Civil War Union Brigadier General. Born in n Huntsville, Alabama, he was reared in Texas and educated at Transylvania College in Lexington, Kentucky. He then settled in Missouri where he practiced law until the outbreak of the Mexican War. Crittenden served as a second lieutenant with the Missouri volunteers during the Mexican War. Five days after the surrender of Fort Sumter on April 14, 1861, he was appointed captain of Company A in the three-month 6th Indiana Volunteer Infantry. Eight days later, on April 27, 1861, he was appointed the commanding Colonel. The 6th Indiana Infantry was one of the first six regiments recruited in Indiana for Civil War service. On May 30, they left for (West) Virginia and saw action at Philippi on June 3, the first land battle of the War. They also fought at Laurel Hill and Carrick's Ford as they cleared the region of Confederates. Colonel Crittenden and the 6th returned to Indianapolis and were discharged on August 2. The unit was reorganized for three-years service in September with Crittenden still in command. On September 20, he moved the 6th Indiana from Madison to Louisville, Kentucky, and allegedly they were the first Union troops to enter that border state. The 6th spent the winter near Bowling Green, Kentucky, and moved to Nashville, Tennessee, in March. They made the march to Shiloh, Tennessee, in April, arriving at the battlefield on the morning of the second day. Later in April, Crittenden was commissioned Brigadier General, US Volunteers. On July 13, 1862, one day after taking command of a post at Murfreesboro, Tennessee, he and his command were captured by Confederate Colonel Nathan Bedford Forrest's raiders. The incident virtually ended his career, and after his release in October he saw no further important service. Early in 1863, he was given command of a brigade, but resigned in May. He moved to Washington, D.C., in 1868 and, in 1885, he moved to San Diego where he was a real estate developer. He died while on vacation trip at East Gloucester, Massachusetts, September 5, 1905, and was buried with full military honors in Arlington National Cemetery.