Thomas H. Rynning
Thomas H. Rynning | |
---|---|
Second Lieutenant | |
Battles/wars | Apache Wars |
Other work | United States Marshal |
Thomas Harbo Rynning (February 17, 1866 – June 18, 1941) was an officer in the
Biography
Early life and military career
- American Indian Wars
Thomas Rynning was born in
- Spanish–American War
In 1898, Rynning discovered that the war with Spain had begun and that his old friend, Colonel Leonard Wood, was raising a volunteer cavalry regiment, which later became known as Theodore Roosevelt's Rough Riders. He enlisted as a private and returned from the war a second lieutenant in Troop B, 1st United States Volunteer Cavalry Regiment. During the Battle of San Juan Heights, Rynning took command of the American line following the death of Captain Buckey O'Neill. A few minutes later he led the Rough Riders up Kettle Hill and was the first American to reach the summit. Under heavy fire from the nearby San Juan Hill, Rynning ordered his men to wave the regiment's flag to rally the others and it was during this time that the flag was badly holed. The flag is now preserved by the Department of Library and Archives in the state capitol building in Phoenix, Arizona. After that, Rynning joined Theodore Roosevelt in the charge up San Juan Hill, which ended the battle with an American victory.[1]
Later life and death
- Arizona Rangers
After returning from
On September 4, 1906, Rynning led Arizona Rangers and immigration officers in a raid on an underground cell of the
- Yuma Territorial Prison and Florence State Prison
Resigning his position with the Arizona Rangers in March 1907, he was appointed superintendent of the Yuma Territorial Prison in Yuma by President William Howard Taft.[6] He then immediately began the process of abandoning the old prison complex and building a new one in Florence. Rynning supervised the construction and brought convicts from Yuma to help with the work. When Arizona became a state in 1912, a Democratic government under George W. P. Hunt took over and removed Rynning from his post. However, after Thomas Edward Campbell was elected, Rynning was again appointed superintendent of the prison in 1921.[1]
- Death
In his later life, Rynning moved to San Diego, California, where he received a commission as a deputy marshal in 1934. He also served as an undersheriff there. Rynning died in San Diego on June 18, 1941, at the age of seventy-five, and was buried at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery.[1]
In popular culture
- Rynning was portrayed by
See also
- Tiburon Island Tragedy
- Shootout in Benson
- Arizona State Prison Complex – Florence
Further reading
- Rynning, Thomas H. Gun Notches: The Life Story of a Cowboy-Soldier. New York: Frederick A. Stokes, 1931.
References
- ^ a b c d e f "Arizona Ranger Rynning". genealogytrails.com. Archived from the original on 2016-09-16. Retrieved 2008-05-22.
- ^ "Arizona Ranger's". USGenNet. Archived from the original on 2011-11-11. Retrieved 2012-05-29.
- ISBN 0520215311
- ISBN 0842024476
- ISBN 1904859240
- ISBN 0252017420
- ISBN 978-0786464777.