Frederick Townsend (September 21, 1825 – September 11, 1897) was a Union officer in 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 founded and was Colonel of the

3rd New York Infantry Regiment The 3rd New York Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It is also known as the Albany Regiment. Organization The 3rd New York organized at Albany, received its numerical designati ...

, and later served with the US Army's 18th and 9th Infantry regiments, where he was

brevetted In military terminology, a brevet ( or ) is a warrant which gives commissioned officers a higher military rank as a reward without necessarily conferring the authority and privileges granted by that rank. The promotion would be noted in the of ...

a brigadier general. Townsend served three terms as

Adjutant General of New York The Adjutant General of New York is the highest-ranking military official in the New York National Guard as the state adjutant general. The adjutant general is part of the state government's executive branch, and serves as head of the New Yo ...

from 1857 to 1861, and again in 1880.

Early life

Frederick Townsend was born in

Albany, New York Albany ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It is located on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River. Albany is the oldes ...

on September 21, 1825 to Isaiah and Hannah Townsend. He was the grandson of

Solomon Townsend Solomon Townsend (1746 – March 27, 1811) was a merchant ship's captain prior to the American Revolution, owned an ironworks in New York State, and was a representative to the New York State Legislature. Stranded in London following the outbrea ...

, a ship's captain during the

American Revolution The American Revolution (1765–1783) was a colonial rebellion and war of independence in which the Thirteen Colonies broke from British America, British rule to form the United States of America. The revolution culminated in the American ...

, and great-grandson of Samuel Townsend a member of the New York provincial congress and of the committee appointed to prepare a form of government for the state of New York. He descended from the immigrants

Henry Townsend Henry Townsend may refer to: * Henry Townsend (Norwich) (1626–1695), early American colonist born in Norwich, Norfolk, England * Henry Townsend (Oyster Bay) (1649–1703), American colonist born in Oyster Bay * Henry Townsend (missionary) (1815� ...

and Henry's brother

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

who immigrated to New Amsterdam from England by 1642, then moved to Warwick, RI for a decade before settling at Jamaica on Long Island NY, and by 1660/1 had moved to Oyster Bay Long Island. Townsend had 6 brothers and 3 sisters. There was a strong military bent in the family, as one brother, Franklin Townsend was Adjutant General of New York from 1869 to 1873, and another,

Robert The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of ''Hrōþ, Hruod'' () "fame, glory, honour, prais ...

served in the

U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest displacement, at 4.5 million tons in 2021. It has the world's largest aircraft ...

, both on the side of the Union. His sister Mary, on the other hand, married General William H.T. Walker of the Confederate Army. Frederick attended

The Albany Academy Albany Academy is an independent college preparatory day school in Albany, New York. It enrolls students from Prekindergaten (age 4) to Grade 12. It was established in 1813 by a charter signed by Mayor Philip Schuyler Van Rensselaer and the cit ...

and Bartlett Collegiate School at

Poughkeepsie, New York Poughkeepsie ( ) is a city within the Poughkeepsie (town), New York, Town of Poughkeepsie, New York (state), New York. It is the county seat of Dutchess County, New York, Dutchess County, with a 2020 census population of 31,577. Poughkeepsie i ...

and was graduated from

Union College Union College is a Private university, private liberal arts college in Schenectady, New York, United States. Founded in 1795, it was the first institution of higher learning chartered by the New York State Board of Regents, and second in the s ...

, which he entered at age 15, with an A.B. degree in 1844. He studied law under John V. L. Pruyn and was admitted to the bar in 1849 and practiced in Albany. That year gold was discovered in California. Townsend was equipped by his grandmother with equipment and an aide to seek his fortune on the Pacific coast. After being given up for dead following a long period of no news, Frederick returned to Albany with tales of being captured by Indians and surviving a tornado. He also carried a single nugget of the precious metal which he gave his grandmother who preserved it as a family treasure.

Military career

Returning home he was made captain of Company B of the Washington Continentals of Albany. He organized the 76th regiment of militia of which he was colonel, and later on the Albany Zouave cadets. He was appointed by Governor

John Alsop King John Alsop King (January 3, 1788July 7, 1867) was an American politician who was the twentieth governor of New York from 1857 to 1858. He was the 1st Republican governor of New York. Life King was born in the area now encompassed by New York C ...

in 1857 Adjutant general of the state of New York, leading Townsend to end his law practice. Finding the militia to be less than it should be, he significantly reordered it. He prepared an annual report to the legislature from this department for the first time. Additionally he improved the conditions of the citizen soldiers and increased their numbers to 12,000 effective men. Townsend's efforts were recognized as effective and he was reappointed by the next governor of the state, Governor Edwin D. Morgan in 1859. In 1861, he organized the

3rd New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment The 3rd New York Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It is also known as the Albany Regiment. Organization The 3rd New York organized at Albany, received its numerical designat ...

of which he was commissioned colonel and which he led in the

Battle of Big Bethel The Battle of Big Bethel, also known as the Battle of Bethel Church or Great Bethel, was one of the earliest, if not the first, land battle of the American Civil War. It took place on the Virginia Peninsula, near Newport News, on June 10, 1861 ...

on June 10, 1861. Townsend's unit suffered 21 wounded from friendly fire when the

7th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment The 7th New York Infantry Regiment, later reorganized at the 7th Veteran Infantry Regiment, was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It was composed almost entirely of German immigrants and is also kn ...

mistook them for Confederates and opened fire. He was appointed 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 ...

