Charles Stewart Farnsworth (October 29, 1862 – December 19, 1955) 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 ...

officer An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French ''oficier'' "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French ''officier''), from Medieval Latin ''officiarius'' "an officer," fro ...

and civic leader.

Early life

Farnsworth was born in

Lycoming County, Pennsylvania Lycoming County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 114,188. Its county seat is Williamsport. The county is part of the North Central region of the commonwealth. Lycoming County compri ...

and attended local public schools. He worked for

Western Union The Western Union Company is an American multinational financial services corporation headquartered in Denver, Denver, Colorado. Founded in 1851 as the New York and Mississippi Valley Printing Telegraph Company in Rochester, New York, the co ...

and the Bell Telephone company before being 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 ...

(USMA) at

West Point, New York West Point is the oldest continuously occupied military post in the United States. Located on the Hudson River in New York (state), New York, General George Washington stationed his headquarters in West Point in the summer and fall of 1779 durin ...

in 1883.

Military career

Among his classmates there included several

general officer A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry. In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...

s of the future, such as Charles Gerhardt,

Mark L. Hersey Mark Leslie Hersey (December 1, 1863 – January 22, 1934) was a Major general (United States), major general in the United States Army who commanded the 4th Infantry Division (United States), 4th Division during World War I. Early life and educa ...

Nathaniel Fish McClure Nathaniel Fish McClure (July 21, 1865 – June 26, 1942) was a United States Army officer in the early 20th century who became a brigadier general. He served in several conflicts, including World War I. Early life and education Nathaniel Fish ...

Michael Joseph Lenihan Brigadier general (United States), Brigadier General Michael Joseph Lenihan (May 2, 1865 – August 13, 1958) was a senior Officer (armed forces), officer of the United States Army. He was involved in conflicts in the American Western Frontier, t ...

Herman Hall Herman Hall (June 6, 1864 – September 6, 1928) was a United States Army officer in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He served in several conflicts, including World War I. Biography Hall was born on June 6, 1864, in Carthage, Illinois. H ...

William Weigel Major general (United States), Major General William Weigel (August 25, 1863 – March 4, 1936) was a United States Army officer who, throughout his long military career, served in numerous conflicts and wars, most notably towards the end of World ...

Ernest Hinds Ernest Hinds (August 18, 1864 – June 17, 1941) was a career officer in the United States Army. A veteran of the Spanish–American War, Philippine–American War, and World War I, he attained the rank of major general and was notable for his s ...

Ulysses G. McAlexander Major General Ulysses Grant McAlexander (30 August 1864 – 18 September 1936) was an American officer who served in the United States Army. He was heavily decorated for valor, and is one of the iconic fighting men of the American Expeditionary F ...

James Theodore Dean James Theodore Dean (May 12, 1865 – June 15, 1939) was a United States Army officer in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Biography Dean was born on May 12, 1865, in Ironton, Ohio. He graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1 ...

Frank Herman Albright Frank Herman Albright (August 2, 1865 – July 21, 1940) was a career officer in the United States Army. A veteran of the Spanish–American War, Philippine–American War, World War I, he attained the rank of brigadier general, and was most not ...

Marcus Daniel Cronin Marcus Daniel Cronin (9 January 1865 – 12 August 1936) was a United States military officer. He served in a number of conflicts, including the Spanish–American War, Philippine–American War and World War I. Early life and education Cronin ...

George Owen Squier George Owen Squier (March 21, 1865 – March 24, 1934) was an American general, scientist, and inventor best known for inventing and popularizing what today is called Muzak. Life and military career Squier was born in Dryden, Michigan. He g ...

Thomas Grafton Hanson Brigadier General Thomas Grafton Hanson (May 1, 1865 – May 23, 1945) was a United States Army officer in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He served in several conflicts, including World War I, during which he commanded the 89th Infantr ...

George Washington Gatchell Brigadier General George Washington Gatchell (February 22, 1865 – February 4, 1939) was a United States Army officer in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He served in several conflicts, including the Sioux Wars, Spanish–American War, a ...

Alexander Lucian Dade Alexander Lucian Dade (18 July 1863 – 8 January 1927) was a United States military officer. He took part in a number of U.S. military conflicts, including the Spanish–American War and Philippine–American War. Early life and education Dad ...

William C. Rivers William C. Rivers (11 January 1866 – 10 July 1943) was a career officer in the United States Army. An 1887 graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, he was a veteran of the American Indian Wars, the Spanish–American War, th ...

