Class of 1835

William Nicholson Grier: Born June 11, 1812, Northumberland, PA.​a

Military History. — Cadet at the Military Academy, Sep. 1, 1831, to July 1, 1835, when he was graduated and promoted in the Army to

Bvt. Second Lieut., 1st Dragoons, July 1, 1835.

Served: on frontier duty at Ft. Gibson, I. T., 1835‑36, — Camp Nacogdoches,

(Second Lieut., 1st Dragoons, June 15, 1836)

I. T., 1836, — and Ft. Gibson, I. T., 1836‑37; on Recruiting service,

(First Lieut., 1st Dragoons, Apr. 14, 1838)

1838‑39; on frontier duty in Choctaw Nation, 1839‑40; at the Military Academy, as Asst. Instructor of Infantry and Cavalry Tactics, Sep. 14, 1840, to June 20, 1841; on frontier duty at Ft. Leavenworth, Kan., 1841‑42, — Ft. Gibson, I. T., 1842, — Ft. Atkinson, Kan., 1842, — Ft. Sanford, Io., 1843, — Sac and Fox Agency, Io., 1843, — Ft. Des Moines, Io., 1843‑44, 1844‑45, — Expedition to Lac qui parle, 1845, — Ft. Des Moines, Io., 1845‑46, — and Ft. Leavenworth, Kan., 1846; in

(Captain, 1st Dragoons, Aug. 23, 1846)

the War with Mexico, 1846‑48, being engaged in the Assault of Santa Cruz de Rosales, N. M.,º Mar. 16, 1848; on frontier duty at Fernandez

(Bvt. Major, Mar. 16, 1848,
for Gallant and Meritorious Conduct in the Battle of Santa de Rosales, Mex.)º

de Taos, N. M., 1849, — Expedition against Apache Indians, 1849‑50, being engaged in the Skirmish at Tucuncurre Butte, Red River, N. M., Nov. 17, 1849, where he was wounded, — and Surprise of one hundred and fifty Lodges at the source of Costilla River, N. M., July 26, 1840, — Rayado, N. M., 1850‑51, — detached service, 1851‑52, — Peña Blanca, N. M., 1852, — Ft. Webster, N. M., 1852, — Ft. Conrad, N. M., 1852, — La Joya, N. M., 1852, — and Camp Vigilance, N. M., 1852; on Recruiting service, 1852‑54; on frontier duty at Ft. Thorn, N. M., 1854‑55, — Scouting at Ft. Stanton, N. M., 1855, — Ft. Thorn, N. M., 1855‑56, — Taos, N. M., 1856, — March to California, via Ft. Union, N. M., 1856, — Ft. Tejon, Cal., 1856‑57, — and Ft. Walla Walla, Wash., 1857‑58; on Expedition against Spokane and other hostile Indians, 1858, being engaged in the Combat of Four Lakes, Wash., Sep. 1, 1858, — Combat on Spokane Plain, Wash., Sep. 5, 1858, — and Skirmish on Spokane River, Sep. 8, 1858; and on frontier duty at Ft. Walla Walla, Wash., 1860, — Ft. Dalles, Or., 1860, and Ft. Walla Walla, Wash., 1860‑61.

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

(Major, 2d Dragoons, Apr. 20, 1861: 2d Cavalry, Aug. 3, 1861)

Inspector-General, Army of the Potomac, 1861‑62; in the Virginia

(Lieut.‑Colonel, 1st Cavalry, Feb. 15, 1862)

Peninsular Campaign, in command of his regiment (Army of the Potomac), Mar.‑Aug., 1862, being engaged in the Siege of Yorktown, Apr. 5‑May 4, 1862, — Skirmish at Williamsburg, May 4, 1862, — Battle of  p628 Williamsburg, May 5, 1862, where he was wounded, — Battle of Gaines'

(Bvt. Colonel, May 5, 1862,
for Gallant and Meritorious Services at the Battle of Williamsburg, Va.)

Mill, June 27, 1862, — and throughout the "Seven Days' Change of Base to James River," June 26-July 2, 1862; as Superintendent of Volunteer Recruiting Service, and Chief Mustering and Disbursing Officer for the State of Ohio, at Columbus, O., Aug.‑Sep., 1862; on Court-martial duty at St. Louis, Mo., Sep., 1862, to Feb., 1863; as Superintendent of Volunteer Recruiting Service, and Chief Mustering and Disbursing Officer for the State of Iowa, at Davenport, Io., Mar., 1863, to June 12, 1865; and

(Bvt. Brig.‑General, U. S. Army, Mar. 13, 1865,
for Faithful and Meritorious Services during the Rebellion)

Asst. Provost Marshal General, Superintendent of Volunteer Recruiting Service, and Chief Mustering and Disbursing Officer for the Western Division of the State of Pennsylvania, at Harrisburg, Pa., June 14, 1865, to Apr. 15, 1866.

Served: as Superintendent of Mounted Recruiting Service, at Ft. Carlisle, Pa., Apr., 1866, to Apr. 6, 1868; in command of regiment and post of

(Colonel, 3d Cavalry, Aug. 31, 1866)

Ft. Union, N. M., July 12, 1868, to May, 1870, — and of Camp Halleck, Nev., May‑Dec. 15, 1870.

Retired from Active Service, Dec. 15, 1870,
on his own application, after 30 Consecutive Years of Service.

Died, July 8, 1885, at Napa City, Cal.: Aged 72.

See Annual Association of Graduates, U. S. M. A., 1886, for an obituary notice, with a portrait.

Buried, Riverview Cemetery, Northumberland, PA.