Charles D. Gaither
American military officer and police commissioner
Charles D. Gaither (November 27, 1860 – March 29, 1947) was a United States Army officer and police commissioner. He was active in the Maryland Army National Guard in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and in the Baltimore Police Department in the 1920s and 1930s. He served in the Spanish–American War and World War I.
Early life
Charles D. Gaither was born on November 27 (or 20), 1860, in Howard County, Maryland, to Rebecca Hanson (née Dorsey) and George Riggs Gaither. He was born on the family's Oakland Manor 1,800 acres (730 ha) farm two miles south of Ellicott City. His father was an officer who served the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War and the U.S. afterward. When he was a young man, Maryland saw some riots serious enough that the Fifth and Sixth Infantry regiments were called in to help. Gaither observed their actions, and it influenced his decision-making when he later served on the Baltimore police department.
Career
Gaither entered his father's regiment, the 5th Regiment of the Maryland Army National Guard, as a private. He was present at Camden Station during the Great Railroad Strike of 1877. He became colonel of the regiment in 1887 and retained that command until 1896.
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