Horace Brooks (August 14, 1814 – January 13, 1894) was an officer in the

Regular Regular may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * "Regular" (Badfinger song) * Regular tunings of stringed instruments, tunings with equal intervals between the paired notes of successive open strings Other uses * Regular character, ...

Army of the United States from 1835 – 1877. After graduating the

United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), commonly known as West Point, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York that educates cadets for service as Officer_(armed_forces)#United_States, comm ...

at West Point, he served in the

Second Seminole War The Second Seminole War, also known as the Florida War, was a conflict from 1835 to 1842 in Florida between the United States and groups of people collectively known as Seminoles, consisting of Muscogee, Creek and Black Seminoles as well as oth ...

. During the

Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War (Spanish language, Spanish: ''guerra de Estados Unidos-México, guerra mexicano-estadounidense''), also known in the United States as the Mexican War, and in Mexico as the United States intervention in Mexico, ...

he was promoted to the rank of

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 ...

and brevetted temporarily to the rank of lieutenant colonel. 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 served in command of artillery batteries at various forts and was eventually placed in command of the 4th United States Artillery Regiment with 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 ...

. At the close of the civil war, he was awarded the honorary grade of brevet brigadier general. He continued his career as a soldier after the Civil War, remaining in command of the 4th U.S. Artillery until his retirement in 1877.Bowen, 891–892.

Early service

Born in Boston, Brooks was sponsored in his early military career by the

Marquis de Lafayette Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier de La Fayette, Marquis de La Fayette (; 6 September 1757 – 20 May 1834), known in the United States as Lafayette (), was a French military officer and politician who volunteered to join the Conti ...

who was a friend of the family of his mother, poet Maria Gowen Brooks.Seaver, 24. Nominated by Lafayette, Brooks entered West Point on July 1, 1831 and graduated in 1835. He was appointed second lieutenant and assigned to the 2nd United States Artillery Regiment. Just months after graduating, Brooks saw combat when his regiment was deployed to Florida during the Second Seminole War. As part of a small force under the command of Brig. Gen.

Duncan Lamont Clinch Duncan Lamont Clinch (April 6, 1787 – December 4, 1849) was an American army officer and slave-plantation owner who served as a commander during the War of 1812, and First and Second Seminole Wars. In 1816, he led an attack on Negro Fort, th ...

, Brooks participated in the Battle of Withlacoochee against the Seminole during which he was commended by Clinch for his bravery. Following this action, Brooks served as Clinch's

adjutant Adjutant is a military appointment given to an Officer (armed forces), officer who assists the commanding officer with unit administration, mostly the management of “human resources” in an army unit. The term is used in French-speaking armed ...

and was brevetted

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 ...

for his service. Brooks served in the Mexican–American War from 1846 to 1848, achieving the official rank of captain and the brevet rank of lieutenant colonel. During the years leading up to the Civil War, he was in command of the light

battery Battery or batterie most often refers to: * Electric battery, a device that provides electrical power * Battery (crime), a crime involving unlawful physical contact Battery may also refer to: Energy source * Battery indicator, a device whic ...

school at

Fort Leavenworth Fort Leavenworth () is a United States Army installation located in Leavenworth County, Kansas, in the city of Leavenworth, Kansas, Leavenworth. Built in 1827, it is the second oldest active United States Army post west of Washington, D.C., an ...

in Kansas.

Civil War

In February 1861, with hostilities increasing and the prospect of Civil War imminent, Capt. Brooks's battery was transferred to

Fort McHenry Fort McHenry is a historical American Coastal defense and fortification, coastal bastion fort, pentagonal bastion fort on Locust Point, Baltimore, Locust Point, now a neighborhood of Baltimore, Maryland. It is best known for its role in the War ...

in Baltimore. He played an important role in readying the Fort for combat. In April, he was sent to

Fort Pickens Fort Pickens is a historic pentagonal United States military fort on Santa Rosa Island in the Pensacola, Florida, area. It is named after American Revolutionary War hero Andrew Pickens. It is the largest of four forts built to defend Pensacol ...

which was, at that time, threatened by

Confederate A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a political union of sovereign states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical issu ...

forces. In November 1861, the Trent Affair increased tensions between the United States and Great Britain and Brooks was transferred to Fort Jefferson in the Florida Keys to prepare for possible attack by the British. During 1861, Brooks was promoted twice, attaining the rank of lieutenant colonel by the end of the year. In 1862, Brooks became a superintendent of the recruiting service and was transferred to Ohio. On August 1, 1863, he was promoted to colonel and placed in command of the 4th U.S. Artillery Regiment. The regiment was assigned to the defenses of Washington, D.C. Brooks played a significant role in planning the overall defenses of the capitol. For meritorious service during the war, he was brevetted brigadier general, U.S. Army (Regular Army), by nomination of

President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal government of t ...

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 ...

on June 30, 1866 and confirmation by the U.S. Senate on July 25, 1866, to rank from March 13, 1865.Eicher, John H. and Eicher, David J., ''Civil War High Commands'', p. 732. Stanford University Press, Stanford, CA, 2001. .

Post-Civil War career

Brooks remained in command of the 4th U.S. Artillery Regiment after the Civil War. From 1872 to 1877 he commanded the

Presidio of San Francisco The Presidio of San Francisco (originally, El Presidio Real de San Francisco or The Royal Fortress of Saint Francis) is a park and former U.S. Army post on the northern tip of the San Francisco Peninsula in San Francisco, California, and is part ...

. In 1877, Brooks retired after 46 years of active service in the army.

Notes

References

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

External links