Pictured: Ripley Allen Arnold and Mrs. Catherine L. Bryant Arnold, daguerreotype, circa 1852

Summary: Formerly a part of the Applewhite-Clark Collections, the items related to Major Ripley Arnold and his family were acquired by Tarrant County with generous funding provided by the Fash Foundation.

Following Ripley Arnold's death in 1853, it is reasonable to believe that his wife, Catherine Bryant Arnold held these belongings until her death in 1894. The artifacts were then passed down to their daughter, Kate Arnold Parker. The items were then likely inherited by Major Arnold's grandson, Ripley Arnold Hanrick who probably held them until his death in 1953. The provenance of the collection remains unclear until it was purchased by W. O. Clark in the early 2000s from an individual who insisted on remaining anonymous. The Major Ripley Arnold Collection then became part of the Applewhite-Clark Collections in 2006.

Major Ripley Allen Arnold (1817-1853) was born in Pearlington, Mississippi. He began attending the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1834. During his West Point career, he was court-marshaled three times and received 199/200 demerits before graduating in 1838. On August 26, 1839, Arnold married Catherine Bryant (1824-1894). During the Second Seminole War in Florida, Arnold was assigned to the 2nd Dragoons Regiment under Lieutenant Colonel Wm. S. Harney. Arnold remained in Florida until he was posted to Fort Jessup in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in 1842. From 1846-1848, he served in the Mexican-American War with Zachary Taylor's army in Northern Mississippi as Quartermaster and aid to Brigadier General Twiggs, Company H, 2nd Dragoons. During the war, Arnold joined Company F, 2nd Dragoons, and was promoted to Captain. In October 1848 Arnold arrived in Texas and established Fort Graham the following year. In 1849, Arnold was appointed Brevet Major and was ordered by Colonel Harney to establish a post on the Trinity. By June of 1849, Arnold began construction on Camp Worth, later changed to Fort Worth, named in honor of General Worth. In 1851, Arnold returned to Fort Graham. He was killed by Dr. Josephus Steiner on September 6, 1853. The killing was ruled self-defense and Steiner was acquitted. Major Arnold's body was brought back to Fort Worth and buried at Pioneers Rest Cemetery beside two of his children, Sophia and Willis.

View the Ripley Arnold / Fash Foundation image gallery.

Images

• Unidentified Young Woman, likely Catherine L. Bryant Arnold, circa 1842-1844
• First Sergeant Abraham Harris, 8th U. S. Infantry, Wearing Regulation 1846-1850 Army Infantry Nine-Button Frock Coat with Sergeant Stripes, sixth plate daguerreotype, circa 1848-1850
• Willis H. Arnold, half plate daguerreotype, circa 1844-1846
• Florida Arnold, quarter plate daguerreotype, circa 1846
• Lieutenant Samuel Starr Wearing 2nd Lieutenant Mexican War Officers Uniform with Visible Shoulder Straps, quarter plate daguerreotype, circa 1848-1850
• Dr. Thomas S. Bryant, Captain 2nd Dragoons, U. S. Army, half plate daguerreotype, circa 1848-1853
• Florida Arnold, sixth plate daguerreotype, circa 1850
• Nanny Arnold, Seated, sixth plate daguerreotype, circa 1851-1852
• Brevet Major Ripley Allen Arnold, 2nd U. S. Dragoons, and His Wife Mrs. Arnold (Catherine L. Bryant Arnold), half plate daguerreotype, circa 1852 (image shown)
• Eliza Starr and Kate Starr, quarter plate daguerreotype, circa 1852
• Florida and Kate Arnold, hand colored quarter plate daguerreotype, circa 1852
• George Preston "Press" Farmer, Fort Sutler/Merchant, and Second U. S. Dragoon Trooper, Christian Bohrman, quarter plate daguerreotype, circa 1852 (image shown)
• Unidentified Woman, ninth plate daguerreotype, circa 1852
• Young Katherine Arnold on Horse, sixth plate daguerreotype, circa 1852
• Nanny Arnold, Standing, sixth plate daguerreotype, circa 1853
• Unidentified Woman, possibly Catherine L. Bryant Arnold, sixth plate daguerreotype, circa 1853
• Katherine Arnold, hand colored quarter plate daguerreotype, circa 1854
• Nanny Arnold, Seated, sixth plate daguerreotype, circa 1854
• Fort Worth House Used by Major Ripley Allen Arnold and Family, quarter plate ambrotype, circa 1854
  
• Katherine Arnold on White Horse at a Frontier Army Post, sixth plate ambrotype, circa 1855
• Quadruple Image Hunter Case Watch Style Locket with Three Images: Unidentified Woman, possibly Catherine L. Bryant Arnold, inside left half, ambrotype, circa 1856; Unidentified Aged Woman, possibly Mr. or Mrs. Arnold's Mother, middle right facing inside left half, cameotype daguerreotype, circa 1845; Unidentified Man, middle left facing inside right half, tintype, undated. There is no inside right half image present.
  
• Small Female Child, Standing, sixth plate ambrotype, circa 1858
• Unidentified Family, quarter plate ambrotype, circa 1858
• Large Drawing of Man and Woman, possibly Ripley Allen Arnold with his mother, 30 x 25 inch oval frame, undated
  
• Unidentified Family Seated in Single Horse Carriage, framed sixth plate, possibly ambrotype, undated
• Unidentified Man Seated in Single Horse carriage, sixth plate, possibly ambrotype, undated
  
• Unidentified Man on Horse Viewed from Left Side, sixth plate daguerreotype, undated
  
• Unidentified Man on Horse Viewed from Right Side, sixth plate, undated
• Unidentified Man Wearing Stovepipe Hat, sixth plate daguerreotype, undated
• Unidentified Man Wearing Stovepipe Hat Seated in Single Horse Carriage, sixth plate, possibly ambrotype, undated