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 [decorative delimiter] Class of 1822

Vol. I
p297
322

(Born Ten.)​a1

John J. Abercrombie

(Ap'd Ten.)

37

John Joseph Abercrombie: Born Mar. 4, 1798, Baltimore, MD.​a2

Military History. — Cadet at the Military Academy, Sep. 7, 1817, to July 1, 1822, when he was graduated and promoted in the Army to

Bvt. Second Lieut., 1st Infantry, July 1, 1822.

Second Lieut., 1st Infantry, July 1, 1822.

Served: in garrison at Baton Rouge, La., 1822‑23; on Recruiting service, 1823; in garrison at Baton Rouge, La., 1824‑1825; as Adjutant, 1st Infantry, at Regimental headquarters, Aug. 1, 1825, to Mar. 1, 1833; in

(First Lieut., 1st Infantry, Sep. 26, 1828)

the "Black Hawk" War against the Sac Indians, 1832; in garrison at Ft. Crawford, Wis., 1832‑33, — and Ft. Armstrong, Ill., 1833; on detached service, Nov. 27, 1833, to Aug. 5, 1834; in garrison at Ft. Armstrong, Ill., 1834‑35; on Recruiting service, 1835‑36; in garrison at Ft.

(Captain, 1st Infantry, Sep. 4, 1836)

Crawford, Wis., 1836‑37, — and Jefferson Barracks, Mo., 1837; in the  p298 Florida War against the Seminole Indians, 1837‑40, being engaged in the Battle of Okee-cho-bee, Dec. 25, 1837; on Recruiting service, 1840‑42;

(Bvt. Major, Dec. 25, 1837,
for Gallant and Meritorious Services in Florida)

on frontier duty at Ft. Atkinson, Io., 1842‑44, — Ft. Crawford, Wis., 1844‑45, — and Jefferson Barracks, Mo., 1845‑46; in the War with Mexico, 1846‑48, being engaged in the Battle of Monterey, Sep. 21‑23, 1846, where he was wounded, — Siege of Vera Cruz, Mar. 9‑29, 1847, —

(Bvt. Lieut.‑Col., Sep. 23, 1846,
for Gallant and Meritorious Conduct in the several Conflicts at Monterey, Mex.)

Battle of Cerro Gordo, Apr. 17‑18, 1847, — and as Aide-de‑Camp to Major-General Patterson, Nov. 14, 1846, to Dec. 31, 1847; on frontier

(Major, 5th Infantry, Sep. 8, 1847)

duty at Ft. Towson, I. T., 1849‑50,​b — San Antonio, Tex., 1850, — Corpus Christi, Tex., 1850‑51, — march to Phantom Hill, Tex., 1851, — and at Clear Fork of the Brazos, Tex., 1851‑52; as Superintendent of General

(Lieut.‑Colonel, 2d Infantry, May 1, 1852)

Recruiting service, July 1, 1853, to July 1, 1855, at New York; and on frontier duty at Ft. Ridgely, Min., 1855‑56, — march to Ft. Pierre, Dak., 1856, — Ft. Ridgely, Min., 1857‑58, — Ft. Abercrombie, Min., 1858, — Ft. Ridgely, Min., 1858‑59, — and Ft. Ripley, Min., 1859‑61.

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

(Colonel, 7th Infantry, Feb. 25, 1861)

Shenandoah Campaign, 1861‑62, being engaged (in command) in the Action of Falling Waters, Va., July 2, 1861, — and several skirmishes on

(Brig.‑General, U. S. Volunteers, Aug. 31, 1861)

the Upper Potomac and Rappahannock, 1861‑62; in the Virginia Peninsular Campaign (Army of the Potomac), July‑Aug., 1862, being engaged in the Battle of Fair Oaks, May 31-June 1, 1862, where he was wounded, — Battle of Malvern Hill, July 1, 1862, — and several skirmishes on the retreat to Harrison's Landing; in the Defense of Washington, D. C., in command of works about Chain Bridge, Sep., 1862-Apr., 1863, and of division at Centreville, Va., Apr.‑Aug., 1863; on Military Commissions, Courts, etc., at Washington, D. C., Aug., 1863-Apr., 1864; in command of depots above Fredericksburg, Va., for distribution of troops, prisoners, sick, etc., May, 1864, — and at the White House, Va., June, 1864, being engaged in its Defense against Hampton's Legion, June, 1864; on leave

(Mustered out of Volunteer Service, June 24, 1864)

of absence and awaiting orders, June 24, 1864, to Mar. 8, 1865.

(Bvt. Brig.‑General, U. S. Army, Mar. 13, 1865,
for Long and Faithful Services in the Army.)

Served: in command of Ft. Schuyler, N. Y., Mar. 27, 1865, to Aug. 3,

(Retired from Active Service, on his own Application, June 12, 1865)

1866; and on Court-martial duty, Aug. 3, 1866, to June, 1869.

Died, Jan. 3, 1877, at Roslyn, N. Y.: Aged 79.

Buried, Woodlands Cemetery, Philadelphia, PA.


Thayer's Notes:

a1 a2 Cullum gives Tennessee as Gen. Abercrombie's birthplace; online sources, including published books, are unanimous in stating he was born in Baltimore.

That same unanimity of sources gives his birthday as March 4, but his tombstone (q.v.) has a carver's error — a choice of two dates, one carved on top of the other: in March and July, the day at any rate being not the 4th, but quite clearly the 28th with no attempt at correction.

I've been unable to sort this out: if you have solid information, please drop me a line, of course.

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b Post returns show him commanding Fort Towson Mar. 26, 1849 to July 1, 1850. Thanks to John Stanton at FortWiki for the heads‑up.


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