John Garland (November 15, 1793June 5, 1861) was an American general in the

Regular Army A regular army is the official army of a state or country (the official armed forces), contrasting with irregular forces, such as volunteer irregular militias, private armies, mercenaries, etc. A regular army usually has the following: * a ...

who had a long and distinguished career spanning fifty years of service during the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...

Seminole Wars The Seminole Wars (also known as the Florida Wars) were a series of three military conflicts between the United States and the Seminoles that took place in Florida between about 1816 and 1858. The Seminoles are a Native American nation which co ...

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, ...

, Utah War and very briefly into 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 and career

Garland was 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 ...

to Hudson Martin and Elizabeth Penn (''née'' Phillips) Garland. His mother was the grandniece of

William Penn William Penn ( – ) was an English writer, religious thinker, and influential Quakers, Quaker who founded the Province of Pennsylvania during the British colonization of the Americas, British colonial era. An advocate of democracy and religi ...

. One of his brothers was James Garland. He joined the U.S. Army during the War of 1812 and by 1813 was a

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 ...

. He served throughout the war in the 35th Infantry and was transferred to the 3rd Infantry at the war's close. He stayed in the army serving in the quartermaster's department. He fought under General William J. Worth in the Seminole Wars in northern and central

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

Mexico

Northern Mexico

Garland was promoted to lieutenant colonel of the 4th U.S. Infantry on May 7, 1839. He fought under

Zachary Taylor Zachary Taylor (November 24, 1784 – July 9, 1850) was an American military officer and politician who was the 12th president of the United States, serving from 1849 until his death in 1850. Taylor was a career officer in the United States ...

at the battles of

Palo Alto Palo Alto ( ; Spanish language, Spanish for ) is a charter city in northwestern Santa Clara County, California, United States, in the San Francisco Bay Area, named after a Sequoia sempervirens, coastal redwood tree known as El Palo Alto. Th ...

and Resaca de la Palma. During this time he commanded a second lieutenant U.S. Grant. For services in these two battles, he was brevetted to full

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 commanded a

brigade A brigade is a major tactical military unit, military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute ...

of regulars in David E. Twiggs' division of the Army of Occupation. At the Battle of Monterrey, Garland temporarily led the division in the initial attack on the city as General Twiggs had taken an overdose of a laxative before the battle.

Central Mexico

Garland joined

Winfield Scott Winfield Scott (June 13, 1786May 29, 1866) was an American military commander and political candidate. He served as Commanding General of the United States Army from 1841 to 1861, and was a veteran of the War of 1812, American Indian Wars, Mexica ...

's army and, for the second time in his career, he was serving under William Worth, who was now his division commander. Garland fought at the battles of

Veracruz Veracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave, is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entit ...

, Battle of Cerro Gordo, Contreras and Churubusco. For his distinguished services in the last two battles, he was appointed brevet brigadier general of regulars. He led his brigade at the Battle of Molino del Rey and in the attack on Chapultepec. He had survived the war thus far without any serious injury, but when he marched his brigade into fallen Mexico City, he was hit in the chest by a Mexican

sharpshooter A sharpshooter is one who is highly proficient at firing firearms or other projectile weapons accurately. Military units composed of sharpshooters were important factors in 19th-century combat. Along with " marksman" and "expert", "sharpshooter" ...

and severely wounded.

Utah War and Civil War

He recovered and returned to duty in the army, being made colonel of the 8th U.S. Infantry in May 1849. In 1848

James Longstreet James Longstreet (January 8, 1821January 2, 1904) was a General officers in the Confederate States Army, Confederate general during the American Civil War and was the principal subordinate to General Robert E. Lee, who called him his "Old War Ho ...

married Garland's daughter and named his firstborn son ''John Garland Longstreet'' in honor of his father-in-law. Garland was in command of a military district that dealt with the Utah War in 1857–58. He was still on active duty in the Regular Army when the

broke out in 1861. He stayed loyal to the Union, despite being from Virginia and his close ties with

, who soon became a prominent Confederate general. His services to the North were short lived however, as he died on June 5, 1861, in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

while still on active duty. Garland was interred at Oak Hill Cemetery in Washington, D.C. His nephew, Samuel Garland, Jr., served as a Confederate general and was killed at the

Battle of South Mountain The Battle of South Mountain, known in several early Southern United States, Southern accounts as the Battle of Boonsboro Gap, was fought on September 14, 1862, as part of the Maryland campaign of the American Civil War. Three pitched battles ...

in 1862.

Honors

Fort Garland in Colorado was named for him.

References

* Eicher, John H., and Eicher, David J., ''Civil War High Commands'', Stanford University Press, 2001, {{DEFAULTSORT:Garland, John 1793 births 1861 deaths United States Army colonels United States Army personnel of the War of 1812 American military personnel of the Mexican–American War American people of the Seminole Wars People_of_the_Utah_War People of Virginia in the American Civil War Military personnel from Virginia Union army colonels Burials at Oak Hill Cemetery (Washington, D.C.)