Arthur Harrison Wilson

​A Springfield native, Wilson attended West Point, graduating in 1904. In 1909, while a 2nd Lieutenant during the Philippine-American War, he displayed great bravery during fighting on Jolo Island, for which he was awarded the Medal of Honor. Wilson continued serving in the Army until his retirement as the commander of Ft. Brown, Texas, in 1942.

Early Life

Arthur Harrison Wilson was born on August 17, 1879 in Springfield, Illinois. He was born into a family with a long record of military history. His father, Major Bluford Wilson, for instance, served under General Ulysses S. Grant during the Civil War at the battle of Vicksburg in 1863. Wilson grew up in Springfield and when he was old enough to enlist, he followed in his family’s footsteps and went on to attend West Point Military Academy at the turn of the twentieth century. He graduated with the class of 1904 and was initially placed in the United States Army Infantry, despite wanting to be in the Cavalry. He later was able to join the 6th U.S. Cavalry at Fort Meade, South Dakota with the help of a fellow cavalry lieutenant. A few years after joining, in 1907, his regiment was sent to the Philippines to fight the Moro Rebellion during the years that followed the Philippine-American War.

The Philippine-American War and the Moro Rebellion

The Philippine-American War took place from 1899-1902, lasting for about three years. The war began less than a year after the Spanish-American War had ended in 1898 where the United States fought for control of certain Spanish territories, more specifically, the Philippines. Because of this ceding of territory, Filipino nationalist, Emilio Aguinaldo, led an insurrection against the United States in a fight for independence over their colonial rule. Over the course of the war, over 4,200 United States soldiers and roughly 20,000 Filipino soldiers were killed. Not only were the lives of those fighting in the war lost, but nearly 200,000 Filipino civilians died due to various circumstances of the war such as violence, famine, and disease.

The conflict was brutal, but by 1902 the insurrection had dissipated; however, other small skirmishes and rebellions took place in the years following the war. One in particular, the Moro Rebellion, lasted from 1901-1913, and involved groups of Muslim Filipinos looking to resist the American takeover of the territory. In response to the establishing of a Moro province in the southern Philippines in 1903, rebellions broke out throughout the province including places such as the islands of Jolo and Mindanao as well as the Sulu Archipelago. Wilson’s regiment, the 6th U.S. Cavalry fought during this time of rebellion, and it was during a battle on Jolo that Wilson was severely stabbed in a fight. He later recovered from the wound and went on to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor for his conduct during the event. The rebellion ended in 1913 when John J. Pershing, later a United States Army General, disarmed the Moro Province Filipinos during his term as military governor.

Retirement and Later Years

After his involvement in the Philippines, Wilson returned to the United States. However, he kept up with active military service until 1942, just before the end of World War II. During that time, he was part of the United States’ Military Polo Team which went on to beat other champion teams such as Britain and India. After his full retirement, he moved to Texas and spent the rest of his life doing what he loved. Wilson, being a good horseman, continued to ride horses even in his older age, despite warnings of possible injury from others. He also continued with his passion for duck hunting while there. Wilson passed away from heart failure at the age of seventy-four in 1953 in Port Isabel, Texas. He is buried in Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield, Illinois alongside other family members including his father, Bluford Wilson. 

Sources Used:

- “Arthur H. Wilson,” West Point Association of Graduates, accessed June 30, 2023, https://web.archive.org/web/20151208155237/http://apps.westpointaog.org/Memorials/Article/4331/.

- “Arthur Harrison Wilson,” Congressional Medal of Honor Society, accessed June 28, 2023, https://www.cmohs.org/recipients/arthur-h-wilson.

- “Arthur ‘Jingle’ Wilson (Medal of Honor),” SangamonLink, accessed June 28, 2023, https://sangamoncountyhistory.org/wp/?p=5503.

- Daily Illinois State Register (Springfield, Illinois), December 17, 1953: 2. NewsBank: America's News – Historical and Current. https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=AMNEWS&docref=image/v2%3A13D09CDA6F396332%40EANX-NB-17A872D12DD76309%402434729-17A61682971C4F12%401-17A61682971C4F12%40. 

- “Philippine Insurrection,” Naval History and Heritage Command, accessed June 29, 2023, https://www.history.navy.mil/browse-by-topic/wars-conflicts-and-operations/early-20th-century-conflicts/philippine-insurrection.html.

- “The Moro Rebellion,” Theodore Roosevelt Center at Dickinson State University, accessed June 30, 2023, https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/Learn-About-TR/TR-Encyclopedia/War-and-Military-Affairs/The-Moro-Rebellion. 

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