Civil War Union Brevet Brigadier General, Diplomat, Author. Born in France, he moved to the United States and became a naturalized American citizen in the 1850s. He was commissioned a major of the 51st New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment in 1861 and participated in several battles during the Civil War, eventually attaining the rank of Colonel, and was badly wounded during the Battle of the Wilderness on May 9, 1864. He lost part of his nose and his left eye. While hospitalized in Annapolis, Maryland, he helped organize the city's defenses against the last Confederate raid on the city. He was awarded the brevet rank of Brigadier General on March 13, 1865. After the war, Le Gendre was appointed American consul at Amoy, China and for the next 30 years, he was heavily involved in American relations in the Orient. He spent five years in control of five of the treaty ports open to foreign commerce in China and unsuccessfully tried to convince the Chinese government to exert more control over nearby Taiwan. In 1872, he went to Japan, where he became the first foreigner employed in a Japanese government post when he was appointed an advisor in both military and foreign affairs to the Japanese Foreign Minister. In 1874, Le Gendre helped organize the first overseas deployment of the Japanese Imperial Army and Navy when they invaded Taiwan. This was in retaliation to the 1871 murder of 54 Okinawans by Taiwanese aborigines. He was the first non-Japanese recipient of the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star in 1875. Le Gendre remained in Japan for 15 years before going to Korea where he became an advisor to King Gojong until his death in 1899.
Civil War Union Brevet Brigadier General, Diplomat, Author. Born in France, he moved to the United States and became a naturalized American citizen in the 1850s. He was commissioned a major of the 51st New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment in 1861 and participated in several battles during the Civil War, eventually attaining the rank of Colonel, and was badly wounded during the Battle of the Wilderness on May 9, 1864. He lost part of his nose and his left eye. While hospitalized in Annapolis, Maryland, he helped organize the city's defenses against the last Confederate raid on the city. He was awarded the brevet rank of Brigadier General on March 13, 1865. After the war, Le Gendre was appointed American consul at Amoy, China and for the next 30 years, he was heavily involved in American relations in the Orient. He spent five years in control of five of the treaty ports open to foreign commerce in China and unsuccessfully tried to convince the Chinese government to exert more control over nearby Taiwan. In 1872, he went to Japan, where he became the first foreigner employed in a Japanese government post when he was appointed an advisor in both military and foreign affairs to the Japanese Foreign Minister. In 1874, Le Gendre helped organize the first overseas deployment of the Japanese Imperial Army and Navy when they invaded Taiwan. This was in retaliation to the 1871 murder of 54 Okinawans by Taiwanese aborigines. He was the first non-Japanese recipient of the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star in 1875. Le Gendre remained in Japan for 15 years before going to Korea where he became an advisor to King Gojong until his death in 1899.
Bio by: Thomas Mick
Family Members
Children
Advertisement
See more Le Gendre memorials in:
Explore more
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
