Louis Wagner (August 4, 1838 – January 15, 1914) was a

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-born

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military infantry officer who served in the Union Army and as the 9th Commander-in-Chief of the

Grand Army of the Republic The Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) was a fraternal organization composed of veterans of the Union Army (United States Army), Union Navy (United States Navy, U.S. Navy), and the United States Marine Corps, Marines who served in the American Ci ...

, 1880-1881.

Early life and military career

Wagner was born August 4, 1838, in

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. He moved with his parents to the United States at age 11 and eventually learned the trade of a lithograph printer. Wagner enlisted in August 1861 with the 88th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry during the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

and was mustered in September 13, 1861, and commissioned

1st 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 sen ...

of Company D. He rose to the rank of

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 ...

of Company D and was wounded in action at the

Second Battle of Bull Run The Second Battle of Bull Run or Battle of Second Manassas was fought August 28–30, 1862, in Prince William County, Virginia, as part of the American Civil War. It was the culmination of the Northern Virginia Campaign waged by Confederate ...

and captured, but paroled and recovered in hospital at

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; for his distinguished service during the battle, he was promoted to

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of the regiment. Wagner was wounded in action again at the

Battle of Chancellorsville The Battle of Chancellorsville, April 30 – May 6, 1863, was a major battle of the American Civil War (1861–1865), and the principal engagement of the Chancellorsville campaign. Confederate General Robert E. Lee's risky decision to divide h ...

and returned to

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where he was recovering but deemed unfit for service in the field. During his recovery, Wagner was promoted to lieutenant colonel, and he volunteered for the command of

Camp William Penn Camp William Penn was a Union Army training camp located in Cheltenham Township, Pennsylvania from 1863 to 1865 during the American Civil War. The camp was notable for being the first training ground dedicated to African American troops who e ...

, the first United States Army training camp for

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soldiers. Upon a surgeon's recommendation, Wagner received the command and was detached from his regiment during the entire time that the camp was in operation. Wagner was eventually promoted

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and served as commander of the 5th Brigade, Pennsylvania National Guard until the war's end. For meritorious service during the war, Wagner received a promotion to brevet brigadier general of U.S. Volunteers, March 13, 1865.

Post-war service

After the war, Wagner served as commissioner of public works for Philadelphia and was very active in the

, both at the local, state, and national levels. Wagner was a charter member and first commander of G.A.R. Post #6 in Germantown, November 13, 1866. The following year he was elected commander of the Pennsylvania Department and both junior vice-commander and commander-in-chief in 1870. He served as senior vice-commander-in-chief, 1871–1872. Wagner was elected 9th commander-in-chief of the G.A.R. in 1880 at the national encampment in

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. During his membership with the G.A.R., from 1868 to 1913, he only missed two national encampments. Wagner died January 15, 1914, at his home in Germantown and is buried in Ivy Hill Cemetery, Philadelphia.

References

* Grand Army of the Republic. ''Final Journal of the Grand Army of the Republic, 1866-1956'' (Washington, DC: U.S. Govt. Print. Off.), 1957.

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Wagner, Louis 1838 births 1914 deaths People of Pennsylvania in the American Civil War People from Giessen Hessian emigrants to the United States Union army colonels Grand Army of the Republic commanders-in-chief Burials at Ivy Hill Cemetery (Philadelphia)

Early life and military career

Post-war service

See also

References

External links