Albert Leopold Mills (May 7, 1854 – September 18, 1916) was a

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 ...

major general who was a recipient of the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, military decoration and is awarded to recognize American United States Army, soldiers, United States Navy, sailors, Un ...

for valor in action on July 1, 1898, near

Santiago Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile (), is the capital and largest city of Chile and one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is located in the country's central valley and is the center of the Santiago Metropolitan Regi ...

Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...

. An 1879 graduate of

West Point 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 ...

, he served in the Army until his death in 1916. Following his service in

, he was appointed superintendent of West Point, jumping in rank from

first lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a se ...

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 ...

. His final posting was as the chief of the Division of Militia Affairs, a precursor to the

National Guard Bureau The National Guard Bureau (NGB) is the federal agency responsible for the administration of the National Guard established by the United States Congress as a joint bureau of the Department of the Army and the Department of the Air Force. It was c ...

Early life and Spanish–American War

Albert L. Mills was born in

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. He was appointed to West Point, graduating with the class of 1879. He joined the 1st United States Cavalry after graduation, serving on the American frontier, alternating between being a cavalry instructor and participating in the conflicts with the Plains Indians. In 1886, he was posted as an instructor at the

Citadel A citadel is the most fortified area of a town or city. It may be a castle, fortress, or fortified center. The term is a diminutive of ''city'', meaning "little city", because it is a smaller part of the city of which it is the defensive core. ...

. Mills receive a promotion to

in 1889. After 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 ...

began in 1898, he was promoted to a

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

of volunteers, and served as assistant adjutant general of the 2nd Cavalry Brigade. He received the

for his bravery at the

Battle of San Juan Hill The Battle of San Juan Hill (), also known as the Battle for the San Juan Heights, was a major battle of the Spanish–American War fought between an American force under the command of William Rufus Shafter and Joseph Wheeler against a Span ...

near

Santiago, Cuba Santiago de Cuba is the second-largest city in Cuba and the capital city of Santiago de Cuba Province. It lies in the southeastern area of the island, some southeast of the Cuban capital of Havana. The municipality extends over , and contains t ...

, on July 1, 1898. Though shot through the head, and temporarily blinded, he continued to command his men. He was absent from duty until August 1898 while recovering from the effects of his wounds.

Medal of Honor citation

"Distinguished gallantry in encouraging those near him by his bravery and coolness after being shot through the head and entirely without sight."

Postbellum

After recovering from his wounds and returning to duty,

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William McKinley William McKinley (January 29, 1843September 14, 1901) was the 25th president of the United States, serving from 1897 until Assassination of William McKinley, his assassination in 1901. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Repub ...

appointed him as the superintendent at West Point, a posting that advanced him from his Regular Army rank of first lieutenant to the rank of

. He served as superintendent until August 1906, receiving a promotion to brigadier general in January 1904. During his long term at West Point, he initiated numerous changes, including suppression of hazing, and the expansion of the size of the academy. After the academy, he served in the

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and as president of the Army War College at the

Washington Barracks Fort Lesley J. McNair, also historically known as the Washington Arsenal, is a United States Army post located on the tip of Buzzard Point, the peninsula that lies at the confluence of the Potomac River and the Anacostia River in Washington, D.C ...

. He later served as chief of the Division of Militia Affairs from 1912 to 1916, being promoted to major general in July of the latter year. General Mills was struck ill and died suddenly while serving as chief of the Militia Bureau, on September 18, 1916. Mills is buried at the

West Point Cemetery West Point Cemetery is a historic cemetery on the grounds of the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York, West Point, New York (state), New York. It overlooks the Hudson River, and served as a burial ground for Continental Army s ...

at the United States Military Academy.

Personal life

Mills married Ms. Alada Thurston Paddock of

Brooklyn, New York Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

on November 15, 1883.

References

: {{DEFAULTSORT:Mills, Albert Leopold 1854 births 1916 deaths 19th-century United States Army personnel 20th-century United States Army personnel United States Army generals United States Army Medal of Honor recipients United States Military Academy alumni Burials at West Point Cemetery Chiefs of the National Guard Bureau Spanish–American War recipients of the Medal of Honor Superintendents of the United States Military Academy

Early life and Spanish–American War

Medal of Honor citation

Postbellum

Personal life

See also

References