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 [decorative delimiter] Class of 1854

Vol. II
p576
1634

(Born Me.)

Oliver Otis Howardº

(Ap'd Me.)

4

Born Nov. 8, 1830.

Military History. — Cadet at the Military Academy, Sep. 1, 1850, to July 1, 1854, when he was graduated and promoted in the Army to

Bvt. Second Lieut. of Ordnance, July 1, 1854.

Served: as Assistant at Watervliet Arsenal, N. Y., 1854‑55; in command

(Second Lieut., Ordnance, Feb. 15, 1855)

of Kennebec Arsenal, Me., 1855‑56; as Assistant at Watervliet Arsenal, N. Y., 1856; as Chief of Ordnance during Florida Hostilities against the Seminole Indians, 1857; and at the Military Academy as

(First Lieut. Ordnance, July 1, 1857)

Asst. Professor of Mathematics, Sep. 21, 1857, to June 3, 1861.

Resigned, June 7, 1861.

Civil History. — Degree of A. M. conferred by Bowdoin College, Me., 1853.

Military History. — Served during the Rebellion of the Seceding States, 1861‑66: in the Defenses of Washington, D. C., June to July,

(Colonel, 3d Maine Volunteers, June 4, 1861)

1861 in command of Brigade in the Manassas Campaign of July, 1861, being engaged in the Battle of Bull Run, July 21, 1861; in the Defenses of Washington, D. C., July 23, 1861, to Apr. 4, 1862, being engaged in

(Brig.‑General, U. S. Volunteers, Sep. 3, 1861)

Reconnoissances to Fairfax Station, Va., Mar. 3, and to the Rappahannock, Mar. 18, 1862; in the Virginia Peninsular Campaign (Army of the Potomac), Apr. to June, 1862, being engaged in building wharves and roads, and unloading stores at Yorktown during the Siege of the place, Apr. 8 to May 4, 1862, — and Battle of Fair Oaks, June 1, 1862, where he was twice severely wounded, losing his right arm; on sick leave of absence, disabled by wounds, June 2 to Aug. 27, 1862, devoting himself, when convalescent, to raising Volunteers; in the Northern Virginia Campaign, Aug. to Sep., 1862, being engaged in a Skirmish near Centreville, Sep. 1, 1862, — and covering the retreat to Washington, D. C., Sep. 1‑2, 1862; in the Maryland Campaign (Army of the Potomac), Sep. to Nov., 1862, being engaged in the Battle of Antietam, Sep. 17, 1862, — and on the March to Falmouth, Va., Oct. to Nov., 1862; in the Rappahannock

(Major-General, U. S. Volunteers, Nov. 29, 1862)

Campaign (Army of the Potomac), Dec., 1862, to June, 1863, being engaged in the Battle of Fredericksburg, Dec. 13, 1862, — in command of 11th Army Corps from Apr. 1, 1863, — and Battle of Chancellorsville, May 2‑4, 1863; in command of 11th Army Corps (Army of the Potomac), in the Pennsylvania Campaign, June to Sep., 1863, being engaged in the Battle of Gettysburg, July 1‑3, 1863, — Pursuit of the enemy to Warrenton, Va., July, 1863, — and guarding the Orange and Alexandria Railroad near Catlett's Station, July to Sep., 1863; en route to Bridgeport, Ten., Sep. 24 to Oct. 4, 1863; in Operations about Chattanooga, Oct. 27 to Nov. 26, 1863, being engaged in the Action of Lookout Valley, Oct. 29, 1863, — and Battle of Missionary Ridge, Nov. 23‑25, 1863; on Expedition for the Relief of Knoxville, Ten., Nov. 26 to Dec. 17, 1863; in Occupation of Chattanooga, Dec. 17, 1863, to May 3, 1864, being assigned to the command of the 4th Corps, Apr. 10, 1864, when the 11th and 12th Corps were consolidated to form the 20th Corps; in command of 4th Corps (Army of the Cumberland), till assigned, July 27, 1864, to the command of the Army of the Tennessee, in the Invasion of Georgia, May 3 to Dec. 21, 1864, being engaged in operations around Dalton,  p577 May 7‑12, 1864, — Battle of Resaca, May 14‑15, 1864, — Action of Adairsville, May 17, 1864, — Action of Cassville, May 19, 1864, — Battle of Dallas, May 25‑26, 1864, — Action of Pickett's Mill, May 27, 1864, where he was wounded, — Battles and Skirmishes about Pine and Kenesaw Mountains, June 20 to July 2, 1864, — Action of Smyrna Camp-Ground, July 4, 1864, — Combat of Peach Tree Creek, July 20, 1864, — Siege of Atlanta, July 22 to Sep. 2, 1864, — Combat of Ezra Church (in command), July 28, 1864, — Battle of Jonesborough, Aug. 31 to Sep. 1, 1864, — Surrender of Atlanta, Sep. 2, and Occupation of the place, Sep. 2 to Oct. 4, 1864, — Pursuit of Rebels under General Indicates a West Point graduate and gives his Class.Hood into Alabama, with frequent engagements, Oct. 4 to Nov. 1, 1864, — March to the Sea, from Atlanta to Savannah, with numerous Actions and Skirmishes, including the Combat of Griswoldville, Nov. 16 to Dec. 13, 1864, — and Surrender of Savannah, Dec. 21, 1864; in the Invasion of the

(Brig.‑General, U. S. Army, Dec. 21, 1864)

Carolinas, commanding the Army of the Tennessee, Jan. 4 to Apr. 26, 1865, being engaged in the Actions of Pocotaligo, Jan. 14, River's Bridge, Feb. 3, Orangeburg, Feb. 12, Congaree Creek, Feb. 15, Cheraw, Mar. 3, and Fayetteville, Mar. 11, 1865, — Battle of Bentonville, Mar. 20‑21,

(Bvt. Maj.‑General, U. S. Army, Mar. 13, 1865,
for Gallant and Meritorious Services at Battle of Ezra Church,
and during the Campaign against Atlanta, Ga.)

