Edward Washburn Whitaker (June 15, 1841 – July 30, 1922) was a Union Army officer 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 ...

. He was awarded the

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 ...

for gallantry in action in 1864. He was one of the youngest generals in the Union Army, promoted to Brigadier General at the age of 23.

Biography

Civil War service

Whitaker and three of his brothers enlisted in the Union Army during the Civil War. He originally enlisted as a sergeant in the

2nd New York Cavalry Regiment The 2nd New York Cavalry Regiment, officially known as the 2nd Regiment, New York Volunteer Cavalry, was a unit of the Union Army during the American Civil War. It served with the Army of the Potomac and fought in Stoneman's 1863 raid, the W ...

. On April 23, 1864 Whitaker was commissioned as captain of Company E of the

1st Connecticut Cavalry Regiment The 1st Connecticut Cavalry Regiment was a cavalry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Service The 1st Connecticut Cavalry Regiment was organized at West Meriden, Connecticut, on November 2, 1861, initially as ...

. He earned the Congressional Medal of Honor for his actions at Reams Station, Virginia, on June 29, 1864 by riding through enemy lines to deliver dispatches to Major General

George Meade George Gordon Meade (December 31, 1815 – November 6, 1872) was an American military officer who served in the United States Army and the Union army as Major General in command of the Army of the Potomac during the American Civil War from 1 ...

, the commander of 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 ...

. The Medal of Honor was awarded to him on April 2, 1898 – almost 34 years after his action. In October 1864 Whitaker was promoted to the rank of

major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...

and in January 1865 to lieutenant colonel. At Appomattox as chief of staff to General

George Armstrong Custer George Armstrong Custer (December 5, 1839 – June 25, 1876) was a United States Army officer and cavalry commander in the American Civil War and the American Indian Wars. Custer graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point ...

, he bore the flag of truce to the Confederate lines prior to a planned Union attack. Subsequent negotiations resulted in the unconditional surrender which prevented further bloodshed. In March 1865, at age 23, he was brevetted (i.e. an honorary promotion) as a brigadier general of

volunteers Volunteering is an elective and freely chosen act of an individual or group giving their time and labor, often for community service. Many volunteers are specifically trained in the areas they work, such as medicine, education, or emergenc ...

for meritorious service during the war and was one of the youngest generals in the Civil War. ( Llewellyn Garrish Estes was younger, and

Galusha Pennypacker Uriah Galusha Pennypacker (June 1, 1841/1842/1844 – October 1, 1916) was a Union Army, Union general during the American Civil War. He may be the youngest person to hold the rank of brigadier general in the United States Army, US Army and re ...

was the youngest, promoted to brigadier general shortly before he turned 21.) Whitaker was honorable mustered out of service on August 2, 1865.

Post war

General Whitaker joined the District of Columbia Society of the

Sons of the American Revolution The Sons of the American Revolution (SAR), formally the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution (NSSAR), is a federally chartered patriotic organization. The National Society, a nonprofit corporation headquartered in Louisvi ...

and was assigned SAR national membership number is 13552 and District of Columbia Society number 702. He was also a First Class Companion of the District of Columbia Commandery 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 ...

- a military society composed of officers of the Union armed forces and their descendants. General Edward W. Whitaker died at his home in

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

at the age of eighty-one on July 30, 1922. He is buried in

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. ...

Medal of Honor citation

''While acting as an aide voluntarily carried dispatches from the commanding general to Gen. Meade, forcing his way with a single troop of Cavalry, through an Infantry division of the enemy in the most distinguished manner, though he lost half his escort in the desperate ride at Reams Station, Virginia on 29 June 1864.''

Dates of rank

*Sergeant, Company D, 2nd New York Cavalry - August 21, 1861 *Captain, 1st Connecticut Cavalry - April 23, 1864 *Major, 1st Connecticut Cavalry - October 1, 1864 *Lieutenant Colonel, 1st Connecticut Cavalry - January 17, 1865 *Brevet Brigadier General, U.S. Volunteers - March 13, 1865 Historical Register and Dictionary of the United States Army, 1789-1903.
Vol. I. pg. 1026.

References