John Dunlap Stevenson (June 8, 1821 – January 22, 1897) was an American attorney, politician, and soldier in the

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of the United Stat ...

in two wars. He was a brigadier general of

volunteers Volunteering is an elective and freely chosen act of an individual or group giving their time and labor, often for community service. Many volunteers are specifically trained in the areas they work, such as medicine, education, or emergenc ...

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 ...

. In 1866 he was nominated and confirmed for appointment as brevet major general of volunteers.

Biography

Stevenson was born at

Staunton, Virginia Staunton ( ) is an independent city (United States), independent city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 25,750. In Virginia, independent cities a ...

on June 8, 1821.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. 510. After attending the College of South Carolina, he began practicing law in

Franklin County, Missouri Franklin County is located in the U.S. state of Missouri. At the 2020 census, the population was 104,682. Its county seat is Union. The county was organized in 1818 and is named after Founding Father Benjamin Franklin. Franklin County is p ...

, in 1842. He served as a company commander in the 1st Missouri Mounted Volunteers, starting June 27, 1846, during Brigadier General

Stephen Kearny Stephen Watts Kearny (sometimes spelled Kearney) ( ) (August 30, 1794October 31, 1848) was one of the foremost antebellum frontier officers of the United States Army. He is remembered for his significant contributions in the Mexican–American Wa ...

's invasion of the

New Mexico Territory The Territory of New Mexico was an organized incorporated territory of the United States from September 9, 1850, until January 6, 1912. It was created from the U.S. provisional government of New Mexico, as a result of '' Nuevo México'' becomi ...

in 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, ...

. Stevenson was mustered out of the volunteers on June 24, 1847. Stevenson later became a member of the Missouri state legislature. Even though he had been born in

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

and had graduated from college in South Carolina, he became a strong supporter of the Union cause. Stevenson entered the service in the Union Army as

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

7th Missouri Volunteer Infantry The 7th Missouri Infantry Regiment, commonly known as the "Irish Seventh", was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. In 1864 a battalion of veteran volunteers of the "Irish Seventh was consolidated with ...

Regiment. He soon had temporary command of brigades in the

Army of the Tennessee The Army of the Tennessee was a Union Army, Union army in the Western Theater of the American Civil War, named for the Tennessee River. A 2005 study of the army states that it "was present at most of the great battles that became turning points ...

. On March 13, 1863,

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 ...

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 Stevenson brigadier general of volunteers in the Union Army, to rank from November 29, 1862.Eicher, John H., and

, ''Civil War High Commands''. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2001. . p. 729. Lincoln nominated Stevenson for the appointment on March 4, 1863, and the

United States Senate The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...

confirmed the appointment on March 11, 1863. Because of a change in the rank date, which was initially to be on December 24, 1862, Lincoln submitted the nomination again on December 12, 1864, and the U.S. Senate confirmed the appointment on March 14, 1865. Stevenson resigned from the army as a brigadier general on April 22, 1864, but was recommissioned to rank from November 29, 1862, on August 7, 1864. He served in the Department of West Virginia thereafter. Stevenson commanded the 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division, XVII Corps, referred to as the "Irish Brigade" during the

Vicksburg Campaign The Vicksburg campaigns were a series of maneuvers and battles in the Western Theater of the American Civil War directed against Vicksburg, Mississippi, a fortress city that dominated the last Confederate-controlled section of the Mississippi ...

. He is most famous for making a charge at the

Battle of Champion Hill The Battle of Champion Hill (aka Champion's Hill) of May 16, 1863, was the pivotal battle in the Vicksburg Campaign of the American Civil War (1861–1865). Union Army commander Major General Ulysses S. Grant and the Army of the Tennes ...

which broke the

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 ...

left flank. On March 26, 1867,

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 ...

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 Stevenson for appointment as a brevet brigadier general in the

Regular Army (United States) The Regular Army of the United States succeeded the Continental Army as the country's permanent, professional land-based military force. In modern times, the professional core of the United States Army continues to be called the Regular Army (of ...

, to rank from March 2, 1867, and the United States Senate confirmed the appointment on April 5, 1867, for his service at Champion Hill. Stevenson participated in the subsequent siege and mine explosion at Vicksburg. He later commanded the District of

Corinth Corinth ( ; , ) is a municipality in Corinthia in Greece. The successor to the ancient Corinth, ancient city of Corinth, it is a former municipality in Corinthia, Peloponnese (region), Peloponnese, which is located in south-central Greece. Sin ...

. Stevenson was mustered out of the volunteers on January 15, 1866. On February 24, 1866,

nominated Stevenson for appointment to the grade of brevet major general of volunteers, to rank from March 13, 1865, and the

confirmed the appointment on May 4, 1866.Eicher, 2001, p. 715. Stevenson was commissioned a

in the

and appointed to command the 30th U.S. Infantry Regiment, July 28, 1866. He was unassigned March 15, 1869. He was assigned to the 25th U.S. Infantry, December 15, 1870 and discharged from the regular army December 31, 1870. He returned to the practice law after his discharge from the army. John D. Stevenson died in

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an Independent city (United States), independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Miss ...

on January 22, 1897, and was buried at

Bellefontaine Cemetery Bellefontaine Cemetery is a nonprofit, non-denominational cemetery and arboretum in St. Louis, Missouri. Founded in 1849 as a rural cemetery, Bellefontaine has several architecturally significant monuments and mausoleums such as the Louis Su ...

, St. Louis. File:Sword Presented to Brig. Gen. John Dunlap Stevenson.jpg, Sword presented to Stevenson by his old regiment in 1863. File:21-32-243-stevenson-cropped.jpg, Bronze relief portrait of Stevenson by T.A.R. Kitson at

Vicksburg National Military Park Vicksburg National Military Park preserves the site of the American Civil War Battle of Vicksburg, waged from March 29 to July 4, 1863. The park, located in Vicksburg, Mississippi, flanking the Mississippi River, also commemorates the greater ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Stevenson, John D. 1821 births 1897 deaths 19th-century American legislators American military personnel of the Mexican–American War People of Missouri in the American Civil War Union army generals United States Army colonels Missouri lawyers Members of the Missouri House of Representatives People from Virginia University of South Carolina alumni 19th-century American lawyers 19th-century Missouri politicians

Biography

See also

References

External links