Augustus P. Blocksom
{{short description|United States Army general}}
{{Infobox military person
| name = Augustus Perry Blocksom
| image = 11-blocksom l.jpg
| caption = Blocksom as commander of Camp Cody during World War I
| birth_date = {{birth date|1854|11|07}}
| birth_place = Zanesville, Ohio
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1931|07|26|1854|11|07}}
| death_place = Miami, Florida
| placeofburial = Arlington National Cemetery
| allegiance = United States
| branch = United States Army
| serviceyears = 1877–1918
| rank = Major General
| servicenumber = 0-13120
| unit = United States Cavalry
| commands = 1st Squadron, 6th Cavalry
2nd Squadron, 7th Cavalry
3rd Squadron, 13th Cavalry
3rd Squadron, 6th Cavalry
3rd Squadron, 10th Cavalry
3rd Cavalry Regiment
Camp Cody
34th Division
Hawaiian Department
| battles = Apache Wars
Ghost Dance War
Spanish–American War
Philippine–American War
China Relief Expedition
Pancho Villa Expedition
World War I
| awards = Silver Citation Star (2)
| spouse =
| relations =
}}
Augustus Perry Blocksom (November 7, 1854 – July 26, 1931) was an American Army officer, who served as a general during World War I.Marquis Who's Who, Inc. Who Was Who in American History, the Military. Chicago: Marquis Who's Who, 1975. {{ISBN|0-8379-3201-7}} {{OCLC|657162692}}
Early life
Blocksom was born on November 7, 1854, in Zanesville, Ohio.{{cite book|last=Davis |first=Henry Blaine Jr.|title=Generals in Khaki|publisher=Pentland Press, Inc.|year= 1998|isbn= 1571970886|oclc=40298151|page=43}} He attended the United States Military Academy and graduated in the class of 1877.{{cite book|last1=Trapp|first1=Dan L.|title=Al Sieber: Chief of Scouts|date=1964|publisher=University of Oklahoma Press|page=216|isbn=9780806170077|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=a52ds11ZeAsC&pg=PA216}}
Military career
Blocksom was commissioned as a second lieutenant of cavalry on June 15, 1877. He later received a brevet to first lieutenant for gallantry at Ash Creek, Arizona, on May 7, 1880. He served in campaigns against the Apaches in Arizona, which included patrolling the Arizona-New Mexico border, and in the Sioux Campaign of 1890 and 1891.
During the Spanish–American War, he was wounded in the attack on Battle of San Juan Hill and served from 1900 to 1902 in the Philippines.
Blocksom, then a major, was charged with investigating the Brownsville raid of 1906 and stated that the enlisted soldiers there were uncooperative in his investigation.{{cite book|last1=Tucker|first1=Spencer|title=Almanac of American Military History|date=2013|publisher=ABC-CLIO|location=Santa Barbara, CA|isbn=9781598845303|page=1216|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TO2mx314ST0C&pg=PA1216}} Blocksom also reported that no positive identifications of the raiders had been made and that tensions in the community were high.{{cite book|last1=Morris|first1=Edmund|title=Theodore Rex|date=2001|publisher=Random House|isbn=9780394555096|page=718|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=O9r_p6Kbi24C&pg=PT718}}
He commanded a squadron of the Sixth Cavalry during the China Relief Expedition.
He was promoted to major general on August 5, 1917. He was the commander of Camp Cody until April 18, 1918.{{cite web|title=34th Infantry Division|url=http://www.history.army.mil/html/forcestruc/cbtchron/cc/034id.htm|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120804095228/http://www.history.army.mil/html/forcestruc/cbtchron/cc/034id.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 4, 2012|publisher=U.S. Army Center of Military History|access-date=15 June 2013}}
Awards
Death and legacy
Blocksom retired to Miami, Florida, where he died on July 26, 1931. He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery, Section 7, Lot 8005.
References
{{Reflist}}
;Bibliography
- {{cite book|last=Davis|first=Henry Blaine Jr.|title=Generals in Khaki|publisher=Pentland Press, Inc.|year= 1998 |isbn= 1571970886|oclc=40298151}}
- {{cite book|last1=Morris|first1=Edmund|title=Theodore Rex|date=2001|publisher=Random House|isbn=9780394555096|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=O9r_p6Kbi24C&pg=PT718}}
- {{cite book|last1=Trapp|first1=Dan L.|title=Al Sieber: Chief of Scouts|date=1964|publisher=University of Oklahoma Press|isbn=9780806170077|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=a52ds11ZeAsC&pg=PA216|oclc=5207593}}
- {{cite book|last1=Tucker|first1=Spencer|title=Almanac of American Military History|date=2013|publisher=ABC-CLIO|location=Santa Barbara, CA|isbn=9781598845303|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TO2mx314ST0C&pg=PA1216}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Blocksom, Augustus P.}}
Category:United States Army generals
Category:United States Military Academy alumni
Category:African-American history of the United States military
Category:Military personnel from Ohio
Category:United States Army generals of World War I
Category:Recipients of the Silver Star
Category:Burials at Arlington National Cemetery