Joseph P. Sanger (May 4, 1840 – March 15, 1926) was a career officer in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, 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 th ...

. A Union Army veteran of 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 ...

, after the war he served as an aide-de-camp for generals

Emory Upton Emory Upton (August 27, 1839 – March 15, 1881) was a United States Army general and military strategist, prominent for his role in leading infantry to attack entrenched positions successfully at the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House during th ...

and

John Schofield John McAllister Schofield (; September 29, 1831 – March 4, 1906) was an American soldier who held major commands during the American Civil War. He was appointed U.S. Secretary of War (1868–1869) under President Andrew Johnson and later serve ...

, and was secretary and military assistant for President

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 ...

and President

Benjamin Harrison Benjamin Harrison (August 20, 1833March 13, 1901) was the 23rd president of the United States, serving from 1889 to 1893. He was a member of the Harrison family of Virginia—a grandson of the ninth president, William Henry Harrison, and a ...

. He was very good friends with

John Hay John Milton Hay (October 8, 1838July 1, 1905) was an American statesman and official whose career in government stretched over almost half a century. Beginning as a Secretary to the President of the United States, private secretary for Abraha ...

, Secretary of State under

William McKinley William McKinley (January 29, 1843September 14, 1901) was the 25th president of the United States, serving from 1897 until Assassination of William McKinley, his assassination in 1901. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Repub ...

and

Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. (October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), also known as Teddy or T.R., was the 26th president of the United States, serving from 1901 to 1909. Roosevelt previously was involved in New York (state), New York politics, incl ...

. After service in

Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...

during the

Spanish–American War The Spanish–American War (April 21 – August 13, 1898) was fought between Restoration (Spain), Spain and the United States in 1898. It began with the sinking of the USS Maine (1889), USS ''Maine'' in Havana Harbor in Cuba, and resulted in the ...

, in 1903, he was assigned to supervise the first census of the

Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...

following the end of the

Philippine–American War The Philippine–American War, known alternatively as the Philippine Insurrection, Filipino–American War, or Tagalog Insurgency, emerged following the conclusion of the Spanish–American War in December 1898 when the United States annexed th ...

. Sanger attained the rank of major general, and retired in January 1904. Sanger was from an old New England family, and was born in Detroit, Michigan. He attended the

University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...

for two years before joining the Union Army for the

. After service in the 1st Michigan Infantry Regiment, a unit enlisted for three months at the start of the war, Sanger joined the

1st Regiment of Artillery The 1st Air Defense Artillery is an air defense artillery regiment in the United States Army first formed as a field artillery unit in 1821. Lineage Constituted 1 June 1821 in the Regular Army as the 1st Regiment of Artillery, and organized fro ...

, with which he served until the end of the war. Sanger remained in the army after the war, and served in a variety of assignments as he rose through the ranks in the 1870s and 1880s, including command of several batteries of the 1st Artillery. In addition to his artillery assignments, Sanger also served as an aide-de-camp for General

during Upton's inspection and observation tour of Asia and Europe in the mid-1870s, and General

during Schofield's command of the

Military Division of the Atlantic Military Division of the Atlantic, was one of the military divisions of the U. S. Army created by GENERAL ORDERS No. 118. on June 27, 1865 at the end of the American Civil War. President Andrew Johnson directed that the United States was to be divid ...

and assignment as

Commanding General of the United States Army Commanding General of the United States Army was the title given to the service chief and highest-ranking officer of the United States Army (and its predecessor the Continental Army), prior to the establishment of the Chief of Staff of the Unit ...

. During the presidential administration of

, Sanger served as his military aide and acted as his presidential secretary. During the

and

, Sanger commanded several brigades and divisions, then supervised censuses in

Puerto Rico ; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...

, and the

. He was promoted to major general on January 20, 1904, and retired the following day. In retirement, Sanger resided in Washington, D.C. He died there on March 15, 1926, and was buried at

Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is the largest cemetery in the United States National Cemetery System, one of two maintained by the United States Army. More than 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington County, Virginia. ...

Early life and start of career

Joseph Prentice Sanger was born in Detroit, Michigan on May 4, 1840, a son of Henry Kirkland Sanger and Caroline (Prentice) Sanger. Sanger's parents were from New York originally, and came from old New England families. His cousins included George P. Sanger (Harvard, 1840), President of John Hancock Mutual Fund, his son Charles Robert Sanger, and

William Cary Sanger William Cary Sanger Sr. (May 21, 1853 – December 6, 1921) was an American politician who served as the United States Assistant Secretary of War from 1901 to 1903. Biography He was born on May 21, 1853, in Brooklyn, New York City, to Henry San ...

