Civil War

On August 4, 1862, his father secured a commission for him as a first lieutenant and appointed as adjutant of the 24th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment, seeing action at Chickamauga, Stones River, Chattanooga, the Atlanta Campaign and Franklin.

At the Battle of Missionary Ridge on November 25, 1863, during the Chattanooga Campaign, the 18-year-old MacArthur inspired his regiment during a largely uncoordinated and spontaneous frontal assault of Union forces against entrenched Confederate forces on a hilltop. During the charge the regimental flags were carried in front, so that every flag-bearer was constantly a target, causing immense casualty among them. MacArthur seized the flag from a fallen comrade and planted the regimental flag on the crest of Missionary Ridge 35°1′7.15″N 85°15′51.02″W / 35.0186528°N 85.2641722°W / 35.0186528; -85.2641722 at a particularly critical moment, shouting "On Wisconsin." For these actions, he was awarded the Medal of Honor. He was brevetted colonel in the Union Army the following year. Only 19 years old at the time, he became nationally recognized as "The Boy Colonel" (not to be confused with Henry K. Burgwyn, known as the "Boy Colonel of the Confederacy").

MacArthur was severely wounded in the Battle of Franklin, receiving bullet wounds to the chest and leg from a rebel officer's pistol, but would ultimately survive.^[7]

On January 25, 1864, he was promoted to major and about a year and a half later, on May 18, 1865, to lieutenant colonel – shortly before he was mustered out of service on June 10, 1865. In recognition of his gallantry in action he received brevets (honorary promotions) to lieutenant colonel and colonel dated March 15, 1865.

American Indian Wars

With the conclusion of the Civil War in June 1865, MacArthur resigned his commission and began the study of law. After just a few months, however, he decided this was not a good fit for him, so he resumed his career with the Army. He was recommissioned on February 23, 1866, as a second lieutenant in the Regular Army's 17th Infantry Regiment, with a promotion the following day to first lieutenant. Because of his outstanding record of performance during the Civil War, he was promoted in September of that year to captain. However, he would remain a captain for the following two decades, as promotion was slow in the small peacetime army.

Between 1866 and 1884, MacArthur completed assignments in Pennsylvania, New York, Utah Territory, Louisiana, and Arkansas.^[8]

In 1884, MacArthur became the post commander of Fort Selden, in New Mexico. The following year, he took part in the campaign against Geronimo. In 1889, he was promoted to Assistant Adjutant General of the Army with the rank of major, and was promoted to lieutenant colonel in 1897.

Spanish–American War (1898)

Following the outbreak of the Spanish–American War, MacArthur was serving as the adjutant general of the Third Army Corps in Georgia. In June 1898 he was brevetted to brigadier general in the volunteer army. He was appointed as commanding general of the 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, Eighth Army Corps and led it to victory at the Battle of Manila on August 12, 1898. He was promoted to major general on August 13, 1898.

Philippine–American War (1899-1902)

He led the 2nd Division of Eighth Corps during the Philippine–American War at the Battle of Manila (1899), the Malolos campaign and the Northern Offensive. When the American occupation of the Philippines turned from conventional battles to guerrilla warfare, MacArthur commanded the Department of Northern Luzon. In January 1900, he was appointed brigadier general in the Regular Army and was appointed military governor of the Philippines with command of Eighth Corps, replacing General Elwell S. Otis.

He authorized the expedition, under General Frederick Funston, that resulted in the capture of Emilio Aguinaldo. MacArthur persuaded the captured Aguinaldo to cease fighting and to swear allegiance to the United States. He was promoted to major general in the Regular Army on February 5, 1901.

During the war, President William McKinley relieved Major General Elwell S. Otis of command and replaced him with MacArthur giving him the title of Military Governor of the Philippines on May 6, 1900.^[9] However, William Howard Taft was appointed to head the Philippine Commission by McKinley and arrived to Manila in June 1900 to effect the transition from military to civil government.^[10] MacArthur firmly opposed the timing of direct involvement by the Philippine Commission as he did not believe the Philippines was ready for civil rule yet.^[10] Both Taft and MacArthur, in separate correspondences, informed Secretary of War, Elihu Root, of the contention between each other and their differing views on the future of the Philippines.^[11] On February 27, 1901, shortly after promoting MacArthur to the rank of major general, Secretary Root informed Major General Adna R. Chaffee that he would succeed MacArthur as military governor in the Philippines. However, Chaffee would be subordinate to William Howard Taft, who would be appointed as Civilian Governor.^[12]

On June 21, 1901, Root's War Department informed MacArthur that Chaffee was to replace him as military head in the Philippines with the change to take place on July 4, 1901.^[12] Taft decided, "four, possibly five and two small parts of others", of the 27 organized provinces across the Philippines (16 additional provinces remained unorganized at the end of 1900), "in which armed insurrection continues, will remain under the executive jurisdiction of the military governor and commanding general".^[13] The contentiousness between Taft and MacArthur seemed all too apparent as Taft stated publicly that neither his approach of municipal code nor the provincial government act under both Otis and MacArthur would form a perfect government, "though it was possible to make the former much more complete than the latter".^[13] Taft further distanced himself and work by characterizing prior military efforts as "two experiments in municipal government under the administrations of General Otis and General MacArthur before the [Philippine] Commission began its legislative work".^[13]