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 ...

in the

18th U.S. Infantry The 18th Infantry Regiment ("Vanguards") is an infantry regiment of the United States Army. The regiment currently exists with one active battalion, under the U.S. Army Regimental System; regimental designation is used only for historical trad ...

on August 19, 1861, and served under Generals

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 ...

and

William Rosecrans William Starke Rosecrans (September 6, 1819March 11, 1898) was an American inventor, coal-oil company executive, diplomat, politician, and U.S. Army officer. He gained fame for his role as a Union general during the American Civil War. He was ...

. Townsend took part in the Battle of Lick Creek, Mississippi, where he led the battalion in reconnaissance. On April 30 he took part in the

Siege of Corinth The siege of Corinth, also known as the first battle of Corinth, was an American Civil War engagement lasting from April 29 to May 30, 1862, in Corinth, Mississippi. A collection of Union forces under the overall command of Major General Henry H ...

and in the

Battle of Perryville The Battle of Perryville, also known as the Battle of Chaplin Hills, was fought on October 8, 1862, in the Chaplin Hills west of Perryville, Kentucky, as the culmination of the Confederate Heartland Offensive (Kentucky Campaign) during the Ame ...

, Kentucky on October 8, 1862, which has been called one of the bloodiest of the Civil War given the number of soldiers engaged.''The Civil War Battlefield Guide'' p. 127 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 ...

on December 31, 1862, with all the senior officers of the regular brigade having been shot except the brigade commander, Townsend was placed in command of the left wing of the brigade. The loss of his brigade in the fight was 94 killed 497 wounded and 50 missing. Townsend was then brevetted lieutenant colonel, colonel, and brigadier general in the regular Army. In 1863, he was posted to duty as acting assistant provost marshal general at Albany. On April 20, 1864, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel. In 1867 after a leave of absence in Europe, he was made acting assistant inspector general of the department of California from which he inspected all the government posts in Arizona. He resigned his commission in 1868 and returned to Albany. He was appointed brigadier general of 9th Brigade of the state militia in 1878 and adjutant general of the state in 1880 under Gov. Alonzo B. Cornell. As part of a commission to revise the military code in the state, Townsend undertook to restructure the state forces, resulting in a disbanding of a number of regiments, including his former command, the 9th Brigade, accompanied by a downsizing of the officer corps. Along with the painful downsizing and restructuring of the militia, he successfully urged the adoption of a state service uniform and a state military camp, which later came to be named

Camp Townsend Camp Smith is a military installation of the New York Army National Guard in Cortlandt Manor, in the Cortlandt, New York, Town of Cortlandt, near Peekskill, New York, about north of New York City, at the northern border of Westchester County, New ...

, (now Camp Smith) in Peekskill.

Other activities

Townsend was a member of a number of military organizations including: * The Society of the Army of the Cumberland * The Grand Army of the Republic * The Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States He was nominated by the 1880 Republican state convention to serve as a presidential elector, and he cast his vote for

James A. Garfield James Abram Garfield (November 19, 1831 – September 19, 1881) was the 20th president of the United States, serving from March 1881 until his death in September that year after being shot two months earlier. A preacher, lawyer, and Civi ...

on November 9, 1880.

Directorships

Gen Townsend has been a director of: * Trustee of

Vassar College Vassar College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Poughkeepsie, New York, United States. Founded in 1861 by Matthew Vassar, it was the second degree-granting institution of higher education for women in the United States. The college be ...

* New York National Bank * Albany & Bethlehem Turnpike Company * Albany Orphan Asylum *

Dudley Observatory Dudley Observatory is an astronomical education non-profit located since 2019 in Loudonville, New York and is the oldest non-academic institution of astronomical research in America. It was formerly located in Albany, New York (1856–1973) and Sch ...

Family

In 1863, Townsend married Sarah Rathbone of Albany on 19 November 1863. Together they had children: * Annie Martin Townsend (1866–1881) died at age 15 * Sarah Rathbone Townsend (1868-1930) married Gerrit Yates Lansing * Frederick Townsend (1871–1949) President of Albany Savings Bank * Joel Rathbone Townsend (1879-1879)

Death

Townsend died from lung disease at the Wayside Inn in

Lake Luzerne, New York Lake Luzerne, formerly the Town of Fairfield and then Luzerne, is a town in southern Warren County, New York, United States. The town is located within the Adirondack Park. The town is part of the Glens Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area. Lake ...

on September 11, 1897, and is buried at the

Albany Rural Cemetery The Albany Rural Cemetery was established October 7, 1844, in Menands, New York, United States, just outside the city of Albany, New York. It is renowned as one of the most beautiful, pastoral cemeteries in the U.S., at over . Many historical ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Townsend, Franklin 1825 births 1897 deaths Townsend family American people of English descent The Albany Academy alumni Union College (New York) alumni Lawyers from Albany, New York Military personnel from Albany, New York Adjutants General of New York (state) American militia generals People of New York (state) in the American Civil War Union army colonels United States Army officers Deaths from lung disease Burials at Albany Rural Cemetery