, and

Edmund Wittenmyer Edmund Wittenmyer (April 25, 1862 − July 5, 1937) was a career officer in the United States Army. A veteran of the Spanish–American War and World War I, in addition to several other conflicts, he attained the rank of major general and was mos ...

. After graduating, Farnsworth was sent to various posts in the Great Plains. He was stationed at

Fort Sisseton Fort Sisseton near Britton, South Dakota, was established in 1864. As Fort Sisseton Historic State Park, it was designated as a State Historical Park in 1959. Fort Sisseton is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. It has 14 ...

in South Dakota, Fort Shaw in Montana, and

Fort Buford Fort Buford was a United States Army Post at the confluence of the Missouri and Yellowstone rivers in Dakota Territory, present day North Dakota, and the site of Sitting Bull's surrender in 1881.Ewers, John C. (1988): "When Sitting Bull Surrende ...

in North Dakota. In 1893 he became Professor of Military Science and Tactics at the

University of North Dakota The University of North Dakota (UND) is a Public university, public research university in Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States. It was established by the Dakota Territory, Dakota Territorial Assembly in 1883, six years before the establishm ...

. In addition to his teaching job, Farnsworth was also head coach of the school's football team from 1895 to 1896. 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 ...

, Farnsworth served as a quartermaster in Cuba and was an aide to

Adna Chaffee Adna Romanza Chaffee (April 14, 1842 – November 1, 1914) was a lieutenant general in the United States Army. Chaffee took part in the American Civil War and Indian Wars, played a key role in the Spanish–American War, and fought in the Boxe ...

. After the war, Farnsworth was sent to Alaska where he founded and constructed Fort Gibbon. He was then sent to the

Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...

where he founded and built

Fort William McKinley Fort Andres Bonifacio (formerly Fort William McKinley) is the site of the national headquarters of the Philippine Army (Headquarters Philippine Army or HPA) located in Taguig, Philippines. The camp is named after Andres Bonifacio, the revolutio ...

. He also expanded the cantonments at the

Presidio of San Francisco The Presidio of San Francisco (originally, El Presidio Real de San Francisco or The Royal Fortress of Saint Francis) is a park and former U.S. Army post on the northern tip of the San Francisco Peninsula in San Francisco, California, and is part ...

. In 1909, he attended the U.S. Army Command and General Staff School. He graduated from the

U.S. Army War College The United States Army War College (USAWC) is a United States Army, U.S. Army staff college in Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania, with a Carlisle, Pennsylvania, Carlisle postal address, on the 500-acre (2 km2) campus of the historic Carlisle B ...

in 1916. During the

Pancho Villa Expedition The Pancho Villa Expedition—now known officially in the United States as the Mexican Expedition, but originally referred to as the "Punitive Expedition, US Army"—was a military operation conducted by the United States Army against the para ...

into Mexico, Farnsworth served as a battalion commander and supply base commander. Farnsworth was the commandant of the U.S. Army Infantry Training School at

Fort Sill Fort Sill is a United States Army post north of Lawton, Oklahoma, about 85 miles (137 km) southwest of Oklahoma City. It covers almost . The fort was first built during the Indian Wars. It is designated as a National Historic Landmark a ...

shortly after the

American entry into World War I The United States entered into World War I on 6 April 1917, more than two and a half years after the war began in Europe. Apart from an Anglophile element urging early support for the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, British and an a ...

in April 1917. He then commanded the 159th Infantry Brigade, part of the 80th Infantry Division, at Camp Lee, Virginia. In 1918, Farnsworth was promoted to major general and placed in command of the 37th Infantry Division of the

Ohio Army National Guard The Ohio Army National Guard is a part of the Ohio National Guard and the Army National Guard of the United States Army. It is also a component of the organized militia of the state of Ohio, which also includes the Ohio Naval Militia, the Ohio M ...

. Dana T. Merrill was the division's

chief of staff The title chief of staff (or head of staff) identifies the leader of a complex organization such as the armed forces, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a principal staff officer (PSO), who is the coordinator of the supportin ...

. He brought the division to the Western Front, where it participated in the

Battle of Saint-Mihiel The Battle of Saint-Mihiel was a major World War I battle fought from 12 to 15 September 1918, involving the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) and 110,000 French troops under the command of General John J. Pershing of the United States again ...

and the

Meuse–Argonne offensive The Meuse–Argonne offensive (also known as the Meuse River–Argonne Forest offensive, the Battles of the Meuse–Argonne, and the Meuse–Argonne campaign) was a major part of the final Allies of World War I, Allied Offensive (military), offe ...