1865, — Occupation of Goldsborough, Mar. 24, 1865, — and numerous Skirmishes during the Campaign terminating with the surrender of the Rebel Army under General Indicates a West Point graduate and gives his Class.J. E. Johnston, at Durham Station, N. C., Apr. 26, 1865; and on the March to Richmond, Va., Apr. 29 to May 10, 1865.

Served: as Commissioner of the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands, at Washington, D. C., May 12, 1865, to July, 1874;

(Mustered out of Volunteer Service, Jan. 1, 1869)

as Special Indian Commissioner to the hostile Apaches of New Mexico and Arizona, Feb. to Nov., 1872; in command of the Department of Columbia, Sep. 1, 1874, to Jan. 3, 1881, being in the field commanding under Chief Joseph, June 1 to Oct., 1877, and engaged in numerous actions in pursuit of hostile Indians through Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Montana until their final capture at Bear Paws Mountains, Mon., Oct. 5, 1877, — and in the campaign against hostile Bannocks and Piutes, June to Sep., 1878, being engaged in continued skirmishing till their final defeat and capture; in command of the Department of West Point, and Superintendent of the U. S. Military Academy, Jan. 21, 1881, to Sep. 1, 1882; in command of the Department of the Platte, Sep. 5, 1882, to Apr. 13,

(Major-General, U. S. Army, Mar. 19, 1886)

1886, — of the Division of the Pacific and Department of California, Apr. 17, 1886, to Nov. 23, 1888, — and of the Division of the Atlantic and Department of the East, Dec. 12, 1888, to –––––.

Civil History. — Degree of A. M. conferred by Bowdoin College, Me., 1850, — of LL. D. by Waterville College, Me., 1865, — by Shurtliff College, Ill., 1865, — and by Gettysburg Theological Seminary, Pa., 1866. Chevalier of the French Legion of Honor, 1884. Author of "Donald's School Days," 1879; of "Chief Joseph, or the Nez Percés in Peace and War," 18–––; of numerous magazine and review articles; and translator from the French of "Life of the Count de Gasparin," 18–––.

Vol. IV
p94
[Supplement, Vol. IV: 1890‑1900]

Military History. —

Medal of Honor

for distinguished bravery in the battle of Fair Oaks, Va., June 1, 1862; leading the 61st New York volunteer infantry in the charge across the enemy's line, where he was twice severely wounded in the right arm, necessitating its amputation; while serving as brigadier-general of volunteers, commanding brigade.

Served: In command of the Division of the Atlantic and Department of the East from Dec. 12, 1888 to Nov. 8, 1894, when he was

Retired from Active Service, he being 64 Years of Age, Nov. 8, 1894.

Civil History. — During the Spanish War visited the camps of Chickamauga, Mobile, Tampa, Knoxville, Jacksonville, and Alger, as a delegate of the Army and Navy Christian Commission. — To Key West and on board several naval vessels and army transports, speaking to soldiers and sailors in public addresses, helping take care of the sick, and carrying out the desires and objects of the Christian Commission. — Author of various books and articles. — Lecturer. — Director, etc., of Lincoln Memorial University, Cumberland Gap, Ten. — President American Tract Society. — President Congregational Home Missionary Society. — Member of many military societies, etc. — Residence, Burlington, Vt.

Vol. V
p82
[Supplement, Vol. V: 1900‑1910]

Military History. — Retired officer. — Resident, Burlington, Vt.

Civil History.a — Author of his Autobiography and Life Among Our Hostile Indians. — Lecturer on "Indicates a West Point graduate and gives his Class.Meade's Campaign, including the Battle of Gettysburg"; "Indicates a West Point graduate and gives his Class.Grant at Chattanooga"; "Atlanta is Ours, and Fairly Won"; "Indicates a West Point graduate and gives his Class.McDowell's Campaign, including Bull Run"; "Indicates a West Point graduate and gives his Class.Thomas in Campaign and Battle"; "The End of Indicates a West Point graduate and gives his Class.Sherman's Great Campaign"; "Personal Recollections of Fair Oaks"; "Warfare of the Future"; "Sojourn with Wild Indians"; "The American Volunteer"; "Personal Recollections of Abraham Lincoln"; and the following Religious Lectures: "The Father"; "Love, Patriotic and Christian"; "Power of Small Things"; "Loving Kindness."

Died Oct. 26, 1909, at Burlington, Vt.: Aged 76.

Buried, Lakeview Cemetery, Burlington, VT.


Thayer's Note:

a Among his accomplishments not mentioned in the Register, Gen. Howard was among the founders of Howard University in Washington, DC and served as one of its early presidents. A better impression of this remarkable man can be got from the Find-a‑Grave page linked above.


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