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 [decorative delimiter] Class of 1842

Vol. II
p149
1162

(Born Mis.)

Earl Van Dorn

(Ap'd Mis.)

52

Born Sep. 17, 1820, near Port Gibson, MS.

Military History. — Cadet at the Military Academy, July 1, 1838, to July 1, 1842, when he was graduated and promoted in the Army to

Bvt. Second Lieut., 7th Infantry, July 1, 1842.

Served: in garrison at Ft. Pike, La., 1842‑43, — Ft. Morgan, Ala., 1843, — Mount Vernon Arsenal, Ala., 1843‑44, — and Pensacola harbor,

(Second Lieut., 7th Infantry, Nov. 30, 1844)

Fla., 1844‑45; in Military Occupation of Texas, 1845‑46; in the War with Mexico, 1846‑48, being engaged in the Defense of Ft. Brown, May 3‑9, 1846, — Battle of Monterey, Sep. 21‑23, 1846, — Siege of Vera Cruz, Mar. 9‑29, 1847, — Battle of Cerro Gordo, Apr. 17‑18, 1847, — Battle

(First Lieut., 7th Infantry, Mar. 3, 1847)

 p150  (Bvt. Capt., Apr. 18, 1847,
for Gallant and Meritorious Conduct in the Battle of Cerro Gordo, Mex.)

of Contreras, Aug. 19‑20, 1847, — Battle of Churubusco, Aug. 20, 1847,

(Bvt. Major, Aug. 20, 1847, for Gallant and Meritorious Conduct
in the Battles of Contreras and Churubusco, Mex.)

— Storming of Chapultepec, Sep. 13, 1847, — Assault and Capture of the City of Mexico, Sep. 13‑14, 1847, where he was wounded on entering the Belen Gate, Sep. 13, 1847, — and as Aide-de‑Camp to Bvt. Maj.‑General P. F. Smith, Apr. 3, 1847, to May 20, 1848; in garrison at Baton Rouge, La., 1848‑49, — and Jefferson Barracks, Mo., 1849; in Florida Hostilities against the Seminole Indians, 1849‑50; on Recruiting service, 1850‑51; as Secretary of the East Pascagoula Branch Military Asylum, Mis., Nov. 6, 1851, to Mar. 26, 1855, stationed at New Orleans,

(Captain, 2d Cavalry, Mar. 3, 1855)

La.; on Recruiting service, 1855; in garrison at Jefferson Barracks, Mo., 1855; on frontier duty, at Camp Cooper, Tex., 1855‑56, — Scouting in Northern Texas, 1856, being engaged in a Skirmish with Comanche Indians, July 1, 1856, — Camp Colorado, Tex., 1856‑57, — Scouting, 1857, commanding Expedition against Comanche Indians, being engaged in the Combat near Washita Village, I. T., Oct. 1, 1858, where he was four times wounded (twice dangerously, by two arrows), — Camp Radziminski, I. T., 1858‑59, — Camp Colorado, Tex., 1859, in command of Scout against Comanche Indians, 1859, being engaged in a Combat in the Valley of Nessentunga, May 13, 1859, — and Ft. Mason, Tex.,

(Major, 2d Cavalry, June 28, 1860)

1859‑60, 1860; and on leave of absence, 1860‑61.

Resigned, Jan. 31, 1861.

Joined in the Rebellion of 1861‑66 against the United States,​a and was

Assassinated, May 8, 1863, in Maury County, Ten.: Aged 42.

Buried, Wintergreen Cemetery, Port Gibson, MS.


Thayer's Note:

a As with other Confederate officers, Cullum's Register omits his (mixed) war record: the Find-a‑Grave page linked to above supplies a satisfactory summary of it.


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Page updated: 21 Mar 14