Civil War Union Brevet Brigadier General. When he died a month before his 101st birthday in 1938, he was the last surviving Union Army brevet general from the Civil War. Born in Greene, Maine, the youngest of nine children, he entered the Civil War when he enlisted in the 5th Maine Volunteer Infantry in April 1861. Initially an enlisted man, he was commissioned 1st Lieutenant of Company E on June 24, 1861. Two months later, after the regiment fought at the July 1861 First Battle of Bull Run, he was promoted Captain and company commander on August 15, 1861, and served in this duty until he was promoted to Major of the regiment on April 14, 1863. He would participate in May 1863 Chancellorsville Campaign, where he fought in the 2nd Battle of Fredericksburg, the July 1863 Gettysburg Campaign, the Fall 1863 Mine Run Campaign, and in the 1864 Overland Campaign, where he was wounded in action at the June 1, 1864 Battle of Cold Harbor. Honorably mustered out after three years of service on July 24, 1864, he rejoined the Union war efforts the next year, being commissioned as Lieutenant Colonel of the 5th United States Veteran Volunteer Infantry, which was part of the “Veterans Corps” commanded by Major General Winfield Scott Hancock. He was brevetted Brigadier General, US Volunteers on March 13, 1865 for “gallant and meritorious services during the war”, and was honorably mustered out on May 10, 1866 after overseeing garrison duty in Washington, DC and New York City, New York. A month later he accepted a commission of Captain in the United States Regular Army, having been recommended by Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant, and assigned to the 16th United States Infantry. He would see service on the American frontier over the next thirty years, fighting in the wars with the Plains Indians, and rising to Lieutenant Colonel of the 25th United States Infantry in 1895. When the Spanish-American War began he and his command sent to Cuba, where he was present at the Battle of San Juan Hill. In September 1898 he was commissioned as a Brigadier General of Volunteers, serving to November 1898 in that duty before being mustered out. In March 1899 he was promoted to Colonel and assigned to commander the 14th United States Regular Infantry, which he led in China in 1900 during the Boxer Rebellion. He was advanced to Brigadier General in February 1901, and retired the next month. He would live another thirty-seven years, and his passing in Roxbury, Massachusetts saw then end of an era, and left no more surviving Civil War general officers of either side.
Civil War Union Brevet Brigadier General. When he died a month before his 101st birthday in 1938, he was the last surviving Union Army brevet general from the Civil War. Born in Greene, Maine, the youngest of nine children, he entered the Civil War when he enlisted in the 5th Maine Volunteer Infantry in April 1861. Initially an enlisted man, he was commissioned 1st Lieutenant of Company E on June 24, 1861. Two months later, after the regiment fought at the July 1861 First Battle of Bull Run, he was promoted Captain and company commander on August 15, 1861, and served in this duty until he was promoted to Major of the regiment on April 14, 1863. He would participate in May 1863 Chancellorsville Campaign, where he fought in the 2nd Battle of Fredericksburg, the July 1863 Gettysburg Campaign, the Fall 1863 Mine Run Campaign, and in the 1864 Overland Campaign, where he was wounded in action at the June 1, 1864 Battle of Cold Harbor. Honorably mustered out after three years of service on July 24, 1864, he rejoined the Union war efforts the next year, being commissioned as Lieutenant Colonel of the 5th United States Veteran Volunteer Infantry, which was part of the “Veterans Corps” commanded by Major General Winfield Scott Hancock. He was brevetted Brigadier General, US Volunteers on March 13, 1865 for “gallant and meritorious services during the war”, and was honorably mustered out on May 10, 1866 after overseeing garrison duty in Washington, DC and New York City, New York. A month later he accepted a commission of Captain in the United States Regular Army, having been recommended by Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant, and assigned to the 16th United States Infantry. He would see service on the American frontier over the next thirty years, fighting in the wars with the Plains Indians, and rising to Lieutenant Colonel of the 25th United States Infantry in 1895. When the Spanish-American War began he and his command sent to Cuba, where he was present at the Battle of San Juan Hill. In September 1898 he was commissioned as a Brigadier General of Volunteers, serving to November 1898 in that duty before being mustered out. In March 1899 he was promoted to Colonel and assigned to commander the 14th United States Regular Infantry, which he led in China in 1900 during the Boxer Rebellion. He was advanced to Brigadier General in February 1901, and retired the next month. He would live another thirty-seven years, and his passing in Roxbury, Massachusetts saw then end of an era, and left no more surviving Civil War general officers of either side.
Bio by: RPD2
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