Lewis Golding Arnold

Lewis Golding Arnold
File:Gen-LGrnold.jpg Brig. Gen. Lewis G. Arnold
Allegiance	United States of America
Years of service	1837-1864
Rank	Brigadier General
Battles / wars	Second Seminole War, Mexican-American War, Third Seminole War, American Civil War

Lewis Golding Arnold (January 15, 1817 – September 22, 1871) was a career U.S. Army officer and a brigadier general in the Union Army during the American Civil War, primarily noted for his service in Florida.

Lewis G. Arnold was born in Perth Amboy, New Jersey and graduated from West Point in 1837, placing tenth in his class. He fought in the Second Seminole War and the Mexican-American War, where he was severely wounded at Chuburusco. After the war, he once again commanded troops in Florida, and led a detachment against the Seminole Indians in the April 1856 Battle of Big Cypress. In 1846 he accompanied his regiment to Mexico, and was engaged on the southern line of operations under General Scott. He fought at the siege of Vera Cruz and was wounded. He also served in the battles of Cerro Gordo and Amozoque; the capture of San Antonio, and the battle of Churubusco. In Churubusco he led his company with gallantry, and in the storming of the tete de pont was severely wounded. He was brevetted captain on August 20th, 1847, for gallant conduct at Contreras and Churubuseo. He attained the rank of major on September 13th, 1847 for gallant conduct at Chapultepec.

After the outbreak of the Civil War, he was promoted to major of the 1st United States Artillery and was assigned to Fort Pickens off Pensacola, Florida, in August 1861. In October 1861, he helped repulse a Confederate attack on nearby Santa Rosa Island, and defiantly refused to surrender the outpost during three different Confederate artillery bombardments. He remained there until May 1862, having rendered invaluable service in defending the fort, which remained in Union hands through the war. In January 1862, he was promoted to brigadier general, and in October 1862 was transferred to command the city of New Orleans after it fell to Union forces.

On November 10 of that year, he was struck down by a stroke while reviewing troops, and was places on sick leave for over a year while army officials hoped his condition would improve. When it became obvious he would be permanently disabled, he was retired from the Army in February 1864.

Arnold died 8 years later in Boston, Massachusetts and is buried in St. Mary's Episcopal Church Cemetery in Newton Lower Falls.