Personal Information 

Name: Charles (Chuck) McKenzie Pringle

Place of Birth: Montreal, Quebec, Canada

DOB: June 1958

Joined SUVCW: 2026

Camp: Major General Judson Kilpatrick Camp No 7

Brother Chuck Pringle grew up primarily between both New York City, New York and Coral Gables, Florida.  He is now retired, having served in numerous positions of increased responsibility throughout the Department of Defense, the U.S. Federal Government, Duke University, and as a manager for Lowe’s Home Improvement.  Brother Pringle became a member of the MG Judson Kilpatrick Camp Number 7 in January, 2026, and submitted his application for Life Membership in the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War in May, 2026 

Veteran Ancestors 

Great-Great Grandfather, Major General Hugh Judson Kilpatrick; United States Military Academy, Class of 1861. 

Hugh Judson Kilpatrick (January 14, 1836 – December 4, 1881) was an officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War, achieving the rank of Major General (MG).   Kilpatrick graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1861, just after the start of the Civil War, and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the 1st U.S. Artillery.  Within three days he was a Captain in the 5th New York Infantry.  Kilpatrick was the first United States Army officer to be wounded during the Civil War, struck in the thigh by canister fire while leading a company at the Battle of Big Bethel on June 10, 1861.  At the beginning of the Gettysburg campaign, on June 9, 1863, Kilpatrick fought at Brandy Station, the largest cavalry battle of the Civil War.  He received promotion to Brigadier General (BG) at the age of 27.  On June 13, 1863, BG Kilpatrick fought at Aldie and Upperville, and assumed division command three days before the Battle of Gettysburg commenced.  BG Kilpatrick later commanded a division of the Cavalry Corps in the Military Division of the Mississippi from April to June 1865, and was promoted to Major General (MG) of Volunteers on June 18, 1865.  He later resigned from the United States Army on December 1, 1865.  In November 1865, Kilpatrick was appointed Minister to Chile by President Andrew Johnson.  In March 1881, in recognition of Kilpatrick's service, President James Garfield appointed Kilpatrick again to the post of Minister to Chile, where Kilpatrick died shortly after his arrival in the Chilean capital, Santiago.  MG Kilpatrick’s remains were returned to the United States in 1887 and are interred at the West Point Cemetery in West Point, New York.

Kilpatrick was an early member of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States, a military society composed of officers who had served in the Union armed forces and their descendants. He was elected a First Class Companion in the Pennsylvania Commandery on November 1, 1865 and was assigned insignia number 63.  

Further, The Kilpatrick G.A.R. Post (Grand Army of the Republic) refers to local chapters of the Union Civil War veterans' organization named in honor of Major General Hugh Judson "Kill-Cavalry" Kilpatrick.  Several G.A.R. posts bore his name across the country, with notable chapters located in Fort Fairfield, ME: Kilpatrick Post, No. 61;  Millersburg, PA: Kilpatrick Post, No. 212; St. Helena, CA: Kilpatrick Post, No. 38; Eugene, OR: Briefly Kilpatrick Post No. 40 before changing its namesake.

The Major General Judson Kilpatrick Camp No. 7, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, was formed in September, 2021 in Cary, North Carolina, with the Camp named in honor of Major General Kilpatrick.  

Major General Hugh Judson Kilpatrick is interred within the West Point Cemetery (Section 26, Row B, Grave 17), West Point, Orange County, New York.  Kilpatrick’s USMA Class Ring (Class of 1861), is in the possession of Brother Pringle.

Membership in other organizations 

• Life Member:  Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW)

• Life Member:  Disabled American Veterans (DAV)

• Life Member:  82nd Airborne Division Association

• Life Member:  The Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association 

Special Activities and Accomplishments 

Brother Pringle served in the United States Army for 20 years (1977 — 1997) during the Persian Gulf, Grenada, and Panama timeframe.  With the exception of a two-year assignment as a Basic Training Drill Sergeant, the remaining majority of his military career were within Airborne (Master Parachutist) assignments, primarily the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and the 3rd Battalion, 325th Infantry, Airborne Battalion Combat Team (also known as “The Blue Falcons”), at Caserma Ederle, located in Vicenza, Italy.