The Biographical Dictionary of America/Arnold, Richard (soldier)

ARNOLD, Richard, soldier, was born in Providence, R. I., April 12, 1828, son of Lemuel Hastings Arnold, governor of Rhode Island. He was graduated at West Point in 1850. In 1853 he was a member of the party exploring for the Northern Pacific railroad, and from 1855 to 1861 was aid to General Wool in California. At the outbreak of the Civil war he was commissioned captain in the 5th artillery and did service at Bull Run, and throughout the peninsular campaign under General McClellan. He was brevetted major, June 29, 1862, for services rendered at Savage Station, Va., and in the following November was promoted brigadier-general of volunteers. For distinguished services at Port Hudson he was on July 8, 1863, brevetted lieutenant-colonel in the regular army. He commanded a division of cavalry in the Red River expedition led by General Banks in 1864, and later rendered important help in the reduction of Fort Morgan in Mobile Bay, for which he was commissioned brevet major-general of volunteers, Aug. 2, 1864. At the close of the war he received successively the brevets of colonel, brigadier-general and major-general in the regular army. Dec. 5, 1877, he was made acting assistant inspector-general of the department of the East, and was major of the 5th artillery at the time of his death, which occurred at Governor's Island. New York harbor, Nov. 8, 1882.