William Preble Hall – Brigadier General, United States Army

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Born in Randolph County, Missouri, June 11, 1848, he graduated from West Point in 1868. He served as Second Lieutenant, 19th Infantry, June 15, 1868; 5th Cavalry, June 14, 1869; First Lieutenant, July 1, 1876; Captain, March 8, 1877; Major, Assistant Adjutant General, April 23, 1904.

He served principally on Western Frontier duty until the Spanish-American War. Was in the fight with Apache Indians at Whitestone Mountains, Arizona, July 13, 1873; Big Horn and Yellowstone Expeditions, 1876; in action at Indian Creek, Wyoming, July 17, 1876; at Slim Buttes, Dakota, September 9-10, 1876; attacked by hostile Indians while in command of a reconnoitering party near camp on the White River, Colorado, October 28, 1879, and went to the rescue of a fellow officer who was surrounded by about 35 warriors, he was awarded the Medal of Honor for “most distinguished gallantry” on that occasion (the Medal being issued to him on September 18, 1897).

He later served as Adjutant General, Department of Puerto Rico, 1899-1900. He was a member of Department, Division and Army distinguished marksmanship teams, 1879-1892, and won medals on all teams while shooting carbine and revolver. He retired from active duty on June 11, 1912.

He died on December 14, 1927 and was buried in Section 1 of Arlington National Cemetery.

His wife, Therese Blackburn Hall (1868-1943) and his daughter, Therese Preble Hall (February 8, 1894-January 10,1899) are buried with him.

William Preble Hall of Missouri

Appointed from Missouri, Cadet, United States Military Academy, 1 September 1864 (28)
Second Lieutenant,  19th U.S. Infantry, 15 June 1868
Unassigned, 31 March 1869
Assigned to the 5th U.S. Cavalry, 14 July 1869
First Lieutenant, 1 July 1876
Regimental Quartermaster, 5 October 1876 to 8 March 1887
Captain, 8 March 1887
Major, Assistant Adjutant General, 6 November 1893
Lieutenant Colonel, Assistant Adjutant General, 11 September 1897
Colonel, Assistant Adjutant General,  18 April 1901
Awarded the Medal of Honor 18 September 1897 for most distinguished gallantry in action near camp on the White River, COlorado, 20 October 1879; this officer, then a First Lieutenant, 5th U.S. Cavalry, in command of a reconnoitering party of three men and while going to the rescue of a brother officer who had been attacked by Indians was himself attacked by about 35 warriors; during the engagement he several times exposed himself in order to draw the fire of his assailants and locate their position so his small party could reply with effect; Lieutenant Weir, Ordnance Department, and a scout who accompanied him were both killed by the Indians at this time

HALL, WILLIAM P.

Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, 5th U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: Near Camp on White River, Colorado, 20 October 1879. Entered service at: Huntsville, Missouri. Birth: Randolph County, Missouri. Date of issue: 18 September 1897.

Citation:

With a reconnoitering party of 3 men, was attacked by 35 Indians and several times exposed himself to draw the fire of the enemy, giving his small party opportunity to reply with much effect.

GENERAL WILLIAMP. HALL, INDIAN FIGHTER,DIES
Retired Veteran Of 44 Years’ ServiceWas Holder Of Congressional Medal of Honor

WASHINGTON, December 14, 1927 – Brigadier General William Preble Hall, retired, former Adjutant General of the Army, Indian Fighter and holder of the Congressional Medal of Honor, died at Walter Reed General Hospital today after a long illness. He was 79 years old and had made his home here since he retired from active service in 1912.

General Hall was Adjutant General from 1907 until he retired, and was awarded the Medal of Honor for “distinguished gallantry in action “at White River, Colorado, in 1879 during one of his manyIndian campaigns,when he purposely exposed himself to fire to enable three men in a recommaitring party of which he was in charge to locate the position of thirty-fiveIndians. The reconnoitring party was going to the rescue of a fellow officer at the time. Hall was then a First Lieutenant in the Fifth United States Cavalry.

General Hall had forty-four years in the service, of which twenty-five were in the West.  He was a noted marksman.

He is survived by his widow, Mrs. Terese Blackburn Hall, daughter of former United States Senator C. S. Blackburn of Kentucky, and two children, Blackburn Hall, former Major of the Regular Army, Los Angeles, California, and Mrs. Percy McCay Vernon, wife of Captain Vernon, Regular Army, Newark, New Jersey.

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HALL, WILLIAM P

  • BRIG GEN USA, MO
  • DATE OF DEATH: 12/14/1927
  • BURIED AT: SECTION 1  SITE LOT 653
    ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY

HALL, TERESE BLACKBURN WID/O WILLIAM P

  • DATE OF DEATH: 08/04/1943
  • BURIED AT: SECTION 1  SITE 653
    ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY

  
HALL, TERESE PREBLE D/O WM P

  • DATE OF DEATH: 01/10/1899
  • BURIED AT: SECTION 1 SITE LOT 653
    ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY

terese-prebel-hall-gravesite-062803 wphall-gravesite-062803

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