Carlos Adolphus Waite (born in
Plattsburgh, New York
Plattsburgh ( moh, Tsi ietsénhtha) is a city in, and the seat of, Clinton County, New York, United States, situated on the north-western shore of Lake Champlain. The population was 19,841 at the 2020 census. The population of the surrounding ...
5 May 1797; died in
Plattsburgh, New York
Plattsburgh ( moh, Tsi ietsénhtha) is a city in, and the seat of, Clinton County, New York, United States, situated on the north-western shore of Lake Champlain. The population was 19,841 at the 2020 census. The population of the surrounding ...
, 7 May 1866) was a career soldier in the
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
who, in his retirement, received the
brevet
Brevet may refer to:
Military
* Brevet (military), higher rank that rewards merit or gallantry, but without higher pay
* Brevet d'état-major, a military distinction in France and Belgium awarded to officers passing military staff college
* Aircre ...
rank of
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 ...
.
Biography
Carlos A. Waite entered the
U.S. Army as 3d lieutenant of infantry, 28 January 1820, became 1st lieutenant, 1 May 1828, and captain, 3 July 1836. From 7 July 1838 until 8 May 1845, he was captain and assistant quartermaster. He was appointed major of the
8th U.S. Infantry
The 8th Infantry Regiment of the United States, also known as the "Fighting Eagles," is an infantry regiment in the United States Army. The 8th Infantry participated in the Mexican War, American Civil War, Philippine Insurrection, Moro Rebe ...
, 16 February 1847, and served in 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 ...
, receiving the brevets of lieutenant colonel, 20 August 1847, for gallant and meritorious conduct at
Contreras and
Churubusco
Churubusco is a neighbourhood of Mexico City. Under the current territorial division of the Mexican Federal District, it is a part of the borough ''(delegación)'' of Coyoacán. It is centred on the former Franciscan monastery ''(ex convento de C ...
, and colonel, 8 September 1847, for gallant and meritorious conduct at
Molino del Rey
Los Pinos (English: ''The Pines'') was the official residence and office of the President of Mexico from 1934 to 2018. Located in the Bosque de Chapultepec (Chapultepec Forest) in central Mexico City, it became the presidential seat in 1934, wh ...
, where he was severely wounded. He was made lieutenant colonel of the
5th U.S. Infantry
The 5th Infantry Regiment (nicknamed the "Bobcats") is an infantry regiment of the United States Army that traces its origins to 1808.
Origins: War of 1812
The 5th Infantry Regiment was created by an Act of Congress of 3 March 1815, on 10 November 1851, and colonel of the
1st U.S. Infantry
:''This article deals with the history of the current 1st Infantry Regiment of the United States Army. For the history of an earlier 1st Infantry Regiment, see 3rd US Infantry''
The 1st Infantry Regiment is a regiment of the United States Army ...
on 5 June 1860. On 19 February 1861, Waite superseded Brevet Major General
David E. Twiggs
David Emanuel Twiggs (February 14, 1790 – July 15, 1862), born in Georgia, was a career army officer, serving during the War of 1812, the Black Hawk War, and Mexican–American War.
As commander of the U.S. Army's Department of Texas when the ...
as commander of the
Department of Texas as Twiggs surrendered the department to the
Confederates in the beginning of what would become 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 th ...
(Twiggs would eventually be commissioned into the
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...
). Waite commanded the department until it was officially abolished later in 1861. After returning east he commanded the military post at
Annapolis
Annapolis ( ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Maryland and the county seat of, and only incorporated city in, Anne Arundel County. Situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east o ...
,
Maryland
Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...
. In 1864 he was placed on the retired list, owing to impaired health, and he resided in Plattsburgh until his death. After the war he was brevetted Brigadier General, backdated to 13 March 1865, for long and faithful service in the U.S. Army; however the confirmation wasn't issued before his death.
See also
*
List of American Civil War brevet generals (Union)
Notes
References
* https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fwa12
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Waite, Carlos
1797 births
1866 deaths
Union Army colonels
United States Army colonels
American military personnel of the Mexican–American War
People of New York (state) in the American Civil War