George A. Dodd
Encyclopedia
Brigadier General
George Allan Dodd (July 26, 1852-June 28, 1925) was an officer in the United States
military. He was known for his victory over the Villistas in 1916 at the Battle of Guerrero
, Mexico
, during the Pancho Villa Expedition
.
, Pennsylvania
on July 26, 1852. Dodd's father was killed during the American Civil War
in 1865, at the Siege of Petersburg
, just before the battle ended so he helped raise his younger brothers and sisters with his mother. In 1872 Dodd passed the entrance exam at West Point and passed so he was accepted into the United States Military Academy and graduated on June 15, 1876. Immediately following this he joined the 3rd Cavalry and was sent to Dakota Territory
to fight in the Great Sioux War against various native American
tribes of the Northern Plains. During the war Dodd led Sioux
scouts and fought in the Battle of Bates Creek
, in which the Cheyenne leader Dull Knife
was killed. In 1880, he married Clara Agnes Steele. They had nine children together, Emily, Catherine, Allen, Charles, George Allen, Mary Ethel, William Alexander, Reginald Alden, and Lida Dorothy. In 1882, during Geronimo's War, Dodd commanded Apache scouts
in the Southwest and northern Mexico. It was at this time he participated in the Battle of Big Dry Wash
on July 17, 1882, the last major battle involving the Apache
. When the Spanish-American War
began on April 25, 1898, Dodd was still serving in the 3rd Cavalry when he received orders to sail to Cuba
from Florida
with a large American invasion force in order to capture the island from it's Spanish
garrison
. At the Battle of San Juan Hill
on July 1, Dodd distinguished himself while fighting along side Theodore Roosevelt
and his Rough Riders
. He was also wounded in the Siege of Santiago
from July 3 through July 17 while serving as a captain. When the war with Spain ended, Dodd returned to the United States for a brief time and was promoted to the rank of major
. In 1899, the Filippino Rebellion
began so that year the 3rd Cavalry sailed for Manila
.
For the next few years, until 1902, Dodd and the 3rd Cavalry remained on duty mainly in the Philippines
, occassionally returning to America. In 1904 he received the rank of lieutenant colonel
and was placed in second command of the 10th Cavalry Buffalo Soldiers. In 1916, at the age of sixty-three, Dodd was the colonel
of approximately 400 men of the 7th Cavalry, stationed at Camp Harvey J. Jones in Arizona
. Following Pancho Villa
's attack
on Columbus
, New Mexico
in March, Dodd and his command were ordered to ride south into Chihuahua, Mexico to participate in General John J. Pershing
's punitive expedition
. On March 29, Dodd arrived at the town of Guerrero
which was held by hundreds of Villistas, led by Villa himself. In what was called the "last true cavalry charge" in history, the 7th Cavalry attacked Guerrero and routed the Mexicans after five hours of fighting. Fifty-six of Villa's men, including one of his generals, were killed in the fighting and another thirty-five were wounded. On the American side only five men were wounded but the battle wasn't a complete victory as Villa escaped capture with the majority of his men. However, over the next few months the Villistas remained dispersed amongst the hills of the Sierra Madre
and were no longer consider a threat to the United States Army
. News of the battle quickly spread to the United States where Dodd was declared a national hero, shortly thereafter, the Senate
approved Dodd's promotion to brigadier general. Though Dodd accepted the promotion, he retired from the army on July 26, 1916 to live at his farm
near Ithaca
, New York
. He later moved to a home in Orlando
, Florida and died on June 28, 1925. General Dodd was buried with his wife and one son at Arlington National Cemetery
.
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...
George Allan Dodd (July 26, 1852-June 28, 1925) was an officer in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
military. He was known for his victory over the Villistas in 1916 at the Battle of Guerrero
Battle of Guerrero
The Battle of Guerrero, or the Battle of San Geronimo, in March 1916, was the first military engagement between the rebels of Pancho Villa and the United States during the Mexican Expedition. After a long ride, elements of the American 7th Cavalry Regiment encountered a large force of Villistas at...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, during the Pancho Villa Expedition
Pancho Villa Expedition
The Pancho Villa Expedition—officially known in the United States as the Mexican Expedition and sometimes colloquially referred to as the Punitive Expedition—was a military operation conducted by the United States Army against the paramilitary forces of Mexican insurgent Francisco "Pancho" Villa...