(Harvard 1870), Assistant Secretary of War (1901-1903). He attended the schools of Detroit and was a student at the

from 1858 to 1860. He enlisted in the Union Army in April 1861 and was appointed 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 ...

in the 1st Michigan Infantry Regiment, a unit organized in response to President

's call at the start of the war for troops to serve three-month enlistments. When the 1st Michigan mustered out in August 1861, Sanger joined the

as commander of Battery D, and later commanded Battery E, 3rd Artillery. He served until the end of the war, and received promotion to

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

major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...

by brevet in recognition of his heroism in the Bermuda Hundred campaign and the

first First most commonly refers to: * First, the ordinal form of the number 1 First or 1st may also refer to: Acronyms * Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty-Centimeters, an astronomical survey carried out by the Very Large Array * Far Infrared a ...

and

second The second (symbol: s) is a unit of time derived from the division of the day first into 24 hours, then to 60 minutes, and finally to 60 seconds each (24 × 60 × 60 = 86400). The current and formal definition in the International System of U ...

battles of Deep Bottom, Virginia.

Continued career

Sanger remained in the army after the Civil War, and was assigned as adjutant of the 1st Artillery in 1866. He was the honor graduate of his Artillery School course in 1869, and afterwards remained at

Fort Monroe Fort Monroe is a former military installation in Hampton, Virginia, at Old Point Comfort, the southern tip of the Virginia Peninsula, United States. It is currently managed by partnership between the Fort Monroe Authority for the Commonwealth o ...

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 serve as the school's adjutant. When whiskey distillers in New York City refused to pay the federal tax on their product, a riot against federal authorities resulted. This civil disturbance became known as the Brooklyn Whiskey War of 1871, and Sanger commanded a battery in the army response that ended the riot. From 1872 to 1875, Sanger was professor of military science at

Bowdoin College Bowdoin College ( ) is a Private college, private liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Brunswick, Maine. It was chartered in 1794. The main Bowdoin campus is located near Casco Bay and the Androscoggin River. In a ...

, and he was promoted to captain in February 1875. From 1875 to 1877, he was an aide-de-camp to General

during Upton's observation and inspection of armies in several Asian and European countries, including Japan and England. From 1877 to 1884, he commanded batteries of the 1st Artillery, including the regiment's Light Battery, which was posted to

Fort Adams Fort Adams is a former United States Army post in Newport, Rhode Island, Newport, Rhode Island, that was established on July 4, 1799, as a Seacoast defense in the United States#First System, First System Coastal defence and fortification, coas ...

Rhode Island Rhode Island ( ) is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Connecticut to its west; Massachusetts to its north and east; and the Atlantic Ocean to its south via Rhode Island Sound and Block Is ...

. From 1884 to 1888, Sanger was an aide-de-camp to Major General John Schofield during Schofield's command of the

. He was promoted to major in February 1891, and during the presidential administration of

, he served as Harrison's military aide and acting presidential secretary. In the mid-1890s, he served as military secretary for Schofield during Schofield's term as

. In September 1895, Sanger was detailed to the Inspector General's office, and he served first as inspector of the South Atlantic District, then as principal assistant to the army's Inspector General.

Spanish–American War

In March 1898, Sanger was appointed inspector general of

United States Volunteers United States Volunteers also known as U.S. Volunteers, U.S. Volunteer Army, or other variations of these, were military volunteers called upon during wartime to assist the United States Army but who were separate from both the Regular Army (United ...

and promoted to lieutenant colonel. In July 1898, he was promoted to brigadier general of volunteers, and in

he successively commanded 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, First Army Corps, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Division, First Corps, 3rd Division, First Corps, and 2nd Division, First Corps. In January 1899, Sanger was appointed commander of the District of

Matanzas Matanzas (Cuban ; ) is the capital of the Cuban province of Matanzas Province, Matanzas. Known for its poets, culture, and Afro-American religions, Afro-Cuban folklore, it is located on the northern shore of the island of Cuba, on the Bay of Mat ...

. He was discharged from the volunteers in June 1899, and performed staff duty in the office of the

Assistant Secretary of War The United States assistant secretary of war was the second–ranking official within the American Department of War from 1861 to 1867, from 1882 to 1883, and from 1890 to 1940. According to thMilitary Laws of the United States "The act of Augus ...

. In August 1899, Sanger was appointed director of the U.S. census of

and Cuba, which was necessitated by the U.S. establishing governments there after defeating Spain. He was promoted to the permanent ranks 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 ...

in February 1901, and brigadier general in July 1902. From 1901 to 1903, he served in the

during the

, holding simultaneously the positions of chief of staff and inspector general for

Adna Chaffee Adna Romanza Chaffee (April 14, 1842 – November 1, 1914) was a lieutenant general in the United States Army. Chaffee took part in the American Civil War and Indian Wars, played a key role in the Spanish–American War, and fought in the Boxe ...

, the

military governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the type of political region or polity, a ''governor'' may ...

