Civil War Union Brevet Brigadier General. At the outbreak of the Civil War, he was called upon to establish and later to lead, an Illinois cavalry regiment. Appointed as Colonel and commander of the 14th Illinois Volunteer Cavalry, he was the one of the oldest field officers in the Union Army. Seeing action in a number of battles, he was wounded on August 3, 1864, at Athens, Georgia. Due to his injury he left active service and for merit was brevetted Brigadier General, US Volunteers on March 13, 1865. His son, Horace Capron Jr. a Congressional Medal of Honor recipient, was killed in action February 6, 1864. After returning to Illinois, he was again called upon by the government in 1867, to serve as Commissioner of Agriculture for the United States Government. In 1871, he resigned from that post to lead a team of experts to assist Japan in agricultural reforms and in opening up the island of Hokkaido to colonization. Leaving Japan in 1875, he returned to Washington D.C. where he continued working on behalf of the Japanese and United States agriculture interests until his death.
Civil War Union Brevet Brigadier General. At the outbreak of the Civil War, he was called upon to establish and later to lead, an Illinois cavalry regiment. Appointed as Colonel and commander of the 14th Illinois Volunteer Cavalry, he was the one of the oldest field officers in the Union Army. Seeing action in a number of battles, he was wounded on August 3, 1864, at Athens, Georgia. Due to his injury he left active service and for merit was brevetted Brigadier General, US Volunteers on March 13, 1865. His son, Horace Capron Jr. a Congressional Medal of Honor recipient, was killed in action February 6, 1864. After returning to Illinois, he was again called upon by the government in 1867, to serve as Commissioner of Agriculture for the United States Government. In 1871, he resigned from that post to lead a team of experts to assist Japan in agricultural reforms and in opening up the island of Hokkaido to colonization. Leaving Japan in 1875, he returned to Washington D.C. where he continued working on behalf of the Japanese and United States agriculture interests until his death.
Bio by: John "J-Cat" Griffith
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