Eli Long
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Eli Long (June 16, 1837 – January 5, 1903) was a
general A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry. In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...
in the Union Army 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

Long was born on June 16, 1837, in
Woodford County, Kentucky Woodford County is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 26,871. Its county seat is Versailles, Kentucky, Versailles. The area was home to Pi ...
, and graduated from the
Kentucky Military Institute The Kentucky Military Institute (KMI) was a military University-preparatory school, preparatory school in Lyndon, Kentucky, and Venice, Florida, in operation from 1845 to 1971. Founding One of the oldest traditional military prep schools in th ...
in 1855.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. 352
In 1856, he was appointed second lieutenant in the 1st U.S. Cavalry Regiment, serving in a variety of
frontier A frontier is a political and geographical term referring to areas near or beyond a boundary. Australia The term "frontier" was frequently used in colonial Australia in the meaning of country that borders the unknown or uncivilised, th ...
outposts and occasionally battling hostile Indians. He was promoted to
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 ...
on March 1, 1861.


American Civil War

Long served in the Western Theater of the American Civil War. At the outset of the war, on May 24, 1861, Long was promoted to
captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...
in the 1st U.S. Cavalry. On August 3, 1861, he was transferred to the 4th U.S. Cavalry Regiment. On December 31, 1862, Long was wounded in the left shoulder at the
Battle of Stones River The Battle of Stones River, also known as the Second Battle of Murfreesboro, was fought from December 31, 1862, to January 2, 1863, in Middle Tennessee, as the culmination of the Stones River Campaign in the Western Theater of the American Ci ...
while commanding Company K of the regiment.Warner, Ezra J. ''Generals in Blue: Lives of the Union Commanders.'' Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1964. . pp. 283–284 On February 23, 1863, Long was appointed
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 4th Ohio Cavalry, a
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 ...
which recently had surrendered to the Confederate raider, Brigadier General
John Hunt Morgan John Hunt Morgan (June 1, 1825September 4, 1864) was a Confederate general in the American Civil War. In April 1862, he raised the 2nd Kentucky Cavalry Regiment, fought at Shiloh, and then launched a costly raid in Kentucky, which encouraged Br ...
. Long improved the morale of the regiment and led it in the Tullahoma Campaign. He commanded the regiment's brigade, the 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, Cavalry Corps of the
Department of the Cumberland The Army of the Cumberland was one of the principal Union armies in the Western Theater during the American Civil War. It was originally known as the Army of the Ohio. History The origin of the Army of the Cumberland dates back to the creation ...
between March 1863 and August 20, 1864, including service at the
Battle of Chickamauga The Battle of Chickamauga, fought on September 18–20, 1863, between the United States Army and Confederate States Army, Confederate forces in the American Civil War, marked the end of a U.S. Army offensive, the Chickamauga Campaign, in southe ...
. Long was wounded in the left side at the Battle of Farmington, Tennessee, October 7, 1863. He was distinguished in the Atlanta Campaign where he suffered a head wound at the
Battle of Jonesboro The Battle of Jonesborough (August 31–September 1, 1864) was fought between Union Army forces led by William Tecumseh Sherman and Confederate States of America, Confederate forces under William J. Hardee during the Atlanta Campaign in the Am ...
, Georgia, August 20, 1864, and wounds in the right arm and right thigh at the
Battle of Lovejoy's Station The Battle of Lovejoy's Station was fought on August 20, 1864, near what is now Lovejoy, Georgia, in Clayton County, Georgia, Clayton County, during the Atlanta Campaign of the American Civil War. The two sides had arrived at something of a stal ...
, Georgia, August 21, 1864. Long received brevet grade appointments as
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 ...
, lieutenant colonel, and colonel in the
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 ...
of the United States for "gallant and meritorious services" at the Battle of Farmington and
Battle of Fort Sanders The Battle of Fort Sanders was the crucial engagement of the Knoxville Campaign of the American Civil War, fought in Knoxville, Tennessee, on November 29, 1863. Assaults by Confederate Lt. Gen. James Longstreet failed to break through the def ...
(Knoxville) in Tennessee and Battle of Lovejoy's Station in Georgia, respectively. On August 18, 1864,
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 ...
appointed Long a brigadier general in the volunteer army to rank from the same date.Eicher, 2001, p. 724 The President submitted the nomination to 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 December 12, 1864, and the U.S. Senate confirmed the appointment on February 14, 1865. Between November 16, 1864, and April 2, 1865, Long commanded the 2nd Division of the Cavalry Corps of the Military Division of Mississippi under Major General James H. Wilson. On April 2, 1865, during
Wilson's Raid Wilson's Raid was a cavalry operation through Alabama and Georgia in March–April 1865, late in the American Civil War. U.S. Brig. Gen. James H. Wilson led his U.S. Cavalry Corps to destroy Confederate manufacturing facilities and was oppos ...
, Long was severely wounded in the head at the
Battle of Selma The Battle of Selma was fought on April 2, 1865 in Dallas County, Alabama during the American Civil War. It was part of the Union campaign through Alabama and Georgia, known as Wilson's Raid, in the final full month of the Civil War. Brevet ...
, Alabama. During that battle he led the 2nd Division in a charge upon the entrenchments that resulted in the capture of that town. During the Civil War, Long was wounded five times and also cited for gallantry five times. On January 13, 1866, 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 Long for appointment to the brevet grade of major general of volunteers, to rank from March 13, 1865, and the U.S. Senate confirmed the appointment on March 12, 1866.Eicher, 2001, p. 713


Aftermath

Long was mustered out of the volunteer service on January 15, 1866 On April 10, 1866, 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 Long for appointment to the brevet grade of brigadier general in the Regular Army of the United States, to rank from March 13, 1865, for gallantry at the Battle of Selma, and the U.S. Senate confirmed the appointment on May 4, 1866. On July 17, 1866, President Andrew Johnson nominated Long for appointment to the brevet grade of major general in the Regular Army, to rank from March 13, 1865, for his services during the war, and the U.S. Senate confirmed the appointment on July 23, 1866.Eicher, 2001, p. 708 After recovering from the wound suffered at the Battle of Selma, Long was assigned to command the Military District of New Jersey. Long retired from the U.S. Army with the full rank of major general, USA, on August 16, 1867.Eicher, 2001, p. 702Adjutant-General's Office, United States. Military Secretary's Dept., ''Index of General Orders, Adjutant General's Office'' Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1875
/ref> He then lived in
Plainfield, New Jersey Plainfield is a City (New Jersey), city in Union County, New Jersey, Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Nicknamed "The Queen City",
, earning a living as a lawyer and borough recorder. He died on January 5, 1903, after an operation in a New York City hospital. Eli Long is buried in Hillside Cemetery at Plainfield.


See also

*
List of American Civil War generals (Union) Union generals __NOTOC__ The following list shows the names of substantive, full grade general officers (Regular U.S. Army or U.S. Volunteers) effectively appointed, nominated, confirmed and commissioned (by signed and sealed document) who s ...


Notes


References

* 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. .
Adjutant-General's Office, United States. Military Secretary's Dept., ''Index of General Orders, Adjutant General's Office'' Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1875
* Warner, Ezra J. ''Generals in Blue: Lives of the Union Commanders.'' Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1964. . ;Attribution * {{DEFAULTSORT:Long, Eli 1837 births 1903 deaths People from Woodford County, Kentucky Union army generals People of Ohio in the American Civil War Burials at Hillside Cemetery (Scotch Plains, New Jersey) Phi Delta Theta members