Brevet Brigadier General Charles Henry Tompkins Sr. (May 15, 1834 – Aug 9, 1895) was an American officer who served as a Union Army

Colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), 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 colon ...

, who received an appointment to the brevet grade of Brigadier General of volunteers during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

. As a note of caution, he is not to be confused with another Union officer, Brevet Brigadier General Charles H. Tompkins (1830-1915) from Virginia who was a

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, military decoration and is awarded to recognize American United States Army, soldiers, United States Navy, sailors, Un ...

recipient during the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

Early life

Charles Tompkins was born on May 15, 1834 in

New Windsor, New York New Windsor is a town in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 27,805 at the 2020 census. It is located on the eastern side of the county and is adjacent to the Hudson River and the City of Newburgh. History The region wa ...

. Prior to the outbreak of the U.S. Civil War, Tompkins was a merchant in

Providence, Rhode Island Providence () is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Rhode Island, most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. The county seat of Providence County, Rhode Island, Providence County, it is o ...

Military career

Prior to the war he was in the

Providence Marine Corps of Artillery The 103rd Field Artillery Regiment (103rd FAR) is a regiment of the United States Army. The only currently existing component is the 1st Battalion, 103rd Field Artillery Regiment (1-103rd FAR), a unit of the Rhode Island National Guard. The reg ...

and had been serving as its Colonel since 1858. Tompkins enlisted in the Union Army as a Captain in

, on April 17, 1861. On May 2, 1861, he was mustered into and organized the Rhode Island 1st Marine Light Volunteer Artillery for three months, which unit was nicknamed "Tompkins' Marine Artillery." He was commander of the Battery unit, which was part of the

, a detached unit of the

Rhode Island militia The Rhode Island Army National Guard (RIARNG) is the land force militia for the U.S. state of Rhode Island. It operates under Title 10 of the United States Code, Title 10 and Title 32 of the United States Code, Title 32 of the United States Code ...

. He mustered out of service from the First Rhode Island Light Volunteer Artillery on August 6, 1861. The unit was jokingly referred to as the "Geography Class" as it served in a lot of places. On August 1, 1861, Governor

William Sprague IV William Sprague IV (September 12, 1830September 11, 1915) was the 27th Governor of Rhode Island from 1860 to 1863, and U.S. Senator from 1863 to 1875. He participated in the First Battle of Bull Run during the American Civil War while he was a ...

was authorized by the Secretary of War to establish a new artillery battalion and Tompkins was promoted to Major to head the new battalion, the First Rhode Island Light Volunteer Artillery Regiment. The Regiment oversaw Batteries A, B, C, D, E, F, G, and H. Under his command, the Regiment became known as one of the finest regiments in the Union Army. Nine soldiers from his Regiment were awarded the Medal of Honor and served in every battle of the Army of the Potomac. He was put in command of the Artillery Division of the Sixth army Corps on May 12, 1863. On September 13, 1861, was promoted to Colonel of the First Rhode Island Light Volunteer Artillery Regiment and became Chief of Artillery in a brigade of the 6th Corps in the

Army of the Potomac The Army of the Potomac was the primary field army of the Union army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. It was created in July 1861 shortly after the First Battle of Bull Run and was disbanded in June 1865 following the Battle of ...

, which role he held for the remainder of his time in the war. As Chief of Artillery in the Sixth Army Corps, he had at least eight units under him. The Second Division was commanded by his brother, John A. Tompkins. As part of the First Rhode Island Light Artillery Regiment, he was actively involved in the Battle of Shenandoah Valley; the

Battle of Second Bull Run The Second Battle of Bull Run or Battle of Second Manassas was fought August 28–30, 1862, in Prince William County, Virginia, as part of the American Civil War. It was the culmination of the Northern Virginia Campaign waged by Confederate ...

; and the

Battle of Cedar Creek The Battle of Cedar Creek, or Battle of Belle Grove, was fought on October 19, 1864, during the American Civil War. The fighting took place in the Shenandoah Valley of Northern Virginia, near Cedar Creek, Middletown, and the Valley Pike. D ...

. He served in more of a leadership role for many other battles, including the

Battle of Gettysburg The Battle of Gettysburg () was a three-day battle in the American Civil War, which was fought between the Union and Confederate armies between July 1 and July 3, 1863, in and around Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle, won by the Union, ...

. He was wounded in the Battle of Cedar Creek attempting to help withdraw Battery G. In praising Battery G, he wrote, “The conduct of officers and men was gallant in the extreme and it merits the hearty commendation of all who witnessed it. Rhode Island has just cause to be proud of such soldiers. On December 12, 1865 he was nominated by President

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, his assassination in 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War ...

and on August 1, 1864, he was brevetted brigadier general of U.S. volunteers for "For Gallant Service at Richmond and Shenandoah." He was mustered out of service from the army on April 21, 1865. He was a member of the

Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States The Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States (MOLLUS), or, simply, the Loyal Legion, is a United States military order organized on April 15, 1865, by three veteran officers of the Union Army. The original membership was consisted ...

(MOLLUS), a United States military order organized on April 15, 1865, in the wake of the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln amidst rumors that there was a plot to overthrow the U.S. government.

Personal life

Tompkins was married to Jane Eliza Carr. They had five children: Hannah; Charles Henry Tompkins Jr.; Vincent; Eliza Rodman Tompkins; and

John Almy Tompkins II John Almy Tompkins II (1871 – May 21, 1941) was an American architect. Early life and education Tompkins was born in 1871 in Baltimore, Maryland to Brevet Brigadier General Charles Henry Tompkins Sr. and Jane Carr Tompkins. His father was ...

, an architect in New York. His brother was Union army Lieutenant Colonel

John Almy Tompkins Brevet Lieutenant Colonel John Almy Tompkins (February 27, 1837 – September 30, 1916) was an American officer who served as a Union Army Major in the American Civil War. He was promoted to a Lieutenant Colonel at the end of the war. Earl ...

. He moved to Baltimore in 1870 and then Staten Island n 1880. He died on August 9, 1895, in Somerville, New Jersey.

External links

Tompkins' Medal

References

: {{DEFAULTSORT:Tompkins Sr., Charles Henry 1834 births 1895 deaths Union army generals United States Army generals United States Army colonels Union army colonels People of Rhode Island in the American Civil War

Early life

Military career

Personal life

See also

External links

References