CHARLES PELOT SUMMERALL was born in Blunts Ferry, Florida, on 4 March 1867; graduated from the United States Military Academy, 1892; was commissioned a second lieutenant and assigned to the 1st Infantry, June 1892; transferred to the 5th Artillery, March 1893; performed garrison duty in California, 1893-1895; served at Fort Hamilton, 1895-1898; was assigned to the Department of the Gulf as aide to the commander and as an engineer officer, 1898-1899; was promoted to first lieutenant, March 1899; participated with his unit in the Philippine Insurrection, 1899-1900; was a member of the China Relief Expedition, 1900-1901, and participated in the attack on Peking; was promoted to captain and assigned to the 106th Coast Artillery Company, July 1901; married Laura Mordecai, August 1901; served at Forts Walla Walla and Lawton, commanding the latter post, 1901-1902; was on duty at Camp Skagway and commanded and was in charge of preliminary work at Fort Seward; commanded Fort Flagler, 1902-1903; was transferred to the 3d Field Artillery Battery with duty at Camp Thomas and Fort Myer, 1903-1905; was senior instructor of artillery tactics at West Point, 1905-1911; was promoted to major, March 1911; commanded the field artillery of the Maneuver Division at San Antonio, Texas; commanded the summer camps of instruction for Army and National Guard artillery, 1912-1914; was assistant chief of the Militia Bureau and in charge of National Guard artillery, 1915-1917; was engaged in purchasing artillery ranges and was a member of the Ordnance Board, 1915-1916, the commission to investigate the manufacture of munitions, 1916, the Board of Ordnance and Fortification, 1917, and the military mission to British and French armies, 1917; was promoted to lieutenant colonel, 1916, colonel, 1917, and brigadier general in the National Army, August 1917; commanded the 67th Field Artillery Brigade and the 1st Field Artillery Brigade in operations in France, 1917; was promoted to major general in the National Army and successively commanded his brigade, the 1st Division, and the V Corps in the Cantigny, Soissons, St. Mihiel, and Meuse-Argonne operations, 1918; commanded the IX and IV Corps and served on the American Peace Commission, 1919; commanded the 1st Division, 1919-1921, receiving promotions in the Regular Army to brigadier general (February 1919) and major general (April 1920); commanded the Hawaiian Department, 1921-1924, and Eighth and Second Corps Areas, 1924-1926; was chief of staff of the United States Army, 21 November 1926-20 November 1930, with promotion to general in February 1929; directed the formation of a mechanized force and recommended an integrated mobile force of tank, artillery, engineer, and quartermaster elements; retired from active service, March 1931; was president of The Citadel, in Charleston, South Carolina, 1931-1953; died in Washington, D.C., on 14 May 1955.