Edward Winslow Hincks (May 30, 1830 – February 14, 1894) was a career

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

officer who served as a brigadier general 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 ...

Early life

Hincks was born in

Bucksport, Maine Bucksport is a historical town in Hancock County, Maine, United States. The population was 4,944 at the 2020 census. Bucksport is across the Penobscot River estuary from Fort Knox and the Penobscot Narrows Bridge, which replaced the Waldo–H ...

. His name, spelled correctly, is "Hincks", but the "C" was deleted when he joined the

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of the United Stat ...

in 1861, and he resumed using the original spelling in 1871 after he retired from the service. He was a printer for the ''Whig and Courier'' newspaper in

Bangor, Maine Bangor ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Penobscot County, Maine, United States. The city proper has a population of 31,753, making it the state's List of municipalities in Maine, third-most populous city, behind Portland, Maine, Portland ...

. He moved to

Boston, Massachusetts Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

in 1849. Hincks was involved in the printing and publishing business. He served in the

Massachusetts House of Representatives The Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the State legislature (United States), state legislature of Massachusetts. It is composed of 160 members elected from 14 counties each divided into ...

in 1855. He also served on the

Boston City Council The Boston City Council is the legislative branch of government for the city of Boston, Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It is made up of 13 members: 9 district representatives and 4 at-large members. Councillors are elected to two-year ...

in 1855.Eicher, p. 298.

Civil War

In 1861, Hincks received a

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 ...

commission as a second lieutenant in the

2nd U.S. Cavalry The 2nd Cavalry Regiment, also known as the Second Dragoons, is an active Stryker infantry and cavalry regiment of the United States Army. The Second Cavalry Regiment is a unit of the United States Army Europe and Africa, with its garrison at ...

, but was soon after offered a volunteer commission as

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 the

19th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry The 19th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Service history The 19th Massachusetts was organized at Camp Schouler in Lynnfield, Massachusetts, in A ...

. Hincks saw service at

Ball's Bluff The Battle of Ball's Bluff (also known as the Battle of Leesburg or Battle of Harrison's Island) was an early battle of the American Civil War fought in Loudoun County, Virginia, on October 21, 1861, in which Union Army forces under Major Gener ...

, the

Peninsula Campaign The Peninsula campaign (also known as the Peninsular campaign) of the American Civil War was a major Union operation launched in southeastern Virginia from March to July 1862, the first large-scale offensive in the Eastern Theater. The oper ...

, and at Glendale, where he was wounded. He returned to his

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, military service, service, or administrative corps, specialisation. In Middle Ages, Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of l ...

for the

Maryland Campaign The Maryland campaign (or Antietam campaign) occurred September 4–20, 1862, during the American Civil War. The campaign was Confederate States Army, Confederate General (CSA), General Robert E. Lee's first invasion of the Northern United Stat ...

, but was seriously wounded at

Antietam The Battle of Antietam ( ), also called the Battle of Sharpsburg, particularly in the Southern United States, took place during the American Civil War on September 17, 1862, between Confederate General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virgin ...

on September 17, 1862. He received a promotion to brigadier general of volunteers, to rank from November 29, 1862, by nomination of

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 ...

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 ...

on March 4, 1863, confirmation by the

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

on March 9, 1863 and appointment by the President on April 4, 1863.Eicher, 2001, p. 723 He spent the next two years on

court martial A court-martial (plural ''courts-martial'' or ''courts martial'', as "martial" is a postpositive adjective) is a military court or a trial conducted in such a court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of members of the mili ...

and recruiting duty. In March through May 1864, he commanded the prison camp at Camp Lookout, MarylandWarner, Ezra J. ''Generals in Blue: Lives of the Union Commanders.'' Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1964. before being assigned to command the 3rd Division of the XVIII Corps, composed entirely of

United States Colored Troops United States Colored Troops (USCT) were Union Army regiments during the American Civil War that primarily comprised African Americans, with soldiers from other ethnic groups also serving in USCT units. Established in response to a demand fo ...

, led by white officers. He was one of the leaders of the unsuccessful

First Battle of Petersburg The Battle of Petersburg was an unsuccessful Union assault against the earthworks fortification, the Dimmock Line, protecting the city of Petersburg, Virginia, June 9, 1864, during the American Civil War. Because of the ragtag group of defende ...

and served in the

Siege of Petersburg The Richmond–Petersburg campaign was a series of battles around Petersburg, Virginia, fought from June 9, 1864, to March 25, 1865, during the American Civil War. Although it is more popularly known as the siege of Petersburg, it was not a c ...

. When the division was rolled into the XXV Corps, Hincks was sent north to perform recruitment duties and to enforce the draft. On December 3, 1867, President

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 Hincks for the award of the honorary grade of brevet major general, United States Volunteers, to rank from March 13, 1865, and the U.S. Senate confirmed the award on May 4, 1866.Eicher, 2001, p. 712 On December 3, 1867, President Johnson nominated Hincks for the award of the honorary grade of brevet brigadier general in the regular army, to rank from March 2, 1867,Eicher, 2001, p. 734 for his service at Petersburg The

confirmed the award on February 14, 1868.Eicher, 2001, p. 734

Postbellum career

After the war, he remained in the army as the lieutenant colonel of the 40th U.S. Infantry Regiment before retiring at the rank of colonel in December 1870. After he retired, he served as governor of the National Military Home for Disabled Veterans in

Hampton, Virginia Hampton is an independent city (United States), independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. The population was 137,148 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of cities in Virginia, seve ...

(1870–73) and in

Milwaukee, Wisconsin Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...

(1873–80). Hincks died in

Cambridge, Massachusetts Cambridge ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is a suburb in the Greater Boston metropolitan area, located directly across the Charles River from Boston. The city's population as of the 2020 United States census, ...

, and is buried in Mount Auburn Cemetery

. His grave can be found on the Eglantine Path, Lot 1636.

Notes

References

*Eicher, John H., and Eicher, David J., ''Civil War High Commands'', Stanford University Press, 2001, . *Heitman, Francis. ''Historical Register and Dictionary of the United States Army 1789-1903'', Washington, US Government Printing Office, 1903. *Warner, Ezra J. ''Generals in Blue: Lives of the Union Commanders.'' Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1964. .

External links