. From 1903 to 1904, Sanger was director of the U.S. census of the Philippines. On January 20, 1904, he was promoted to major general in accordance with a law permitting Union veterans still on active duty to be advanced one grade before retiring. He retired on January 21, two months before reaching the mandatory retirement age of 64.

Retirement and death

In retirement, Sanger was a resident of Washington, D.C. He had authored articles for professional journals during his career, and after retirement, he was responsible for completing ''The Military Policy of the United States''. This history of the army's doctrine and policy had been begun by Emory Upton, and it was edited for publication in 1904 by Sanger,

William Dorrance Beach Brigadier General William Dorrance Beach (June 18, 1856 – June 18, 1932) was a United States Army officer active during World War I.Marquis Who's Who, Inc. ''Who Was Who in American History, the Military''. Chicago: Marquis Who's Who, 1975.P.3 ...

, and

Charles Dudley Rhodes Charles Dudley Rhodes (February 10, 1865 – January 24, 1948) was a United States Army major general. He was a prominent commander of cavalry units from the Indian Wars through World War I, and was a lecturer and author. Early life The son of M ...

. He remained active in military and veterans' affairs, including serving on 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 ...

committee that arranged the 1907 design and placement of Washington's

Equestrian statue of George B. McClellan ''Major General George B. McClellan'' is an equestrian statue in Washington, D.C. that honors politician and American Civil War, Civil War general George B. McClellan. The monument is sited on a prominent location in the Kalorama Triangle Histo ...

. In 1910, he was a member of the panel that investigated the Brownsville affair. In 1917, he was a member of the board chaired by

Nelson A. Miles Nelson Appleton Miles (August 8, 1839 – May 15, 1925) was a United States Army officer who served in the American Civil War (1861–1865), the later American Indian Wars (1840–1890), and the Spanish–American War, (1898). From 1895 to 1903 ...

that reviewed awards of the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, military decoration and is awarded to recognize American United States Army, soldiers, United States Navy, sailors, Un ...

beginning with the Civil War and made recommendations on which had been awarded under questionable circumstances and should be revoked. Sanger was a member of the

Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States The Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States (MOLLUS), or, simply, the Loyal Legion, is a United States military order organized on April 15, 1865, by three veteran officers of the Union Army. The original membership was consisted ...

(MOLLUS) and

Military Order of Foreign Wars The Military Order of Foreign Wars of the United States (MOFW) is one of the oldest veterans' and hereditary associations in the nation with a membership that includes officers and their hereditary descendants from all of the Armed Services. Memb ...

. He also belonged to the

General Society of Colonial Wars The General Society of Colonial Wars is a Patriotism, patriotic Voluntary association, society composed of men who trace their descents from forebears who, in military, naval, or civil positions of high trust and responsibility, by acts or counse ...

and

Sons of the Revolution The Sons of the Revolution (SR), formally the General Society of the Sons of the Revolution (GSSR), is a patriotic organization headquartered at Williamsburg, Virginia, United States. A nonprofit corporation, the Sons of the Revolution was foun ...

. He died at

Walter Reed Army Medical Center The Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC), officially known as Walter Reed General Hospital (WRGH) until 1951, was the United States Army, U.S. Army's flagship medical center from 1909 to 2011. Located on in Washington, D.C., it served more ...

on March 15, 1926. He was buried at

Family

In 1877, Sanger married Frances Kent (1850–1938) of

Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

, New York. They were the parents of two children, Edith Sanger (1879–1975) and Walter Prentice Sanger (1881–1964). Edith Sanger was the wife of attorney James Mandeville Carlisle (1879–1922). Walter Prentice Sanger, known as Prentice, was a prominent New York City architect and landscape designer. Sanger's sister Frances Caroline Sanger (1848–1917) was the wife of Brigadier General John M. K. Davis.

Legacy

In 1872, Sanger received the honorary degree of Master of Arts from

. Joseph P. Sanger Camp No. 15 (

Lynn, Massachusetts Lynn is the eighth-largest List of municipalities in Massachusetts, municipality in Massachusetts, United States, and the largest city in Essex County, Massachusetts, Essex County. Situated on the Atlantic Ocean, north of the Boston city line ...

) of the

United Spanish War Veterans The United Spanish War Veterans was an American veterans' organization which consisted of veterans of the Spanish–American War, Philippine–American War and China Relief Expedition. Origins Soon after the Spanish–American War ended, in early ...

was named for Sanger.

References

External links

Joseph P. Sanger
at Arlington National Cemetery
Photos of Joseph Prentice Sanger
at Bowdoin College Library Archives Image Gallery {{DEFAULTSORT:Sanger, Joseph P. 1840 births 1926 deaths Military personnel from Detroit Military personnel from Washington, D.C. Union army officers American military personnel of the Spanish–American War American military personnel of the Philippine–American War United States Army generals Burials at Arlington National Cemetery