.
Biography
Dodd was born in Lycoming CountyLycoming County, Pennsylvania
-Appalachian Mountains and Allegheny Plateau:Lycoming County is divided between the Appalachian Mountains in the south, the dissected Allegheny Plateau in the north and east, and the valley of the West Branch Susquehanna River between these.-West Branch Susquehanna River:The West Branch of the...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
on July 26, 1852. Dodd's father was killed during the American 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...
in 1865, at the Siege of Petersburg
Siege of Petersburg
The Richmond–Petersburg Campaign was a series of battles around Petersburg, Virginia, fought from June 9, 1864, to March 25, 1865, during the American Civil War...
, just before the battle ended so he helped raise his younger brothers and sisters with his mother. In 1872 Dodd passed the entrance exam at West Point and passed so he was accepted into the United States Military Academy and graduated on June 15, 1876. Immediately following this he joined the 3rd Cavalry and was sent to Dakota Territory
Dakota Territory
The Territory of Dakota was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 2, 1861, until November 2, 1889, when the final extent of the reduced territory was split and admitted to the Union as the states of North and South Dakota.The Dakota Territory consisted of...
to fight in the Great Sioux War against various native American
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
tribes of the Northern Plains. During the war Dodd led Sioux
Sioux
The Sioux are Native American and First Nations people in North America. The term can refer to any ethnic group within the Great Sioux Nation or any of the nation's many language dialects...
scouts and fought in the Battle of Bates Creek
Dull Knife Fight
The Dull Knife Fight, or the Battle of Bates Creek, was a Great Plains battle in the Wyoming Territory between the United States Army and the Northern Cheyenne as part of the Great Sioux War of 1876-77. The battle essentially ended the Cheyennes' ability to wage war.After the battles of the Rosebud...
, in which the Cheyenne leader Dull Knife
Morning Star (chief)
Morning Star , was a great chief to the Northern Cheyenne people during the 19th century. He was noted for his active resistance to Western expansion and the Federal government...
was killed. In 1880, he married Clara Agnes Steele. They had nine children together, Emily, Catherine, Allen, Charles, George Allen, Mary Ethel, William Alexander, Reginald Alden, and Lida Dorothy. In 1882, during Geronimo's War, Dodd commanded Apache scouts
Apache scouts
The Apache Scouts were part of the United States Army Indian Scouts, most of their service was during the Apache Wars up to 1886 though the last scout retired in 1947. The Apache scouts were the eyes and ears of the United States military and sometimes the cultural translators for the various...
in the Southwest and northern Mexico. It was at this time he participated in the Battle of Big Dry Wash
Battle of Big Dry Wash
The Battle of Big Dry Wash was fought on July 17, 1882, between troops of the United States Army's 3rd Cavalry Regiment and 6th Cavalry Regiment and members of the White Mountain Apache tribe...
on July 17, 1882, the last major battle involving the Apache
Apache
Apache is the collective term for several culturally related groups of Native Americans in the United States originally from the Southwest United States. These indigenous peoples of North America speak a Southern Athabaskan language, which is related linguistically to the languages of Athabaskan...
. When 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...
began on April 25, 1898, Dodd was still serving in the 3rd Cavalry when he received orders to sail to Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
from Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
with a large American invasion force in order to capture the island from it's Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
garrison
Garrison
Garrison is the collective term for a body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it, but now often simply using it as a home base....
. At the Battle of San Juan Hill
Battle of San Juan Hill
The Battle of San Juan Hill , also known as the battle for the San Juan Heights, was a decisive battle of the Spanish-American War. The San Juan heights was a north-south running elevation about two kilometers east of Santiago de Cuba. The names San Juan Hill and Kettle Hill were names given by the...
on July 1, Dodd distinguished himself while fighting along side Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
and his Rough Riders
Rough Riders
The Rough Riders is the name bestowed on the 1st United States Volunteer Cavalry, one of three such regiments raised in 1898 for the Spanish-American War and the only one of the three to see action. The United States Army was weakened and left with little manpower after the American Civil War...