After the combined ceremony installing Taft and change of command from MacArthur to Chaffee on July 4, 1901, MacArthur packed his bags that same day and boarded a ship for the United States.^[14]

Return to the United States

In the several years that followed, he was assigned to serve at various times as commander of the Department of the Colorado, the Lakes, the East, and eventually the Pacific Division.^[14] When the Russo-Japanese War exploded in early 1904, eight American officers were promptly sent to the Manchurian front as observers.^[15] Chafing at the bit at his headquarters in Fort Mason, San Francisco, MacArthur requested that he also be assigned as a military observer upon hearing of the outbreak of war between Russia and Japan in 1904.^[15] He finally secured the appointment, but arrived in Manchuria in mid-March, 1905, just after the major fighting had ended with the Japanese triumph at the Battle of Mukden.^[15] When the Portsmouth Peace Conference was convened in August, MacArthur was sent to Tokyo as military attaché to the American legation.^[15]

During Secretary of War William Howard Taft's 1905 trip to Japan, Taft also met with MacArthur, as he was now the United States military attaché to Japan, in Yokohama (likely at the Oriental Palace Hotel where MacArthur and his wife, Mrs. "Pinky" MacArthur, were staying^[16]). In the course of this meeting, it was decided 1st Lieutenant Douglas MacArthur would replace Captain Paul W. West as Maj. Gen. MacArthur's aide-de-camp and accompany him on a 'reconnaissance mission' to various Asian countries from November 1, 1905, through late June 1906 traveling over 20,000 miles, per Douglas MacArthur vouchers.^[17]

On July 17, 1906, MacArthur, Mrs. MacArthur, and Douglas MacArthur sailed from Yokohama and arrived at San Francisco to resume his post at Fort Mason as Commander of the Pacific Division.^[18] In this capacity he was promoted to lieutenant general in September 1906, but though now the highest-ranking officer in the Army, was not elevated to chief of staff then or later.^[19] Brigadier General J. Franklin Bell had been made the chief of staff while MacArthur was in Asia on April 14, 1906, and subsequently promoted to major general on 3 January 1907.^[19]

In early 1907, MacArthur, after 47 years of devoted and distinguished service, was told by Taft's War Department that he had been passed over for chief of staff of the Army.^[20] Instead of chief of staff, he was offered command of the Eastern department.^[20] MacArthur refused Taft's offer of commanding the Eastern department, stating that it would mean a humiliating reduction in authority for him.^[20] MacArthur proposed that the War Department either accept his retirement or assign him to some "special duty" which would not be an affront to his honor.^[20] Shortly thereafter, MacArthur received orders to 'proceed to Milwaukee, there to perform such duties as may hereafter be assigned', but no further duties were given to him.^[20] Taft was inaugurated as President of the United States in March 1909, and MacArthur retired quietly from the Army on June 2, 1909.^[20]

MacArthur never did realize his dream of commanding the entire Army. He was one of the last officers on active duty in the Army who had served in the Civil War.

Gravestone in Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia

MacArthur was elected a member of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States (MOLLUS) in 1868 and was assigned insignia number 648. On May 6, 1908, he was elected commander of the Wisconsin Commandery of MOLLUS. He was elected as the Order's senior vice commander in chief on October 18, 1911, and became the Order's commander in chief upon the death of Rear Admiral George W. Melville on March 17, 1912. He held the office until his own death six months later.

Military awards

• Medal of Honor
• Civil War Campaign Medal
• Indian Campaign Medal
• Spanish Campaign Medal
• Philippine Campaign Medal

Medal of Honor citation

Rank and Organization:

First Lieutenant, and Adjutant, 24th Wisconsin Infantry. Place and date: At Missionary Ridge, Tenn., November 25, 1863. Entered service at: Milwaukee, Wis. Birth: Springfield, Mass. Date of issue: June 30, 1890.

Citation:

Seized the colors of his regiment at a critical moment and planted them on the captured works on the crest of Missionary Ridge.^[31][32][33]

Just over eight decades later (1864–1945), his son, Douglas MacArthur, would also gain fame for leading U.S. forces to victory in the Philippines. Arthur MacArthur Jr. and Douglas MacArthur were the first father and son ever to each be awarded a Medal of Honor. To date, the only other father and son to be given this honor are former President Theodore Roosevelt and his son, Theodore Roosevelt Jr.

Legacy

Fort MacArthur, which protected the San Pedro, California, harbor from 1914 until 1974, was named after General Arthur MacArthur. Camp MacArthur, a World War I training camp in Waco, Texas, was also named for the General.^[34]

One of MacArthur's fellow officers in the 24th Wisconsin was future United States Senator John L. Mitchell, the father of controversial Army aviator Major General Billy Mitchell. MacArthur's son, General Douglas MacArthur, was a member of the younger Mitchell's court martial in 1925.

The actor Tom Palmer (1912-1997) played Arthur MacArthur Jr. in the 1959 episode, "The Little Trooper", of the syndicated television anthology series, Death Valley Days, hosted by Stanley Andrews. Child actor Bryan Russell (1952-2016) played Arthur's four-year-old son, Douglas, the subject of the title of the episode, set at Fort Selden in the New Mexico Territory. Leonard Bremen (1915-1986) was cast as played Trooper Norkul, who takes a protective interest in young Douglas.^[35]