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 [decorative delimiter] Class of 1854

Vol. II
p580
1638

(Born Vt.)

Henry W. Closson

(Ap'd Vt.)

8

Henry Whitney Closson: Born Jun. 6, 1832, Whitingham, VT.

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

Second Lieut., 1st Artillery, July 1, 1854.

Served: on frontier duty at Ft. Yuma, Cal., 1854‑55, — Escorting Lieut. Michler on Boundary Survey, 1855, — San Antonio, Tex., 1856, — Ft. Clark, Tex., 1856, — Scouting to the head-waters of the Nueces, Tex., against Lipan Indians, Apr. 10‑20, 1856, — Ft. Clark, Tex., 1856, — and Scouting, Aug. 20 to Sep. 9, 1856, being engaged in the Pursuit and Surprise of three parties of Lipans, Aug. 20, 1856, near the mouth of

(First Lieut., 1st Artillery, Oct. 31, 1856)

Pecos River, Tex.: in garrison at Baton Rouge, La., 1856; in Florida Hostilities against the Seminole Indians, 1857; in garrison at Ft. Adams, R. I., 1857‑59; on frontier duty at Ft. Clark, Tex., 1859‑60, — and Ft. Duncan, Tex., 1860‑61; and in garrison at Ft. Taylor, Fla., 1961.

Served during the Rebellion of the Seceding States, 1861‑66: in Defense

(Captain, 19th Infantry, May 14, 1861: Declined)

(Captain, 1st Artillery, May 14, 1861)

of Ft. Pickens, May 25, 1861, to May 10, 1862,​a being engaged in its Bombardments of Nov. 22‑23, 1861, and of Jan. 1 and May 8, 1862; as Chief of Artillery of the District of Pensacola, May 16 to Dec. 24, 1862; in command of Battery at Baton Rouge, La., Dec. 27, 1862, to Mar. 13, 1863; on Teche Campaign (Department of the Gulf), in command of Artillery of General Grover's Division, 19th Army Corps, Mar. 13 to Aug., 1863, being engaged in Skirmish at Grand Lake Landing, Apr. 13, 1863, — Action of Irish Bend, Apr. 14, 1863, — Skirmish at Vermilion Bayou, Apr. 17, 1863, — and Siege of Port Hudson, May 24 to July 8,

(Bvt. Major, July 8, 1863,
for Gallant and Meritorious Services at the Capture of Port Hudson, La.)

1863, including the Assaults of May 29 and June 14, 1863; on leave of absence, Aug. to Oct., 1863; as Chief of Artillery of 19th Army Corps, Oct. 4, 1863, to July 31, 1864, in Red River Campaign, being engaged in the Action of Sabine Cross Roads, Apr. 8, 1864, — Battle of Pleasant Hill, Apr. 9, 1864, — and action of Crane River Crossing, Apr. 23, 1864; as Chief of Artillery in the Mobile Expedition, Aug., 1864, being engaged in the Siege of Ft. Gaines, Aug. 4‑7, 1864, — and Siege of Ft. Morgan, Aug. 10‑23, 1864; and as Chief of Artillery and Ordnance of the Cavalry

(Bvt. Lieut.‑Col., Aug. 23, 1864,
for Gallant and Meritorious Services in the Battle of Ft. Morgan, Ala.)

Corps (in the field) of the Middle Military Division, Nov. 1 to Dec. 31, 1864, — and Inspector to the Horse Artillery Brigade, Jan. to Apr., 1865; and in command of Battery at Winchester, Va., Apr. to July, 1865, —  p581 Ft. McHenry, Md., July to Oct., 1865, — Ft. Schuyler, N. Y., Oct., 1865, to June, 1866, — and Ft. Porter, N. Y., July‑Aug., 1866.

Served: on Recruiting service, Aug. 17, 1866, to Jan., 1868; in garrison at Ft. Hamilton, N. Y., to Nov., 1872 (leave of absence, May 21 to Aug. 22, 1868), — Savannah, Ga., Nov., 1872, to Dec., 1875, — Plattsburg Barracks, N. Y., Dec., 1875, to Oct., 1876, — Edgefield, S. C., to Nov. 18,

(Major, 5th Artillery, Nov. 1, 1876)

1876, — Tallahassee, Fla., to Dec. 9, 1876, — Plattsburg Barracks, N. Y., to Jan. 1877, — Ft. Barrancas, Fla., Jan. 23, 1877, to June 28, 1879, — Atlanta, Ga., to July 1, 1879; on leave of absence, to Oct. 30, 1879; in command of Ft. Barrancas, Fla., to June 22, 1880, — Little Rock Barracks, Ark., to Nov. 18, 1880, — Ft. Barrancas, Fla., to Nov. 9, 1881, — Ft. Niagara, N. Y., to Sep. 13, 1882, — and Ft. Wadsworth, N. Y., to

(Lieut.‑Colonel, 5th Artillery, Sep. 14, 1883)

(Colonel, 4th Artillery, Apr. 25, 1888)

June 12, 1888; in command of regiment and Ft. Adams, R. I., June 14, 1888, to May 24, 1889, — Ft. McPherson, Ga., to –––––; and as Member of Board on Ordnance and Fortifications, Oct. 20, 1888, to –––––.

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

Military History. — Served: At Fort McPherson, Ga., to May 1, 1893. — At Washington Barracks, Washington, D. C., in command of regiment and post from May 2, 1893 to June 6, 1896. — Relieved at his own request from duty on Board of Ordnance and Fortification, April 8, 1895. — Member of Board on Gun Factories and Steel Forgings for High Power Guns, appointed by the President under provisions of the Act of Congress approved Aug. 18, 1890, from Sept. 9, 1890 to Jan. 24, 1891. — Member of Board of Visitors to the United States Artillery School, Fort Monroe, Va., convened by S. O. No. 131, June 5, 1890, Headquarters Army, A. G. O.

Retired by Operation of Law (Sec. 1, Act June 30, 1882), June 6, 1896.

— Residence since retirement, 1359 Columbia Road, Washington, D. C.

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

Military History. —

(Brigadier-General on Retired List, April 23, 1904.)

— Residence since retirement, 1359 Columbia Road, Washington, D. C.

Vol. VI
p71
[Supplement, Vol. VI: 1910‑1920]

Military History. —

Colonel, 4th Artillery, April 25, 1888.

Colonel, U. S. A., Retired June 6, 1896, by Operation of Law.

Brigadier-General, U. S. A., on Retired List, April 23, 1904,
Act of April 23, 1904.

After retirement, resided in Washington, D. C.

Died July 15, 1917, at Washington, D. C.: Aged 85.

Portrait and obituary in Annual Report, Association of Graduates, for 1918.

Buried, Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, VA.


Thayer's Note:

a The fort, deep in Southern territory, held out for the duration of the war; strategically commanding the Gulf of Mexico. The details of the contest in the early months of the war are interesting: "Civil War Operations in and around Pensacola" (FlaHQ 36:125‑165).


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