. He was also wounded in the Siege of Santiago
Siege of Santiago
The Siege of Santiago also known as the Siege of Santiago de Cuba was the last major operation of the Spanish-American War on the island of Cuba. This action should not be confused with the naval battle of Santiago de Cuba.-Santiago Campaign:...
from July 3 through July 17 while serving as a captain. When the war with Spain ended, Dodd returned to the United States for a brief time and was promoted to the rank of 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 1899, the Filippino Rebellion
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...
began so that year the 3rd Cavalry sailed for Manila
Manila
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,...
.
For the next few years, until 1902, Dodd and the 3rd Cavalry remained on duty mainly 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...
, occassionally returning to America. In 1904 he received the rank of 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 was placed in second command of the 10th Cavalry Buffalo Soldiers. In 1916, at the age of sixty-three, Dodd was the 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...
of approximately 400 men of the 7th Cavalry, stationed at Camp Harvey J. Jones in Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
. Following Pancho Villa
Pancho Villa
José Doroteo Arango Arámbula – better known by his pseudonym Francisco Villa or its hypocorism Pancho Villa – was one of the most prominent Mexican Revolutionary generals....
's attack
Battle of Columbus (1916)
The Battle of Columbus, the Burning of Columbus or the Columbus Raid began as a raid conducted by Pancho Villa's Division of the North on the small United States border town of Columbus, New Mexico in March 1916. The raid escalated into a full scale battle between Villistas and the United States Army...
on Columbus
Columbus, New Mexico
Columbus is a village in Luna County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 1,765 at the 2000 census. The town is named after 15th century explorer Christopher Columbus.-History:...
, New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
in March, Dodd and his command were ordered to ride south into Chihuahua, Mexico to participate in General John J. Pershing
John J. Pershing
John Joseph "Black Jack" Pershing, GCB , was a general officer in the United States Army who led the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I...
's punitive expedition
Punitive expedition
A punitive expedition is a military journey undertaken to punish a state or any group of persons outside the borders of the punishing state. It is usually undertaken in response to perceived disobedient or morally wrong behavior, but may be also be a covered revenge...
. On March 29, Dodd arrived at the town of Guerrero
Vicente Guerrero, Chihuahua
Vicente Guerrero is a city and seat of the municipality of Guerrero, in the northern Mexican state of Chihuahua. As of 2005, the town had a total population of 6,536....
which was held by hundreds of Villistas, led by Villa himself. In what was called the "last true cavalry charge" in history, the 7th Cavalry attacked Guerrero and routed the Mexicans after five hours of fighting. Fifty-six of Villa's men, including one of his generals, were killed in the fighting and another thirty-five were wounded. On the American side only five men were wounded but the battle wasn't a complete victory as Villa escaped capture with the majority of his men. However, over the next few months the Villistas remained dispersed amongst the hills of the Sierra Madre
Sierra Madre
Sierra Madre may refer to one of several mountain ranges:*In Mexico:**Sierra Madre Occidental, a mountain range in northwestern Mexico and southern Arizona...
and were no longer consider a threat to the United States Army
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...
. News of the battle quickly spread to the United States where Dodd was declared a national hero, shortly thereafter, the Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
approved Dodd's promotion to brigadier general. Though Dodd accepted the promotion, he retired from the army on July 26, 1916 to live at his farm
Farm
A farm is an area of land, or, for aquaculture, lake, river or sea, including various structures, devoted primarily to the practice of producing and managing food , fibres and, increasingly, fuel. It is the basic production facility in food production. Farms may be owned and operated by a single...
near Ithaca
Ithaca, New York
The city of Ithaca, is a city in upstate New York and the county seat of Tompkins County, as well as the largest community in the Ithaca-Tompkins County metropolitan area...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. He later moved to a home in Orlando
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
, Florida and died on June 28, 1925. General Dodd was buried with his wife and one son at 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...
.