Hugh T. Reed

Born in Richmond, Indiana, on August 17, 1850, Hugh T. Reed grew up on a farm before entering the United States Military Academy at West Point. He graduated in 1873 and went on to serve in the U.S. Army, with postings that included Michigan, Dakota Territory, and Arizona Territory.

Reed’s career was varied. He served in the field during campaigns in the West, studied at the Signal School at Fort Myer, and later taught as Professor of Military Science and Tactics at Southern Illinois Normal University. A memorial biography also describes him as a soldier, author, and inventor, which fits the wide range of work he pursued over his lifetime.

As a writer, Reed is known for books including Cadet Life at West Point and Broom Tactics, as well as later recollections of his military life. He died on November 29, 1934, in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, and was buried at the United States Military Academy Post Cemetery at West Point.