Civil War Union Brevet Brigadier General. Born as Newell Sargeant, but changed his name in 1843 and graduated from Norwich University, Vermont in 1849. A civil engineer, he was a resident of LaPorte, Indiana, in August 1862, when he was mustered in the 87th Indiana Volunteer Infantry Regiment as Lieutenant Colonel. The 87th participated in the battle of Perryville, Kentucky on October 8, 1862 and he was promoted to Colonel in command of the 87th in March 1863. The 87th Indiana took part in the Tullahoma, Tennessee, campaign and the battle at Chickamauga, Georgia, in September 1863. Reorganized into the XIV Corps, the 87th helped storm Missionary Ridge Chattanooga, Tennessee, in November 1863. His regiment was involved in all the principal battles from Dalton to Jonesboro, and back to Atlanta. At the battle at Kennesaw Mountain, he assumed command of the brigade and commanded it through part of the 1865 campaign in the Carolinas. For military achievements, he was brevetted Brigadier General of U.S. Volunteers on March 13, 1865 and mustered out with the regiment on June 10, 1865. His postwar years were spent engineering railroad construction until his death.
Civil War Union Brevet Brigadier General. Born as Newell Sargeant, but changed his name in 1843 and graduated from Norwich University, Vermont in 1849. A civil engineer, he was a resident of LaPorte, Indiana, in August 1862, when he was mustered in the 87th Indiana Volunteer Infantry Regiment as Lieutenant Colonel. The 87th participated in the battle of Perryville, Kentucky on October 8, 1862 and he was promoted to Colonel in command of the 87th in March 1863. The 87th Indiana took part in the Tullahoma, Tennessee, campaign and the battle at Chickamauga, Georgia, in September 1863. Reorganized into the XIV Corps, the 87th helped storm Missionary Ridge Chattanooga, Tennessee, in November 1863. His regiment was involved in all the principal battles from Dalton to Jonesboro, and back to Atlanta. At the battle at Kennesaw Mountain, he assumed command of the brigade and commanded it through part of the 1865 campaign in the Carolinas. For military achievements, he was brevetted Brigadier General of U.S. Volunteers on March 13, 1865 and mustered out with the regiment on June 10, 1865. His postwar years were spent engineering railroad construction until his death.
Bio by: John "J-Cat" Griffith
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