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 [decorative delimiter] Class of 1833

Vol. I
p560
735

(Born Ct.)

Henry W. Wessells

(Ap'd Ct.)

29

Henry Walton Wessells: Born Feb. 20, 1809, Litchfield, CT.

Military History. — Cadet at the Military Academy, July 1, 1829, to July 1, 1833, when he was graduated and promoted in the Army to

Bvt. Second Lieut., 2d Infantry, July 1, 1833.

Served: in garrison at Hancock Barracks, Me., 1833‑36, — and Ft. Independence, Mas., 1836; in Creek Nation, 1836; in garrison at Ft.

(Second Lieut., 2d Infantry, June 28, 1836)

Gratiot, Mich., 1836‑37, — and Ft. Howard, Wis., 1837; in the Florida

(First Lieut., 2d Infantry, July 7, 1838)

War, 1837‑40; in garrison at Ft. Columbus, N. Y., 1840; in the Florida War against the Seminole Indians, 1840‑42, being engaged in the action of Choca-chattee, June 2, 1840; on Recruiting service, 1842; in garrison at Sackett's Harbor, N. Y., 1842‑45; on Recruiting service, 1845‑46; in garrison at Sackett's Harbor, N. Y., 1846, — and Ft. Columbus, N. Y., 1846; in the War with Mexico, 1846‑48, being engaged in the Siege of

(Captain, 2d Infantry, Feb. 16, 1847)

Vera Cruz, Mar. 9‑29, 1847, — Battle of Cerro Gordo, Apr. 17‑18, 1847, — Battle of Contreras, Aug. 19‑20, 1847, where he was wounded in the assault of the enemy's works, — Battle of Churubusco, Aug. 20, 1847,

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

and Assault and Capture of the City of Mexico, Sep. 13‑14, 1847; in garrison at Ft. Hamilton, N. Y., 1848; on voyage to California, 1848‑49; on frontier duty at Benicia, Cal., 1849‑51, — escorting Indian Commissioner, 1851, — Benicia, Cal., 1851‑53, — and Ft. Miller, Cal., 1853‑54; on Recruiting service, 1854; in garrison at Carlisle Barracks, Pa., 1854‑55; and on frontier duty in Sioux Expedition, 1855, — Ft. Pierre, Dak., 1855‑56, — Ft. Randall, Dak., 1856‑59, — Ft. Riley, Kan., 1859‑60, — Ft. Larned, Kan., 1860, — March to Neosho River, Kan., 1860, — and Ft. Riley, Kan., 1861.

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

(Major, 6th Infantry, June 6, 1861)

(Colonel, 8th Kansas Volunteers, Aug. 22, 1861, to Feb. 15, 1862)

Missouri Border, Nov., 1861-Feb., 1862; in the Virginia Peninsular Campaign (Army of the Potomac), Mar.‑Aug., 1862, being engaged in

(Brig.‑General, U. S. Volunteers, Apr. 25, 1862)

the Siege of Yorktown, Apr. 5 to May 4, 1862, — Battle of Fair Oaks, May 31, 1862, where he was wounded, — in command of rear guard from Haxhall's to Harrison's Landing, July 2‑3, 1862; in Defense of Suffolk, Va., Sep. 20 to Dec. 9, 1862; in Operations in North Carolina, Dec. 9, 1862, to Apr. 20, 1864, being engaged in the Combat of Kinston, Dec. 14, 1862, — Combat of Goldsborough, Dec. 17, 1862, — Defense of Newberne, Dec. 21, 1862, to May 1, 1863, — in command of the Sub-District of the Albemarle, and in the Defense of Plymouth, May 3, 1863, to Apr. 20, 1864, where, after four days' hard fighting, he was compelled to capitulate; as Prisoner of War, Apr. 20 to Aug. 3, 1864, confined successively at Richmond, Va., Danville, Va., Macon, Ga., and finally at Charleston, S. C., where he was placed under the fire from our batteries on Morris Island, S. C., then bombarding the city; Commissary of Prisoners, Nov. 11, 1864, to Jan. 31, 1865; in command of Draft Rendezvous,

(Lieut.‑Colonel, 18th infantry, Feb. 16, 1865)

Hart's Island, N. Y., Feb. 5, 1865, to Feb. 19, 1866; on leave of absence, Feb. 19 to June 12, 1866.

 p561  Bvt. Colonel, Apr. 20, 1864, and Bvt. Brig.‑General, U. S. Army, Mar. 13, 1865,
for Gallant and Meritorious Services during the Rebellion.

Mustered out of Volunteer Service, Jan. 15, 1866.

Served: in command of Ft. Kearny, Neb., June 12 to Oct. 27, 1866, — Ft. Reno, Dak., Dec. 1, 1866, to Jan. 14, 1867, — of the Mountain District, headquarters, Ft. Philip Kearny, Dak., Jan. 17 to July 5, 1867; in command of regiment and post of Ft. McPherson, Neb., July 30 to Oct. 9, 1867, — Ft. Fetterman, D. T., Nov. 1, 1867, to May 14, 1868, — and Ft. D. A. Russell, July 6 to Nov. 28, 1868; as Member of Retiring Board, at St. Louis, Mo., Nov. 28, 1868, to Apr. 26, 1869; and in command

(Unassigned, Mar. 15, 1869)

of Depot of General Recruiting Service, Newport, Ky., May 15, 1869, to Jan. 1, 1871.

Retired from Active Service, Jan. 1, 1871, on his own application,
after 30 Years of continuous Service.

Died, Jan. 12, 1889, at Dover, Del.: Aged 80.

Buried, East Cemetery, Litchfield, CT.


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