George Hull Ward (April 26, 1826 – July 3, 1863) was a

soldier A soldier is a person who is a member of an army. A soldier can be a Conscription, conscripted or volunteer Enlisted rank, enlisted person, a non-commissioned officer, a warrant officer, or an Officer (armed forces), officer. Etymology The wo ...

and 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 ...

Early life

Ward was born in

Worcester, Massachusetts Worcester ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Massachusetts, second-most populous city in the U.S. state of Massachusetts and the list of United States cities by population, 113th most populous city in the United States. Named after Worcester ...

, and educated in the

common school A common school was a public school in the United States during the 19th century. Horace Mann (1796–1859) was a strong advocate for public education and the common school. In 1837, the state of Massachusetts appointed Mann as the first secretar ...

s. He married Emily E. Mayo on June 5, 1851. In 1852, Ward rose to command the Worcester City Guards, a local

militia A militia ( ) is a military or paramilitary force that comprises civilian members, as opposed to a professional standing army of regular, full-time military personnel. Militias may be raised in times of need to support regular troops or se ...

company.

Civil War

With the outbreak of the Civil War, Ward enlisted in the Union Army. On July 24, 1861, he was mustered into the 15th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry with the rank of lieutenant colonel to fill an original vacancy. On October 21, 1861, he was wounded in action at the Battle of Ball's Bluff and his left foot was amputated. In 1862, Ward was promoted to the rank of

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 ...

, and in 1863, he commanded the 15th Massachusetts, which was part of the 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, II Corps in the Army of the Potomac. On July 2, 1863, during the

Battle of Gettysburg The Battle of Gettysburg () was a three-day battle in the American Civil War, which was fought between the Union and Confederate armies between July 1 and July 3, 1863, in and around Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle, won by the Union, ...

, Ward's regiment was heavily engaged on the Union left-center along Cemetery Ridge and Colonel Ward, along with 36 others, was mortally wounded. He died the following day and is buried in the

Rural Cemetery A rural cemetery or garden cemetery is a style of cemetery that became popular in the United States and Europe in the mid-19th century due to the overcrowding and health concerns of urban cemeteries, which tended to be churchyards. Rural cemeter ...

, Worcester.Eicher, John H., and Eicher, David J., ''Civil War High Commands'', Stanford University Press, 2001,

In memoriam

On July 17, 1868, Ward was posthumously appointed to the rank of brevet brigadier general, ranking from July 2, 1863, for "gallant and meritorious services in the battle of Ball's Bluff, VA, October 21, 1861, and in the battle of Gettysburg, PA, where he was killed." Fort Ward on Bainbridge Island, Washington was named in his honor. A small stone monument in the Gettysburg Battlefield marks the approximate location where Ward was struck by the fatal shell fragment.

References

External links

* 1826 births 1863 deaths Military personnel from Worcester, Massachusetts Union army colonels People of Massachusetts in the American Civil War Union military personnel killed in the American Civil War Burials at Rural Cemetery (Worcester, Massachusetts) {{AmericanCivilWar-bio-stub

Early life

Civil War

In memoriam

See also

References

External links