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<em>Charles Dudley Rhodes</em>, son of Major Dudley Woodbridge Rhodes and Marcia Parrish Rhodes was born at Delaware, Ohio, February 10, 1865, and received his early education in the schools of that city and of Washington, D.C., where his parents made their home from the time he was about 10 years old. He completed the course and received the degree of A.B. from the Columbian (now George Washington University in June 1885 and entered the Military Academy in the same month. His unfailing courtesy, friendliness and consideration for others at once commanded admiration by his classmates, and this popularity indeed extended to the other classes. At that time the number of cadets seldom exceeded 300 and personal acquaintance was not limited to class’s or companies to the extent that it has necessarily become in recent times with the great increase in the number of cadets. I think it can be said without contradiction that in the latter ‘80’s there was no more popular cadet at West Point than “Teddy” Rhodes. But this man of mild and agreeable manner was to have an outstanding military record, both in peace and in war.</p>
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Upon graduation. Lieutenant Rhodes joined the Sixth Cavalry and most of his line service was with that regiment. He remained a member of the cavalry arm until he was appointed to general rank, but he was frequently detached for staff and other duties; and his service was well balanced between the staff and the line.</p>
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It was Rhodes’ good fortune to take an active part in every important military operation in which the army was engaged from the time he graduated to his retirement at the age of 64: and the commendatory reports of his superiors show his excellent performance. He served with his regiment in the campaign against the Sioux Indians in the Dakotas in the winter of 1890-1891. He was in the battle of Santiago as an aide to the Inspector General and as adjutant of the Second Brigade, Second Division, Fifth Army Corps, and among several commendatory reports was one by General Henry W. Lawton for “conspicuous industry, efficiency and gallantry”. He commanded a cavalry troop in the China Relief Expedition and was adjutant of a brigade and an Anglo-American command for which he was highly praised by the Division Commander, General James H. Wilson. lie was in many engagements in the Philippine Insurrection, for which he received high commendation, among which was one by General James F. Bell for “gallant action in charging overwhelming numbers of insurgents with fearless gallantry” (1901); and by the same commander for “ability, efficiency and zeal in securing the surrender of the Santo Thomas column of insurgents, and of General Gonzales and his entire force of Insurgents at Tanauan” (1902); and by General Lloyd Wheaton for “gallantry in connection with Felizardo’s band of outlaws” (1903). In a later tour in the Philippine Islands he received the praise of the Commanding General of the Department of Mindanao for “the destruction of the Moro outlaw Jammang and his followers” in the fight at Bauno Jolo.</p>
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Thirty years of efficient service with earnest study of his profession had well fitted Rhodes for high command in World War I. He was appointed Brigadier General in the National Army in December 1917 and took command of the 157th Field Artillery Brigade, 82nd Division, which he led through the Aisne-Marne, the St. Mihiel and the Meuse-Argonne offensives so ably that he was appointed Major General in October 1918 and commanded in succession the 42nd and 34th Divisions. Upon the signing of the Armistice on November 11, 1918, the Interallied Armistice Commission was established with its offices at Spa, Belgium, and General Rhodes was appointed its American member; but a few weeks later a plane on which he was traveling crashed and he suffered severe injuries, somewhat disfiguring his face and necessitating hospitalization for some weeks, as well as his relief from his duties with the Interallied Armistice Commission. Upon his recovery he was assigned to the command of the American Base Section at Bordeaux where he was engaged in sending divisional and other troops home until that section was closed in July 1919.</p>
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On his return to the United States, Rhodes served on the General Staff (1920-24) and exercised brigade commands at El Paso, Texas and in Panama. He had served on the initial General Staff (1903-06) and again in that organization (1909-12). He was appointed Brigadier General in the regular army in 1925 and Major General in 1928. He was retired for age February 10, 1929.</p>
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General Rhodes received the Distinguished Service Medal for his services in the St. Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne offensives and for conspicuous service as a member of the Interallied Armistice Commission. He was honored as Knight Commander of the Bath by Great Britain, as a Commander of the Legion of Honor by France, and as Commander of the Order of the Crown by Belgium for his services with the Interallied Armistice Commission. The Act of Congress of 1918 providing for the Distinguished Service Cross enabled General Rhodes to receive that decoration for “extraordinary heroism in an action in the Philippine Insurrection in December 1901”.</p>
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Rhodes was an honor graduate of the Armed Services Schools at Ft. Leavenworth (1908) and a graduate of the Army War College (1920). Throughout his service he devoted his leisure time to the study of military problems of the highest importance and wrote many interesting and instructive articles for military and other periodicals. He was the Prize Essayist, U.S. Cavalry Association (1898); the Seaman Prize Essayist, Military Service Institution (1901); and Gold Medalist, Military Service Institution (1905). He was the editor and associate editor of the <em>Journal of the U.S. Cavalry Association</em>, an associate editor of “<em>Upton’s Military Policy of the United States</em>”, and the author of “<em>The Cavalry</em>” (Review of Reviews). After his retirement he wrote “<em>Robert E. Lee—The West Pointer</em>”.</p>
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Lieutenant Rhodes was married in 1890 to Mary F. Counselman, daughter of Colonel Jacob H. Counselman, who graduated at West Point in 1863. She shared his army life at his many stations in the United States. Mrs. Rhodes died at their Washington home in 1942. General Rhodes died in Washington January 24, 1948 after an illness of many months which was not of a painful nature. General and Mrs. Rhodes are buried in Arlington Cemetery.</p>
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<em>—W. A. B.</em></p>