asked for and received reassignment.
of U.S. Volunteers on May 4, 1898. He took command of the first "Philippine Expeditionary Force" during the Spanish-American War. His troops were the first to land in the Philippines
following George Dewey
's naval victory there. Major General
Wesley Merritt
had been appointed as the overall U.S. Army commander in the Philippines and arrived with the third Philippine Expeditionary Force. Merritt reorganized the three expeditionary forces into the VIII Corps
. The VIII Corps amounted to only one division at the time which was unusually designated the 2nd Division. Anderson was given division command with Brigadier Generals Francis V. Greene
and Arthur MacArthur
brigade commands. Anderson fought at the battle of Manila
against the Spanish. He was promoted to major general
of U.S. Volunteers on August 13, 1898.
where he was placed in command of the 1st Division, VIII Corps
and saw action in the 1899 Battle of Manila
during the Philippine-American War. After the U.S. forces broke the Filipino siege, Anderson led his division in minor engagements at Santana, San Pedro and Guadalupe. In March 1899, he was given the rank of brigadier general
in the Regular Army.
He retired in 1900 and died 17 years later in Portland, Oregon
. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery
.
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
who served as a general in the Spanish-American War
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
and the Philippine-American War
Philippine-American War
The Philippine–American War, also known as the Philippine War of Independence or the Philippine Insurrection , was an armed conflict between a group of Filipino revolutionaries and the United States which arose from the struggle of the First Philippine Republic to gain independence following...
.
Early Life and Civil War
Anderson was born in Chillicothe, OhioChillicothe, Ohio
Chillicothe is a city in and the county seat of Ross County, Ohio, United States.Chillicothe was the first and third capital of Ohio and is located in southern Ohio along the Scioto River. The name comes from the Shawnee name Chalahgawtha, meaning "principal town", as it was a major settlement of...
. He attended the Cincinnati School of Law and was admitted to the bar in Cincinnati
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
.
When the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
broke out, Anderson enlisted in the volunteer army as a private in the 6th Ohio Volunteer Infantry. Under the influences of his uncle, Robert Anderson
Major Robert Anderson
Robert Anderson was an American military leader. He served as a Union Army officer in the American Civil War, known for his command of Fort Sumter at the start of the war. He is often referred to as Major Robert Anderson, referring to his rank at Fort Sumter...
of Fort Sumter
Fort Sumter
Fort Sumter is a Third System masonry coastal fortification located in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina. The fort is best known as the site upon which the shots initiating the American Civil War were fired, at the Battle of Fort Sumter.- Construction :...
fame, he received a commission in the Regular Army as second lieutenant in the 2nd U.S. Cavalry. Shortly after he was promoted to captain in the 12th U.S. Infantry. He received brevet promotions to major for the Wilderness
Battle of the Wilderness
The Battle of the Wilderness, fought May 5–7, 1864, was the first battle of Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's 1864 Virginia Overland Campaign against Gen. Robert E. Lee and the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia. Both armies suffered heavy casualties, a harbinger of a bloody war of attrition by...
and lieutenant colonel for Spotsylvania.
He stayed in the regular army after the war's end. He served in the 10th U.S. Infantry, 9th U.S. Infantry and finally rose to the rank of colonel
Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, colonel is a senior field grade military officer rank just above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general...
of the 14th U.S. Infantry on September 6, 1886. In February 1897 Anderson and 100 soldiers of the 14th set up a base in Skagway
Skagway, Alaska
Skagway is a first-class borough in Alaska, on the Alaska Panhandle. It was formerly a city first incorporated in 1900 that was re-incorporated as a borough on June 25, 2007. As of the 2000 census, the population of the city was 862...
and Dyea, Alaska
Dyea, Alaska
Dyea is a former town in the U.S. state of Alaska. A few people live on individual small homesteads in the valley; however, it is largely abandoned. It is located at the convergence of the Taiya River and Taiya Inlet on the south side of the Chilkoot Pass within the limits of the Municipality of...
at the start of the Klondike gold rush
Klondike Gold Rush
The Klondike Gold Rush, also called the Yukon Gold Rush, the Alaska Gold Rush and the Last Great Gold Rush, was an attempt by an estimated 100,000 people to travel to the Klondike region the Yukon in north-western Canada between 1897 and 1899 in the hope of successfully prospecting for gold...
to protect miners along the trails into Canada as well as to keep watch on the border. At the start of the Spanish-American war he asked for and received reassignment.
