Charles Kinnaird Graham (June 3, 1824 – April 15, 1889)Eicher, John H., and

David J. Eicher David John Eicher (born August 7, 1961) is an American editor, writer, and popularizer of astronomy and space. He has been editor-in-chief of ''Astronomy'' magazine since 2002. He is author, coauthor, or editor of 23 books on science and American ...

, ''Civil War High Commands.'' Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2001. . p. 261. was a sailor in the

antebellum Antebellum, Latin for "before war", may refer to: United States history * Antebellum South, the pre-American Civil War period in the Southern United States ** Antebellum Georgia ** Antebellum South Carolina ** Antebellum Virginia * Antebellum ...

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

, attorney, and later a

brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

in the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union of the collective states. It proved essential to th ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

. As a civil engineer, he helped plan and lay out

Central Park Central Park is an urban park in New York City located between the Upper West and Upper East Sides of Manhattan. It is the fifth-largest park in the city, covering . It is the most visited urban park in the United States, with an estimated ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

Early years and education

Graham was born in

. He entered the Navy in October 1841, at the age of 17 and served as a midshipman in the

Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico ( es, Golfo de México) is an ocean basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, largely surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United ...

during the

Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It followed the 1 ...

, resigning his commission in May 1848. Later he studied engineering and was for several years after 1857 constructing engineer of the

Brooklyn Navy Yard The Brooklyn Navy Yard (originally known as the New York Navy Yard) is a shipyard and industrial complex located in northwest Brooklyn in New York City, New York. The Navy Yard is located on the East River in Wallabout Bay, a semicircular bend ...

. During this time he was a major, lieutenant colonel and, finally,

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge o ...

in the

New York Militia The New York Guard (NYG) is the state defense force of New York State, also called The New York State Military Reserve. Originally called the New York State Militia it can trace its lineage back to the American Revolution and the War of 1812. Th ...

Civil War

At the outbreak of the

, on May 26, 1861, he entered the

of the

74th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment The 74th New York Infantry Regiment was a Union regiment recruited in 1861, during the American Civil War. The regiment was part of Sickles' Excelsior Brigade and their first commander was sailor and engineer COL Charles K. Graham. This regi ...

, of one of the

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscript ...

s of the "

Excelsior Brigade The Excelsior Brigade was a military unit in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Mainly composed of infantry regiments raised in the state of New York primarily by former U.S. Representative Daniel Sickles, the brigade served in seve ...

." He resigned on April 10, 1862, but was restored to the colonelcy of the regiment during the Peninsula Campaign on May 26, 1862. On November 9, 1862, he was appointed

of volunteers to rank from November 29, 1862 and assumed command of the 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, III Corps. At the

Battle of Chancellorsville The Battle of Chancellorsville, April 30 – May 6, 1863, was a major battle of the American Civil War (1861–1865), and the principal engagement of the Chancellorsville campaign. Chancellorsville is known as Lee's "perfect battle" because h ...

he commanded the 1st Brigade, 1st Division, III Corps. Upon the mortal wounding of Amiel W. Whipple, Graham assumed command of the 3rd Division, III Corps on the last day of the battle, May 4, 1863, through June 20, 1863. He returned to command the 1st Brigade, 1st Division in June during the Gettysburg Campaign. During the

Battle of Gettysburg The Battle of Gettysburg () was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, by Union and Confederate forces during the American Civil War. In the battle, Union Major General George Meade's Army of the Po ...

, Graham's brigade defended the Union position along the Emmitsburg Road, particularly the area of the Sherfy peach orchard. He was wounded in the hip and shoulders on July 2 and taken prisoner by the Confederates. He was sent to a prison camp in Richmond until he was Prisoner exchange, exchanged (for James L. Kemper) on September 19, 1863. Upon his recovery, he was assigned by Major general (United States), Major General Benjamin Butler (politician), Benjamin Butler to the command of a gunboat flotilla on the James River (Virginia), James River labeled the "Naval Brigade" and was attached to the XVIII Corps (Union Army), XVIII Corps, Army of the James from April 28, 1864, to February 17, 1865. Graham led the Naval Brigade during the First Battle of Fort Fisher. When the Union forces of the First Fort Fisher expedition returned to Virginia, Graham commanded the defenses of Bermuda Hundred, February 19, 1865, to March 19, 1865, and later the garrison of Norfolk, Virginia from March 19, 1865, to July 1865. He was mustered out of the volunteers on August 24, 1865. On January 13, 1866, President of the United States, President Andrew Johnson nominated Graham for appointment to the grade of Brevet (military), brevet Major general (United States), major general of volunteers, to rank from March 13, 1865, and the United States Senate confirmed the appointment on March 12, 1866.Eicher, 2001, p. 755.

Postbellum career

After the war, Graham returned to New York and resumed the practice of civil engineering. From 1878 to 1883, he was surveyor of the port of New York. He died of pneumonia in Lakewood, New Jersey, April 15, 1889, and is buried in Woodlawn Cemetery, Bronx, Woodlawn Cemetery, The Bronx,

Notes

References

* Eicher, John H., and

, ''Civil War High Commands''. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2001. . Attribution * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Graham, Charles Kinnaird Union Army generals United States Navy officers People of New York (state) in the American Civil War United States Navy personnel of the Mexican–American War New York (state) lawyers American civil engineers Military personnel from New York City American Civil War prisoners of war Excelsior Brigade 1824 births 1889 deaths Engineers from New York City Burials at Woodlawn Cemetery (Bronx, New York) 19th-century American lawyers

Early years and education

Civil War

Postbellum career

See also

Notes

References