. For his service during

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 ...

, Farnsworth received 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. ...

and the

Silver Star The Silver Star Medal (SSM) is the United States Armed Forces' third-highest military decoration for valor in combat. The Silver Star Medal is awarded primarily to members of the United States Armed Forces for gallantry in action against a ...

medal. The citation for his Army DSM reads: While the Silver Star citation reads as follows: He also received the

Croix de Guerre The (, ''Cross of War'') is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was first awarded during World ...

with Palm and the

Legion of Honor 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. Currently consisting of five classes, it was ...

from France. From Belgium, he received the

Order of Léopold The Order of Leopold (, , ) is one of the three current Belgian national honorary orders of knighthood. It is the oldest and highest order of Belgium and is named in honour of its founder, King Leopold I. It consists of a military, a mari ...

. After World War I, he commanded Camp Bowie, Texas before being ordered to

Fort Benning Fort Benning (named Fort Moore from 2023–2025) is a United States Army post in the Columbus, Georgia area. Located on Georgia's border with Alabama, Fort Benning supports more than 120,000 active-duty military, family members, reserve compone ...

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

. There, Farnsworth organized the

U.S. Army Infantry School The United States Army Infantry School is a school located at Fort Benning, Georgia that is dedicated to training infantrymen for service in the United States Army. Organization The school is made up of the following components: * 197th Infan ...

and served as its first commandant. In July 1920, Farnsworth became Chief of Infantry. He served in that position until his retirement in 1925. As Chief of Infantry, Farnsworth traveled around the country inspecting reserve units and R.O.T.C. programs. He also reviewed reports by junior officers

George S. Patton George Smith Patton Jr. (11 November 1885 – 21 December 1945) was a general in the United States Army who commanded the Seventh Army in the Mediterranean Theater of World War II, then the Third Army in France and Germany after the Alli ...

and

Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was the 34th president of the United States, serving from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, he was Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionar ...

on infantry tactics and the use of

armor Armour (Commonwealth English) or armor (American English; see American and British English spelling differences#-our, -or, spelling differences) is a covering used to protect an object, individual, or vehicle from physical injury or damage, e ...

. Farnsworth dismissed both reports and retired from the army on March 27, 1925.

Later life and civic leadership

Farnsworth and his wife moved to

Altadena, California Altadena () is an unincorporated area, and census-designated place in the San Gabriel Valley and the Verdugos regions of Los Angeles County, California. Directly north of Pasadena, California, Pasadena, it is located approximately from Downtow ...

after his retirement and lived on Las Flores Drive, close to his son. They became involved in the community. Gen. Farnsworth was the president of the Altadena Citizens' Association and the Altadena Beautification League. He sat as president of the board of the La Vina Sanitorium. He was also a member of the Los Angeles County Planning Commission and the Criminal Complaints Committee of the Los Angeles County Grand Jury. In 1931, Farnsworth was Grand Marshal of the

Tournament of Roses The Rose Parade, also known as the Tournament of Roses Parade (or simply the Tournament of Roses), is an annual parade held mostly along Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena, California, United States, on New Year's Day (or on Monday, January 2 if New ...

and was one of a few to ride a horse down the parade route in modern times. Farnsworth was instrumental in the creation of Altadena Park in 1934. Farnsworth led the fundraising, designed the park, and supervised its grading and landscaping. The park was renamed in his honor in 1939. His wife died in 1951. He died in 1955 at the Naval Hospital in

Norco, California Norco is a city in northwestern Riverside County, California, United States. Located roughly inland from the Pacific Ocean, Norco is known as "Horsetown, USA" and prides itself on being a "horse community". The area is dotted with corrals, far ...

. They are both buried at the cemetery at the Presidio of San Francisco.''Assembly'', p. 57; "Milestones", p. 57 The Farnsworth Family Papers (Robert J. Farnsworth and Charles S. Farnsworth) collection is housed in the Rasmuson Library Archives, University of Alaska Fairbanks.

Personal life

While at Fort Shaw, he married Laura Galey. They had one son, Robert. She died in 1890. In 1894, he married Helen Bosard of

Grand Forks, North Dakota Grand Forks is a city in and the county seat of Grand Forks County, North Dakota, United States. The city's population was 59,166 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of cities in North Dakota, third-most populous ...

. They had no children.

Early life

Military career

Later life and civic leadership

Personal life

Head coaching record

References

Further reading