Malvern Hill Barnum
Malvern Hill Barnum was an American army officer, Brigadier general, and Major general active during World War I.
Early life
Barnum was born in Syracuse, New York. He was named after the Battle of Malvern Hill, where his father Henry A. Barnum had been gravely wounded the previous year. In 1886, he graduated number forty-two of seventy-seven from the United States Military Academy.Career
After graduating, Barnum was commissioned in the Third Cavalry. In 1893, he became a distinguished graduate of the Infantry and Cavalry School and was on duty at Rock Island Arsenal from 1893 to 1894.In the Santiago campaign, he was adjutant of the Tenth Cavalry and was wounded on July 2, 1898, at San Juan Hill.
From 1899 to 1902, Barnum was assistant quartermaster at the United States Military Academy. For four years, he was aide to General J. Weston in the Philippines, and from 1910 to 1911 he was adjutant of the Eighth Cavalry. In 1915, Barnum graduated from Army War College and was on General Staff duty until 1917.
On October 31, 1917, he was made a brigadier general of the National Army and took command of the 183rd Infantry Brigade, 92nd Division. From December 1918 to July 1919, he was the chief of the American section of the Inter-Allied Armistice Commission. From 1920 to 1923, Barnum commanded the Disciplinary Barracks at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. On February 9, 1923, he became a brigadier general and was given command of the 18th Infantry Brigade. Barnum became a major general on June 12, 1927, and retired the following September.
Barnum was commander of the Massachusetts Commander of the Loyal Legion and later served as national commander-in-chief of the organization from 1940 to 1941.