Civil War Union Brigadier General. Commissioned Captain, 5th Maine Volunteer Infantry on June 24, 1861, and fought with his regiment at the Battle of First Bull Run. When a new Regular Army infantry regiment was raised in August 1861 (the 11th US Infantry), he was commissioned a Captain in the unit. He rarely served with the new command, being on recruiting duty for much of 1862. In March 1863 he was commissioned Colonel and commander of the 1st Kansas Colored Infantry regiment, making him the first Regular Army officer to accept command of a Union Colored unit. When his unit was mustered out in July 1863, he was detailed to recruit several more Colored regiments before becoming Colonel and commander of the 19th United States Colored Troops. The unit became part of the IX Corps, which was attached to the Army of the Potomac in Virginia. He rose to command a brigade of Colored regiments, participating in the 1864 Overland Campaign and the siege of Petersburg (where he led troops in the Union debacle in the Battle of the Crater), winning brevets of both Volunteer and Regular Army brevets. In November 1864 he was promoted to Brigadier General, US Volunteers, and led Colored Troops through the rest of the war. In May 1865 he received the brevets of Brigadier General, US Regular Army and Major General, US Volunteers. Mustered out of Volunteer Service in January 1866, he remained in the Regular Army, eventually retiring in 1891 as a Major.
Civil War Union Brigadier General. Commissioned Captain, 5th Maine Volunteer Infantry on June 24, 1861, and fought with his regiment at the Battle of First Bull Run. When a new Regular Army infantry regiment was raised in August 1861 (the 11th US Infantry), he was commissioned a Captain in the unit. He rarely served with the new command, being on recruiting duty for much of 1862. In March 1863 he was commissioned Colonel and commander of the 1st Kansas Colored Infantry regiment, making him the first Regular Army officer to accept command of a Union Colored unit. When his unit was mustered out in July 1863, he was detailed to recruit several more Colored regiments before becoming Colonel and commander of the 19th United States Colored Troops. The unit became part of the IX Corps, which was attached to the Army of the Potomac in Virginia. He rose to command a brigade of Colored regiments, participating in the 1864 Overland Campaign and the siege of Petersburg (where he led troops in the Union debacle in the Battle of the Crater), winning brevets of both Volunteer and Regular Army brevets. In November 1864 he was promoted to Brigadier General, US Volunteers, and led Colored Troops through the rest of the war. In May 1865 he received the brevets of Brigadier General, US Regular Army and Major General, US Volunteers. Mustered out of Volunteer Service in January 1866, he remained in the Regular Army, eventually retiring in 1891 as a Major.
Bio by: RPD2
Family Members
Advertisement
