[1] He graduated at Mount St. Mary's College in 1855, and then attended the Cincinnati Law School, earning an LL.B.

[3] Under the influences of his uncle, Robert Anderson of Fort Sumter fame, he received a commission in the Regular Army as second lieutenant in the 2nd U.S. Cavalry on May 15, 1861.

He received brevet promotions to major for the Wilderness on Aug. 1, 1864, and lieutenant colonel for Spotsylvania in August, 1864.

While serving as a major with the 10th Infantry based at Fort McKavett, Texas in 1874, he participated in Colonel Ranald S. Mackenzie's campaign against the Kiowa during the Red River War.

[4] In February 1898, Anderson and 100 soldiers of the 14th set up a base in Skagway and Dyea, Alaska at the start of the Klondike gold rush to protect miners along the trails into Canada as well as to keep watch on the border.

After the U.S. forces broke the Filipino siege, Anderson led his division in minor engagements at Santana, San Pedro and Guadalupe.

One of their sons, Thomas McArthur Anderson Jr., served in Texas as private, corporal, and sergeant in troop G, 4th U.S. cavalry, Aug. 28, 1894, to June 27, 1897, was promoted 2d lieutenant, 13th infantry, June 8, 1897, and commanded company B at Santiago, Cuba, July 1-4, 1898.

[1][9] He also served during World War I, retiring as a colonel in February 1935 having earned three Silver Stars during his military career.