Frank Tompkins

Colonel Frank Tompkins (1868-1954) was an American officer in the United States Army and Medal of Honor recipient for his leadership in the 1916 Battle of Columbus, New Mexico, during the conflict on the Mexican-American border.

Biography

Frank Tompkins was born in 1868, his father was Charles Henry Tompkins, an officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Frank's father also received the Medal of Honor for his involvement in the Battle of Fairfax Court House. Frank's son was Colonel Francis Parker Tompkins and his older brother was Colonel Selah "Tommy" Tompkins.

Frank Tompkins served in the cavalry for thirty-two years and participated in several conflicts, including the Spanish-American War in Cuba, the Philippine-American War, the Mexican Border War, and World War I.

During the Pancho Villa Expedition, Frank led American cavalry forces in the pursuit of Pancho Villa, immediately following the burning of Columbus, and he later commanded American forces in the Battle of Parral. Frank received the Distinguished Service Cross, as well as the Medal of Honor, for valor at Columbus and in Mexico. In 1936 his book "Chasing Villa" was published and he died in 1954 at the age of eighty-six. His brother, Colonel "Tommy" Tompkins, led American forces during the Third Battle of Ciudad Juarez in 1919.

References

• Valor awards for Frank Tompkins
• Fiddler’s Green: Charles H. Tompkins
• Tompkins, Frank 1868-1954