Spanish-American War
Anderson was appointed brigadier generalBrigadier general (United States)
A brigadier general in the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, is a one-star general officer, with the pay grade of O-7. Brigadier general ranks above a colonel and below major general. Brigadier general is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral in the other uniformed...
of U.S. Volunteers on May 4, 1898. He took command of the first "Philippine Expeditionary Force" during the Spanish-American War. His troops were the first to land in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
following George Dewey
George Dewey
George Dewey was an admiral of the United States Navy. He is best known for his victory at the Battle of Manila Bay during the Spanish-American War...
's naval victory there. Major General
Major general (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force, major general is a two-star general-officer rank, with the pay grade of O-8. Major general ranks above brigadier general and below lieutenant general...
Wesley Merritt
Wesley Merritt
Wesley Merritt was a general in the United States Army during the American Civil War and the Spanish-American War. He is noted for distinguished service in the cavalry.-Early life:...
had been appointed as the overall U.S. Army commander in the Philippines and arrived with the third Philippine Expeditionary Force. Merritt reorganized the three expeditionary forces into the VIII Corps
VIII Corps (PE)
The VIII Corps was formed on June 21, 1898 to provide a ground contingent to exploit Admiral Dewey's success in defeating the Spanish fleet in Manila harbor...
. The VIII Corps amounted to only one division at the time which was unusually designated the 2nd Division. Anderson was given division command with Brigadier Generals Francis V. Greene
Francis V. Greene
Francis Vinton Greene was a United States Army officer who fought in the Spanish-American War. He came from the Greene family of Rhode Island, noted for its long line of participants in American military history.-Biography:...
and Arthur MacArthur
Arthur MacArthur
Arthur MacArthur may refer to:*Arthur MacArthur, Sr. , lieutenant governor of Wisconsin and acting governor for four days; United States federal judge*Arthur MacArthur, Jr...
brigade commands. Anderson fought at the battle of Manila
Battle of Manila (1898)
The Battle of Manila was a short land engagement between the United States and Spain at the end of the Spanish-American War, which occurred a couple of months after the pivotal American victory during the naval Battle of Manila Bay...
against the Spanish. He was promoted to major general
Major general (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force, major general is a two-star general-officer rank, with the pay grade of O-8. Major general ranks above brigadier general and below lieutenant general...
of U.S. Volunteers on August 13, 1898.
Philippine-American War
When the Spanish-American War ended, Anderson stayed in ManilaManila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
where he was placed in command of the 1st Division, VIII Corps
VIII Corps (PE)
The VIII Corps was formed on June 21, 1898 to provide a ground contingent to exploit Admiral Dewey's success in defeating the Spanish fleet in Manila harbor...
and saw action in the 1899 Battle of Manila
Battle of Manila (1899)
The Battle of Manila, the first and largest battle fought during the Philippine–American War, was fought on 4 and February 5, 1899, between 12,000 Americans and 15,000 Filipinos. Armed conflict broke out when American troops, under orders to turn away insurgents from their encampment, fired upon an...
during the Philippine-American War. After the U.S. forces broke the Filipino siege, Anderson led his division in minor engagements at Santana, San Pedro and Guadalupe. In March 1899, he was given the rank of brigadier general
Brigadier general (United States)
A brigadier general in the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, is a one-star general officer, with the pay grade of O-7. Brigadier general ranks above a colonel and below major general. Brigadier general is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral in the other uniformed...
in the Regular Army.
He retired in 1900 and died 17 years later in Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, is a military cemetery in the United States of America, established during the American Civil War on the grounds of Arlington House, formerly the estate of the family of Confederate general Robert E. Lee's wife Mary Anna Lee, a great...
.