Charles Lane Fitzhugh (August 22, 1838 – September 16, 1923) was 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 ...

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 ...

, who was later appointed a brevet brigadier general of volunteers for gallantry, energy and ability and a brevet brigadier general in the regular U.S. Army for gallant and meritorious services in the field during the war.

Early life

Fitzhugh was born on August 22, 1838, in

Oswego, New York Oswego () is a City (New York), city in and the county seat of Oswego County, New York, United States. The population was 16,921 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Oswego is situated at the mouth of the Oswego River (New York), Osw ...

. He attended

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...

before being appointed a cadet at the

United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), commonly known as West Point, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York that educates cadets for service as Officer_(armed_forces)#United_States, comm ...

.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. 236.

Military career

Fitzhugh was appointed to the United States Military Academy in 1859, but left in September 1861 before finishing to join the Union war effort. He was commissioned as a

first lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a se ...

in the 4th United States Regular

Artillery Artillery consists of ranged weapons that launch Ammunition, munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during sieges, and l ...

in October 1861, and served as an Aide-de-Camp to major general

Don Carlos Buell Don Carlos Buell (March 23, 1818November 19, 1898) was a United States Army officer who fought in the Seminole War, the Mexican–American War, and the American Civil War. Buell led Union armies in two major Civil War battles— Shiloh and Pe ...

between 1861 and 1863, including during the April 1862 Shiloh Campaign. Fitzhugh then led the 4th Regular Artillery's Battery C, commanding it in all the Army of the Potomac's 1864 battles and campaigns in

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

. On December 24, 1864, he was commissioned a

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 ...

of Volunteers, and was given command of the 6th New York Cavalry Regiment on February 18, 1865. His direct role with the unit, though, was nominal; he was promoted specifically to command the Second Brigade, First Cavalry Division of Major General Philip Sheridan's Army of the Shenandoah. He led the

brigade A brigade is a major tactical military unit, military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute ...

from January 15, 1865, through to the end of the war on May 29, 1865. From May 29, 1865, to June 17, 1865, he was given command of Second Brigade, First Cavalry Division, 22nd Corps, Department of Washington. On June 17, 1865, he was appointed in charge of the 2nd New York Provisional Cavalry (a "holding" unit for soldiers awaiting muster out) before being mustered out the volunteer service himself on August 6, 1865. On January 13, 1866,

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

Andrew Johnson Andrew Johnson (December 29, 1808July 31, 1875) was the 17th president of the United States, serving from 1865 to 1869. The 16th vice president, he assumed the presidency following the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Johnson was a South ...

nominated Fitzhugh for appointment to the grade of brevet brigadier general of volunteers for "gallantry, energy and ability" to rank from March 13, 1865, and the

United States Senate The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...

confirmed the appointment on March 12, 1866. On July 17, 1866, President Johnson nominated Fitzhugh for appointment to the grade of brevet brigadier general in the U.S.

Regular Army A regular army is the official army of a state or country (the official armed forces), contrasting with irregular forces, such as volunteer irregular militias, private armies, mercenaries, etc. A regular army usually has the following: * a ...

for "gallant and meritorious services in the field during the war" to rank from March 13, 1866, and the U.S. Senate confirmed the appointment on July 23, 1866.Eicher, 2001, p. 733. Reverting to Regular Army rank of lieutenant, he served in the postbellum forces until he resigned on May 21, 1868. He then engaged in steel manufacturing until his retirement. He died at age at 85 in 1923 at

Cobourg Cobourg ( ) is a town in the Canadian province of Ontario, located in Southern Ontario east of Toronto and east of Oshawa. It is the largest town in and seat of Northumberland County. Its nearest neighbour is Port Hope, to the west. It is ...

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

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. He is buried at

Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is the largest cemetery in the United States National Cemetery System, one of two maintained by the United States Army. More than 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington County, Virginia. ...

Notes

References

* Eicher, John H., and

, ''Civil War High Commands.'' Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2001. . * Hunt, Roger D. and Jack R. Brown, ''Brevet Brigadier Generals in Blue.'' Gaithersburg, MD: Olde Soldier Books, Inc., 1990. .

External links

Arlington National Cemetery
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fitzhugh, Charles 1838 births 1923 deaths Union army colonels Burials at Arlington National Cemetery United States Army generals People of New York (state) in the American Civil War

Early life

Military career

See also

Notes

References

External links