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Charles King (general)
Encyclopedia
Charles King was a United States soldier and a distinguished writer.
general Rufus King
, grandson of Columbia University president Charles King
, and great grandson of Rufus King
, who was one the signers of the United States Constitution
on September 17, 1787, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
. He graduated from West Point
in 1866 and served in the Army during the Indian Wars
under George Crook
. He was wounded in the arm and head during the Battle of Sunset Pass
forcing his retirement from the regular army. During this time he became acquainted with Buffalo Bill Cody. King would later write scripts for several of Cody's silents films.
In the spring of 1885, General King (at that time Captain) was riding in the area of Delafield, Wisconsin
after visiting the Cushing homestead on the Bark River (present day Cushing Park) and the parents of the three historic Cushing Brothers. Captain King came upon a man dressed in a bathrobe drilling young men with broomsticks. Watching this futile exercise by toy soldiers, General King began to chuckle. Reverend Sydney T. Smythe asked what was so funny, and the reply was, "I mean no disrespect, sir, but let me show you how it is done." He then proceeded to teach the young men the West Point Manual of Arms. The now Impressed Head Master of the St. Johns Military Academy (now the St. John's Northwestern Military Academy
) inquired as to the gentlemen's name. Upon answering, Reverend Smythe shook hands and inquired on the spot of General King's availability.
In 1898, he was appointed brigadier general of volunteers and sailed to the Philippines
during the Spanish-American War
. The fighting with Spain was over by the time he arrived, but he assisted in the surrender negotiations.
During the following Philippine-American War
, King was placed in command of the 1st Brigade in Henry W. Lawton's division. He led his brigade during the Battle of Manila
and sailed for Santa Cruz with Lawton's division. He was incapacitated by sickness during the Battle of Santa Cruz
, but he returned to fight in the following Battle of Pagsanjan
. He took part in the final major campaigns before the fighting turned primarily to guerilla warfare.
He returned to the United States and was active in the Wisconsin National Guard and in training troops for World War I
. He wrote and edited over 60 books and novels. Among his list of titles are Campaigning with Crook, Fort Frayne, Under Fire and Daughter of the Sioux.
General King and his wife lived in the Carlton Hotel in Milwaukee. King commuted daily by train to Saint John's Military Academy. He routinely sat on the porch of the Holt house on campus and told the cadets, which included his grandson, tales of the old west.
General King is buried at Forest Home Cemetery
in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
.
Biography
King was the son of Civil WarAmerican 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...
general Rufus King
Rufus King (Civil War General)
Rufus King was a newspaper editor, educator, U.S. diplomat, and a Union brigadier general in the American Civil War.-Early life:...
, grandson of Columbia University president Charles King
Charles King (academic)
Charles King was an American academic, politician and newspaper editor. He succeeded Nathaniel Fish Moore to become the ninth president of Columbia College , holding the role from 7 November 1849 to 1864...
, and great grandson of Rufus King
Rufus King
Rufus King was an American lawyer, politician, and diplomat. He was a delegate for Massachusetts to the Continental Congress. He also attended the Constitutional Convention and was one of the signers of the United States Constitution on September 17, 1787, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
, who was one the signers of the United States Constitution
United States Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It is the framework for the organization of the United States government and for the relationship of the federal government with the states, citizens, and all people within the United States.The first three...
on September 17, 1787, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
. He graduated from West Point
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
in 1866 and served in the Army during the Indian Wars
Indian Wars
American Indian Wars is the name used in the United States to describe a series of conflicts between American settlers or the federal government and the native peoples of North America before and after the American Revolutionary War. The wars resulted from the arrival of European colonizers who...
under George Crook
George Crook
George R. Crook was a career United States Army officer, most noted for his distinguished service during the American Civil War and the Indian Wars.-Early life:...
. He was wounded in the arm and head during the Battle of Sunset Pass
Battle of Sunset Pass
The Battle of Sunset Pass was fought in November 1874 during the Yavapai War. Following the theft of livestock by a band of Tonto Apaches, a troop of United States Army soldiers was dispatched to track the natives and recover the stolen property...
forcing his retirement from the regular army. During this time he became acquainted with Buffalo Bill Cody. King would later write scripts for several of Cody's silents films.
In the spring of 1885, General King (at that time Captain) was riding in the area of Delafield, Wisconsin
Delafield, Wisconsin
Delafield is a city in Waukesha County, Wisconsin, along the Bark River, and a suburb of Milwaukee. The population was 6,472 at the 2000 census....
after visiting the Cushing homestead on the Bark River (present day Cushing Park) and the parents of the three historic Cushing Brothers. Captain King came upon a man dressed in a bathrobe drilling young men with broomsticks. Watching this futile exercise by toy soldiers, General King began to chuckle. Reverend Sydney T. Smythe asked what was so funny, and the reply was, "I mean no disrespect, sir, but let me show you how it is done." He then proceeded to teach the young men the West Point Manual of Arms. The now Impressed Head Master of the St. Johns Military Academy (now the St. John's Northwestern Military Academy
St. John's Northwestern Military Academy
St. John's Northwestern Military Academy was founded in 1884 as St. John's Military Academy in Delafield, Wisconsin, by Rev. Sidney T. Smythe as a private, all-male college preparatory and leadership development school. In 1995, St. John's Military Academy merged with Northwestern Military and...
) inquired as to the gentlemen's name. Upon answering, Reverend Smythe shook hands and inquired on the spot of General King's availability.
In 1898, he was appointed brigadier general of volunteers and sailed to 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...
during 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...
. The fighting with Spain was over by the time he arrived, but he assisted in the surrender negotiations.
During the following 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...
, King was placed in command of the 1st Brigade in Henry W. Lawton's division. He led his brigade during the 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...
and sailed for Santa Cruz with Lawton's division. He was incapacitated by sickness during the Battle of Santa Cruz
Battle of Santa Cruz (1899)
For the WWII battle of the same name see: Battle of the Santa Cruz IslandsThis Battle of Santa Cruz was a battle fought in the early stages of the Philippine-American War during General Henry W. Lawton's Laguna de Bay Campaign.-Background:...
, but he returned to fight in the following Battle of Pagsanjan
Battle of Pagsanjan
The Battle of Pagsanjan was a small skirmish between the 1st Battalion of Sharpshooters, under the command of Brigadier General Charles King, and Philippine Nationalists led by Col. Pedro Caballes during the Laguna Campaign of the Philippine-American War....
. He took part in the final major campaigns before the fighting turned primarily to guerilla warfare.
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. He wrote and edited over 60 books and novels. Among his list of titles are Campaigning with Crook, Fort Frayne, Under Fire and Daughter of the Sioux.
General King is buried at Forest Home Cemetery
Forest Home Cemetery
Forest Home Cemetery located in the Lincoln Village neighborhood of Milwaukee, Wisconsin is the final resting place of many of the city's famed beer barons, politicians and social elite...
in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
.
External links
- General Charles King / Edgar Rice Burroughs Connection Series at ERBzine
- General Charles King Illustrated Bibliography at ERBzine
- Works by Charles King at Project GutenbergProject GutenbergProject Gutenberg is a volunteer effort to digitize and archive cultural works, to "encourage the creation and distribution of eBooks". Founded in 1971 by Michael S. Hart, it is the oldest digital library. Most of the items in its collection are the full texts of public domain books...
- Charles King Collection at the Autry National Center