Joseph Bradford Carr (August 16, 1828 – February 24, 1895)Eicher, p. 165. was a general in the Union Army 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 ...

Early life

Carr was born in

Albany, New York Albany ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It is located on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River. Albany is the oldes ...

, the son of Irish immigrants, and worked as a tobacconist. While living in

Troy, New York Troy is a city in and the county seat of Rensselaer County, New York, United States. It is located on the western edge of the county, on the eastern bank of the Hudson River just northeast of the capital city of Albany, New York, Albany. At the ...

, he became interested in military affairs and by 1861 was a

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 ...

in the New York militia.Warner, pp. 71-72.

Civil War

At the start of the war, Carr was instrumental in the recruitment of the 2nd New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment and was appointed its colonel on May 14, 1861. Assigned to Fort Monroe, Virginia, the regiment took part in the engagement at Big Bethel. Carr served in the

Army of the Potomac The Army of the Potomac was the primary field army of the Union army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. It was created in July 1861 shortly after the First Battle of Bull Run and was disbanded in June 1865 following the Battle of ...

throughout the

Peninsula Campaign The Peninsula campaign (also known as the Peninsular campaign) of the American Civil War was a major Union operation launched in southeastern Virginia from March to July 1862, the first large-scale offensive in the Eastern Theater. The oper ...

and

Seven Days Battles The Seven Days Battles were a series of seven battles over seven days from June 25 to July 1, 1862, near Richmond, Virginia, during the American Civil War. Confederate States Army, Confederate General Robert E. Lee drove the invading Union Army ...

as well as the Northern Virginia Campaign. As a brigade commander in the III Corps, General Carr participated in the battles of Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville (commanding a division during a part of the latter after the death of Hiram Berry). Carr was promoted to brigadier general on September 7, 1862, for gallantry at Malvern Hill, but this promotion was plagued by procedural difficulties. His first appointment was returned to the president on February 12, 1863. He was reappointed on March 30, 1863, but the United States Senate failed to confirm the commission in the session in which he was nominated and it expired on March 30, 1864. He was renominated on April 9, 1864, and confirmed on June 30, 1864, with a date of rank of March 30, 1863. He was distinguished for gallantry at Gettysburg, where he was wounded and his men stubbornly held their ground near the Peach Orchard. He commanded the 3rd Division of III Corps in the autumn campaigns of 1863. Because of the difficulties with his brigadier general appointment, he was technically junior to his own subordinate brigade commanders and on May 2, 1864, Lt. Gen.

Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was the 18th president of the United States, serving from 1869 to 1877. In 1865, as Commanding General of the United States Army, commanding general, Grant led the Uni ...

reassigned Carr to the Army of the James under Maj. Gen. Benjamin Butler. Carr commanded a division of African-American soldiers in the XVIII Corps and briefly commanded the Defenses of Yorktown in the Department of Virginia and North Carolina. On March 13, 1865, Carr was appointed a brevet major general of volunteers, and he was mustered out of the volunteer service on August 24.

Postbellum career and death

After the close of the war, Carr became a manufacturer in

, then a Republican politician for

New York State New York, also called New York State, is a state in the northeastern United States. Bordered by New England to the east, Canada to the north, and Pennsylvania and New Jersey to the south, its territory extends into both the Atlantic Ocean and ...

. He served as

Secretary of State of New York The secretary of state of New York is a cabinet officer in the government of the U.S. state of New York who leads the Department of State (NYSDOS). The current secretary of state of New York is Walter T. Mosley, a Democrat. Duties The secr ...

from 1880 to 1885, elected in 1879, 1881, and

1883 Events January * January 4 – ''Life'' magazine is founded in Los Angeles, California, United States. * January 10 – A fire at the Newhall Hotel in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States, kills 73 people. * January 16 – ...

. In 1885, he ran on the Republican ticket for

Lieutenant Governor of New York The lieutenant governor of New York is a Constitution of New York, constitutional office in the executive branch of the Government of the State of New York. It is the second highest-ranking official in state government. The lieutenant governo ...

with Ira Davenport, but was defeated by Democrat Edward F. Jones. Carr died in Troy, New York, and is buried there in Oakwood Cemetery. Actress

Laura Prepon Laura Prepon ( ; born March 7, 1980) is an American actress and television director. She rose to fame with her role as Donna Pinciotti in the Fox sitcom ''That '70s Show'' (1998–2006). She is also known for portraying Alex Vause in the Net ...

is his great-great-great granddaughter.OBITUARIES / Natalie Carr Hoisington, 84 Newsday, 1999

Notes

References

* Eicher, John H., and David J. Eicher. ''Civil War High Commands''. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2001. . * Warner, Ezra J. ''Generals in Blue: Lives of the Union Commanders''. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1964. . {{DEFAULTSORT:Carr, Joseph Bradford 1828 births 1895 deaths People of New York (state) in the American Civil War Secretaries of state of New York (state) Union army generals Military personnel from Albany, New York New York (state) Republicans 19th-century American politicians Burials at Oakwood Cemetery (Troy, New York)

Early life

Civil War

Postbellum career and death

See also

Notes

References