Charles J. Symmonds (October 6, 1866 – July 16, 1941) was a brigadier general in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

. He served during the

Spanish–American War The Spanish–American War (April 21 – August 13, 1898) was fought between Restoration (Spain), Spain and the United States in 1898. It began with the sinking of the USS Maine (1889), USS ''Maine'' in Havana Harbor in Cuba, and resulted in the ...

and

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, and was awarded the

Army Distinguished Service Medal The Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) is a military decoration of the United States Army that is presented to soldiers who have distinguished themselves by exceptionally meritorious service to the government in a duty of great responsibility. ...

. His award citation reads: :''The

President of the United States of America The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal government of t ...

, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Army Distinguished Service Medal to

Colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

(Cavalry) Charles Jacobs Symmonds, United States Army, for exceptionally meritorious and distinguished services to the Government of the United States, in a duty of great responsibility during World War I. Colonel Symmonds Commanded for many months the important Intermediate Storage Depot at Gievres. He successfully administered a large personnel and supervised the growth of Gievres as a storage depot. He organized the system of supply from that station so efficiently that there were not shortages, either for food or material, at the regulating stations dependent upon Gievres for supply during all the active operations.''

Biography

Symmonds was born in

Holland, Michigan Holland is a city in Ottawa County, Michigan, Ottawa and Allegan County, Michigan, Allegan counties in the U.S. state of Michigan. Located in the West Michigan, western region of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, Lower Peninsula, the city is si ...

in 1866 and appointed to the

United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), commonly known as West Point, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York that educates cadets for service as Officer_(armed_forces)#United_States, comm ...

from Wisconsin in 1886. His official residence was listed as

Kenosha, Wisconsin Kenosha () is a city in Kenosha County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of cities in Wisconsin, fourth-most populous city in Wisconsin, with a population of 99,986 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. S ...

. He graduated from the

in June 1890 and was commissioned as an infantry officer. Transferred to the cavalry in March 1891, Symmonds was assigned to the

7th Cavalry Regiment The 7th Cavalry Regiment is a United States Army cavalry regiment formed in 1866. Its official nickname is "Garryowen", after the Irish air " Garryowen" that was adopted as its march tune. The regiment participated in some of the largest ba ...

. Serving in the

Arizona Territory The Territory of Arizona, commonly known as the Arizona Territory, was a territory of the United States that existed from February 24, 1863, until February 14, 1912, when the remaining extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the ...

from May 1895 to September 1898, Symmonds did not participate in combat during the Spanish–American War. After receiving quartermaster training in

Huntsville, Alabama Huntsville is the List of municipalities in Alabama, most populous city in the U.S. state of Alabama. The population of the city is estimated to be 241,114 in 2024, making it the List of United States cities by population, 100th-most populous ...

until November 1898, he was deployed to

Puerto Principe Port-au-Prince ( ; ; , ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Haiti, most populous city of Haiti. The city's population was estimated at 1,200,000 in 2022 with the metropolitan area estimated at a population of 2,618,894. The me ...

, Cuba until November 1899. Symmonds contracted yellow fever there in August 1899. After an assignment in

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

until January 1900, he returned to Cuba until August 1901. Promoted to captain and reassigned to the

12th Cavalry Regiment The 12th Cavalry is a cavalry regiment of the United States Army. It is currently stationed at Fort Cavazos. History On 2 February 1901, Congress authorized the organization of the Twelfth Regiment of Cavalry, Army of the United States. Under ...

, Symmonds served in Texas until April 1903. He was then sent to the

University of Maine The University of Maine (UMaine) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Orono, Maine, United States. It was established in 1865 as the land-grant college of Maine and is the Flagship universitie ...

as a professor of military science and tactics until September 1906. After various assignments with the 12th Cavalry and promotion to major, Symmonds was transferred back to the 7th Cavalry in August 1914 and deployed to the Philippines until November 1916. Promoted to lieutenant colonel and reassigned to the

6th Cavalry Regiment The 6th Cavalry ("Fighting Sixth'") is a regiment of the United States Army that began as a regiment of cavalry in the American Civil War. It currently is organized into aviation squadrons that are assigned to several different combat aviation ...

, he served as commander of the Big Bend District at

Marfa, Texas Marfa is a city in the high desert of the Trans-Pecos in far West Texas, United States, between the Davis Mountains and Big Bend National Park, at an elevation of 4685 feet. It is the county seat of Presidio County, Texas, Presidio County. The ci ...

from February to October 1917. Symmonds received a temporary promotion to colonel in August 1917 and was deployed to France in February 1918, where he served as commander of the General Intermediate Storage Depot at

Gièvres Gièvres () is a commune in the Loir-et-Cher department, France. Population See also *Communes of the Loir-et-Cher department A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations m ...

until July 1919. He was awarded the Army Distinguished Service Medal in March 1919 and made an officer of the

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...

by Marshal

Philippe Pétain Henri Philippe Bénoni Omer Joseph Pétain (; 24 April 1856 – 23 July 1951), better known as Marshal Pétain (, ), was a French marshal who commanded the French Army in World War I and later became the head of the Collaboration with Nazi Ger ...

in April 1919. His promotion to colonel was made permanent in July 1919. After the war, Symmonds held various staff positions and also served as commander of the 7th Cavalry Regiment at

Fort Bliss Fort Bliss is a United States Army post in New Mexico and Texas, with its headquarters in El Paso, Texas. Established in 1848, the fort was renamed in 1854 to honor William Wallace Smith Bliss, Bvt.Lieut.Colonel William W.S. Bliss (1815–1853 ...

, Texas from April to December 1920. He was promoted to brigadier general in November 1923. Symmonds was assigned to Camp Stotsenburg in the Philippines from March 1924 to June 1926. He commanded the 2nd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Bliss from August 1926 to May 1927. Symmonds was then commandant of the U.S. Army Cavalry School at

Fort Riley Fort Riley is a United States Army installation located in North Central Kansas, on the Kansas River, also known as the Kaw, between Junction City and Manhattan. The Fort Riley Military Reservation covers 101,733 acres (41,170 ha) in Ge ...

, Kansas for two years until September 1929. His next assignment was back at Fort Bliss commanding the 1st Cavalry Division from September 1929 to October 1930. On October 31, 1930, he retired from active duty, having reached the mandatory retirement age of sixty-four. In June 1928, Symmonds applied for a patent on folding or stowable tables. In May 1931, he was briefly recalled to active duty at the Jeffersonville Depot in Indiana where they were manufacturing tables according to his design. Symmonds was eventually awarded eight United States patents between September 1931 and September 1940. Symmonds died at his home in

Chevy Chase, Maryland Chevy Chase () is the colloquial name of an area that includes a town, several incorporated villages, and an unincorporated census-designated place in southern Montgomery County, Maryland; and one adjoining neighborhood in northwest Washington, D ...

. He is buried at

Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is the largest cemetery in the United States National Cemetery System, one of two maintained by the United States Army. More than 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington County, Virginia. ...

.Burial Detail: Symmonds, Charles J
– ANC Explorer

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Symmonds, Charles 1866 births 1941 deaths People from Holland, Michigan United States Military Academy alumni Military personnel from Wisconsin United States Army Cavalry Branch personnel United States Army Infantry Branch personnel University of Maine faculty American military personnel of the Spanish–American War United States Army personnel of World War I People from Kenosha, Wisconsin Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (US Army) Officers of the Legion of Honour United States Army generals Inventors from Maryland People from Chevy Chase, Maryland Burials at Arlington National Cemetery 19th-century United States Army personnel