Charles M. Truitt

Truitt entered the US Military Academy on July 1, 1875 and graduated on June 13, 1879,
35 out of a class of 67. His best subjects were Tactics and Ordnance/Gunnery and his worst subjects
were Drawing and Spanish. Upon graduation he was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the 21st Infantry.

He was assigned to Company D and served on frontier duty at Vancouver Barracks, Washington from
September 30 to October 22, 1879. He was then at Fort Townsend, Washington until June 26, 1884.
From June 26 to August 6, 1884 he was on duty at Fort D.A. Russell, Wyoming. On August 6, 1884
he changed duty station to Fort Bridger, Wyoming.

From July 8 to August 16, 1886 he was at Cheyenne Depot, Wyoming. He was then at Fort Du Chesne, Utah
until May 27, 1888. (During 1887 he became assigned to Company K.) From May 27, 1888 to June 1, 1892
he was detailed as an Aide-de-camp on the staff of Brigadier-General John R. Brooke and served in that capacity
at Omaha, Nebraska. (During those years he was officially assigned to Company B, 1889-1890 and then
to Company I, 1891-1892.)

Left:

1st Lieutenant Charles M. Truitt
at Pine Ridge, South Dakota
January 1891.

At this time Truitt was a 1st Lieutenant
in Company I of the 21st Infantry and
on Detached Service as Aide-de-camp
to Brigadier General John R. Brooke
who was Commander of the Department
of the Platte.

Brooke was in command of the forces in
the field at the Pine Ridge and Rosebud
Agencies during the final campaign of the
Indian Wars, the Pine Ridge Campaign.

Photo from the Denver Public Library
Western History Collection, Call number x-31491.

On June 1, 1892 Truitt joined Company I at Fort Porter, New York and served there until July 16, 1894, becoming
assigned to Company H in 1893. On July 16, 1894 he was appointed Regimental Adjutant, being stationed at
Fort Niagara, New York until October 8, 1894 and then at Plattsburg Barracks, New York until April 19, 1898.

On May 12, 1898 he was offered a position in the Adjutant General's Department as Assistant Adjutant-General of
Volunteers which he accepted on May 21, 1898. On May 28 he was relieved of his duty as Regimental Adjutant
and became the Assistant Adjutant-General of 1st Division, 7th Army Corps, a position he occupied until June 5, 1898.

From June 5 to June 11, 1898 he was the Assistant Adjutant-General of (Snyder's) Provisional Division, 5th Army Corps.
Then he was the Assistant Adjutant-General of 2nd Division, 4th Army Corps from June 12 to September 19, 1898.
During this period of service in the Volunteers he was at the camp at Tampa, Florida from April 19 to August 15, 1898
and at Huntsville, Alabama from August 15 to September 9, 1898.

Truitt was honorably discharged from the Volunteers on September 2, 1898 and on September 19 rejoined the
21st Infantry at Plattsburg, New York where he was given command of Company L. From April 10, 1899
he was en route to and in the field in the Philippines Islands.

He was in engagements against Filipino Insurgents on October 3, 20 and 23 and December 24, 1899.

He was transferred to the 28th Infantry on June 10, 1903 and was promoted to Major of the 23rd Infantry
on June 23, 1903. He was with the 23rd Infantry in the Philippines on Mindanao from January 1904 and
commanded a battalion on the Taraca Expedition under Major General Leonard Wood in April 1904.
(The Taraca Expedition also contained two Battalions of the 22nd Infantry.)

Truitt remained in the Philippines until May 1905 during which time he participated in various expeditions
against hostile Moros.

Left:

Charles M. Truitt

Seen here as a Major commanding a Battalion
of the 23rd Infantry in the Philippines, 1904.

From a photo on the website:

MOROLAND
The History of Uncle Sam and the Moros
1899-1920

Truitt was detailed to the Adjutant General's Department on March 12, 1907 and served in Cuba as
Adjutant General, Army of Cuban Pacification from April 14, 1907 to January 28, 1909. He then was
on duty at Headquarters, Department of the East at Governor's Island, New York Harbor,
from February 3, 1909 to March 3, 1911.

He was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel of the 29th Infantry on March 3, 1911 and was stationed at Fort Porter,
New York. On May 15, 1911 he became the commander of the post at Fort Porter.

