James Isham Gilbert (1823–1884) was a Union 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 ...

. He served with distinction in the Western theaters of the war as a regimental and brigade commander.

Biography

Early life

James Gilbert was born in

Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the List of cities in Kentucky, most populous city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, sixth-most populous city in the Southeastern United States, Southeast, and the list of United States cities by population, 27th-most-populous city ...

, on July 16, 1823. He moved to Illinois and then to Wisconsin where he worked as a lumberman, Indian trader and liveryman. He finally settled in Iowa in 1851 where he helped found the town of

Lansing Lansing () is the capital city of the U.S. state of Michigan. The most populous city in Ingham County, parts of the city extend into Eaton County and north into Clinton County. It is the sixth-most populous city in Michigan with a popul ...

Little Rock & Meridian

Gilbert joined the volunteer army later than many of his contemporaries, enlisting in October 1862. Nevertheless, he was appointed colonel of the

27th Iowa Volunteer Infantry Regiment The 27th Iowa Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Service The 27th Iowa Infantry was organized at Dubuque, Iowa and mustered in for three years of Federal service on October 3, ...

on October 3, 1862. Gilbert's regiment participated in

Frederick Steele Major General Frederick Steele (January 14, 1819 – January 12, 1868) was an American military officer who served in the Army in the Mexican-American War, Yuma War, and American Civil War. He is most noted for capturing the Arkansas state capi ...

's Little Rock Expedition but was not involved in any fighting. He was posted to garrison duty in

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the West South Central region of the Southern United States. It borders Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, Texas to the southwest, and Oklahoma ...

and then transferred to

Mississippi Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the s ...

where his regiment was attached to Andrew J. Smith's division in the XVI Corps during the

Meridian expedition The Meridian campaign or Meridian expedition took place from February 3 – March 6, 1864, from Vicksburg, Mississippi to Meridian, Mississippi, by the Union Army of the Tennessee, led by Maj. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman. Sherman captured ...

Red River & Tupelo

Gilbert and a detachment of the XVI Corps (known as the Right Wing-XVI Corps commanded by Smith) were transferred to the

Department of the Gulf The Department of the Gulf was a command of the United States Army in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and of the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War, Civil War. History United States Army (Civil War) Creation The ...

under

Nathaniel P. Banks Nathaniel Prentice (or Prentiss) Banks (January 30, 1816 – September 1, 1894) was an American politician from Massachusetts and a Union Army, Union general during the American Civil War, Civil War. A millworker, Banks became prominent in local ...

for the Red River Campaign. Gilbert won the commendation of his brigade commander, Colonel William T. Shaw, for his performance at the battles of Fort DeRussy and Pleasant Hill. At Pleasant Hill, Gilbert was wounded in the right hand. In June, 1864 Gilbert assumed command of the 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, XVI Corps and led it at the

battle of Tupelo The Battle of Tupelo, also known as the Battle of Harrisburg, was a battle of the American Civil War fought July 14–15, 1864, near Tupelo, Mississippi. The Union victory over Confederate forces in north Mississippi ensured the safety of She ...

. He briefly relinquished brigade command in late September but returned to command to take part in A.J. Smith's pursuit of Sterling Price through

Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...

Nashville & Mobile

On December 5, 1864, Gilbert was transferred to command of the 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division in Smith's detachment of the Army of the Tennessee (formerly XVI Corps) at the

battle of Nashville The Battle of Nashville was a two-day battle in the Franklin-Nashville Campaign that represented the end of large-scale fighting west of the coastal states in the American Civil War. It was fought at Nashville, Tennessee, on December 15–16, 18 ...

. There, Gilbert's brigade took part in the Union assault on Shy's Hill the second day of the battle. On February 9, 1865, Gilbert was promoted to brigadier general of U.S. volunteers. Smith's corps was officially re-designated XVI Corps and transferred to

Edward Canby Edward Richard Sprigg Canby (November 9, 1817 – April 11, 1873) was a career United States Army officer and a Union general in the American Civil War. He served as a military governor after the war. In 1861–1862, Canby commanded the Depart ...

Army of West Mississippi The Army of West Mississippi was a Union army that served in the Western Theater of the American Civil War. It was virtually the same force as the Army of the Gulf, but was renamed when it became a part of the Military Division of West Mississi ...

outside

Mobile, Alabama Mobile ( , ) is a city and the county seat of Mobile County, Alabama, United States. The population was 187,041 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. After a successful vote to annex areas west of the city limits in July 2023, Mobil ...

. Gilbert continued in command of his brigade and took part in the

battle of Fort Blakeley The Battle of Fort Blakeley took place from April 2 to April 9, 1865, in Baldwin County, Alabama, about north of Spanish Fort, Alabama, as part of the Mobile Campaign of the American Civil War. At the time, Blakeley, Alabama, had been the count ...

. For his service in the Mobile campaign he was brevetted to Major General of U.S. volunteers backdated to March 26, 1865.Eicher p.254 Gilbert was mustered out of volunteers on August 24, 1865.

Later life

After the war Gilbert returned to Iowa and continued his career as a lumberman. For a time he went to Colorado as a miner then moved to Kansas to become president of the Topeka Coal Economizing Company. General Gilbert died on February 9, 1884, in Topeka, Kansas. He is buried at Aspen Grove Cemetery in Burlington, Iowa.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gilbert, James Isham 1823 births 1884 deaths Union army generals Military personnel from Louisville, Kentucky People from Allamakee County, Iowa People from Topeka, Kansas Businesspeople from Kansas People of Kentucky in the American Civil War People of Iowa in the American Civil War