On March 5, 1913 he was promoted to Colonel of Infantry, unassigned to any Regiment. He ended his duty
at Fort Porter on June 4, 1913 and on June 16, 1913 he was at Alcatraz Island, San Francisco, California,
commanding Pacific Branch, U.S. Military Prison.

Truitt was assigned to the 22nd Infantry on July 7, 1914 and left San Francisco on August 30, 1914.
He joined the 22nd Infantry at Texas City, Texas on October 8, 1914. He was on detached service at
Fort Leavenworth, Kansas from January 2 to March 27, 1915. He rejoined the 22nd Infantry at
Camp Harry Jones, Douglas, Arizona on April 21, 1915 where he remained until February 20, 1916
when, at his own request he was retired from the Army after over 40 years' service.

Truitt was recalled to Active Duty on June 14, 1916 and served with the Recruiting Office at
Buffalo, New York until October 23, 1918. He was then assigned to Camp Sheridan, Alabama
where he commanded the Camp until relieved from Active Duty on December 29, 1918.

Charles M. Truitt died at Berkeley, Alameda County, California on December 27, 1930.

The signature of Charles M. Truitt as Commanding Officer 22nd Infantry
on the monthly Return of the 22nd Infantry for August 1915.

CHARLES MARCELLUS TRUITT, the son of Jabez and Susannah Worley Truitt, was born at Quincy, Kentucky,
May 23, 1857. He was a lineal descendant of Samuel Truitt who came to this country from Oxford, England, in 1750.
His boyhood was spent in Kansas to which state his parents had moved and from which he entered the United States
Military Academy in June, 1875. As a cadet he was noted for his friendly disposition, kindly humor and upright character.

Upon graduation in 1879 he was assigned to the 21st Infantry in which he served as lieutenant and captain until he received
his majority in the 23rd Infantry in June, 1903. When he joined the 21st it was in Washington State, but was transferred to
Wyoming in 1884. While in the latter state Truitt became aide-de-camp on the staff of General Brooke and served as such
for four years. He rejoined his regiment, then stationed in northern New York, in 1892 and was soon appointed regimental adjutant,
which position he resigned in 1898 to become an Assistant Adjutant General in the United States Volunteers. During the
Spanish War he served at Tampa, Florida, and Huntsville, Alabama. Shortly after he returned to his regiment and was
reappointed regimental adjutant, it was sent to the Philippines and was soon engaged in several encounters with the
Filipino insurgents, in which he took part. As major of the 23rd Infantry he was in the Philippines again in 1904 and 1905
and took part in various expeditions against hostile Moros in Mindanao. In 1907 he was detailed as Assistant Adjutant General
and served as Adjutant General of the Army of Pacification in Cuba, and later as Adjutant General of the Department of the East.
He was relieved from this duty in 1911 to become lieutenant colonel of the 29th Infantry. In 1913 he became a colonel
and was in command of the Western Military Prison at Alcatraz Island, San Francisco, until assigned to command
the 22nd Infantry in 1914. With this regiment he served in Texas and Arizona until failing health caused him to ask
for retirement after forty years service. He was retired in February, 1916. During the World War he was again on active duty
as executive officer of Camp Sherman, Alabama. After retirement he made his home at Berkeley, California, where he died
on December 27, 1930.

On February 22, 1889, while stationed at Fort Porter, Buffalo, New York, Colonel Truitt was married to Miss Ivy Mary Love
of that city who survives him.

Charles Truitt's superiors and fellow officers appreciated his ability, sterling character, genial disposition and loyalty,
and his men his sympathy and interest in their welfare. To his Alma Mater and his classmates he was devoted. When in 1929
the survivors of his class decided to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of their graduation at West Point he at once
announced his intention to be present, although far away and in poor health. The journey across the continent proved too much
for his strength and to the sorrow of all present he was obliged to send his regrets from Buffalo before he reached his destination.
His last wish was that he might be laid to rest at West Point among the scenes he so greatly loved.

Charles M. Truitt is buried at the United States Military Academy Post Cemetery,
West Point, Orange County, New York.

He was originally buried in Section 6G Grave # 10 on May 20, 1931 and at a later date was moved to
Section VI Row E Site 262.

¹ SIXTY-SECOND ANNUAL REPORT of the Association of Graduates of the United States Military Academy
at West Point, New York June 10, 193, The Lakeside Press, R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company, Crawfordsville, Indiana