Oscar Hugh La Grange (April 3, 1837January 5, 1915) was an American lawyer and abolitionist activist. He served as a Union Army cavalry officer in 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 ...

, and received an honorary brevet to brigadier general.

Early life and activism

Oscar Hugh La Grange was born on April 3, 1837, in

Fulton, Oswego County, New York Fulton is a city in the western part of Oswego County, New York, United States. The population was 11,389 as of the 2020 census. The city is named after Robert Fulton, the inventor of the steamboat. History The city of Fulton is a communi ...

. In 1845, he and his family moved to

Ripon, Wisconsin Ripon () is a city in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 7,863 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The city is surrounded by the Ripon (town), Wisconsin, Town of Ripon. Ripon is home to the Little White S ...

. He attended Ripon College and the

University of Wisconsin A university () is an institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly means "community of teachers and scholars". Uni ...

in Madison. As a teenager, La Grange became an active

abolitionist Abolitionism, or the abolitionist movement, is the political movement to end slavery and liberate enslaved individuals around the world. The first country to fully outlaw slavery was Kingdom of France, France in 1315, but it was later used ...

, participating in the

Bleeding Kansas Bleeding Kansas, Bloody Kansas, or the Border War, was a series of violent civil confrontations in Kansas Territory, and to a lesser extent in western Missouri, between 1854 and 1859. It emerged from a political and ideological debate over the ...

conflicts. In 1860, he helped free abolitionist Sherman Booth from a Milwaukee jail and was on the run for several weeks hiding from law enforcement.

Civil War service

After the outbreak of the American Civil War in 1861, La Grange joined the Army and was assigned to the 4th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment. Later that year, he transferred to the 1st Wisconsin Cavalry Regiment. In 1863, La Grange became a brigade commander in the Army of the Cumberland under the command of future U.S. Representative

William Rosecrans William Starke Rosecrans (September 6, 1819March 11, 1898) was an American inventor, coal-oil company executive, diplomat, politician, and U.S. Army officer. He gained fame for his role as a Union general during the American Civil War. He was ...

. He later took part in the

Battle of Chickamauga The Battle of Chickamauga, fought on September 18–20, 1863, between the United States Army and Confederate States Army, Confederate forces in the American Civil War, marked the end of a U.S. Army offensive, the Chickamauga Campaign, in southe ...

. In 1864, La Grange was serving in the Battle of Rocky Face Ridge when he was taken prisoner by

Joseph Wheeler Joseph "Fighting Joe" Wheeler (September 10, 1836 – January 25, 1906) was a military commander and politician of the Confederate States of America. He was a cavalry general in the Confederate States Army in the 1860s during the American Civil ...

. He was exchanged after three months. Returning to action, La Grange and his brigade played a vital role in the

Battle of West Point The Battle of West Point, Georgia (April 16, 1865), formed part of the Union (American Civil War), Union campaign through Alabama and Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, known as Wilson's Raid, in the final full month of the American Civil War. The ...

. After this victory, LaGrange's troopers moved east toward LaGrange, Georgia, where they were met by a group of armed women who called themselves the Nancy Harts. After Colonel La Grange assured the women that he would not destroy private property, they backed down and disarmed. La Grange was mustered out of the volunteers on July 19, 1865. On January 13, 1866,

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 La Grange for appointment to the grade of brevet brigadier general of volunteers to rank from March 13, 1865, 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 12, 1866.

Postbellum career

La Grange moved to

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

shortly after the end of the war. He held several offices there, including a term as superintendent of the San Francisco Mint. He moved to

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

in the 1890s and worked as a lawyer. Oscar La Grange died of

pneumonia Pneumonia is an Inflammation, inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as Pulmonary alveolus, alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of Cough#Classification, productive or dry cough, ches ...

on January 5, 1915, 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 ...

References

External links

La Grange, Col. Oscar H., 1837-1915
at

Wisconsin Historical Society The Wisconsin Historical Society (officially the State Historical Society of Wisconsin) is simultaneously a state agency and a private membership organization whose purpose is to maintain, promote and spread knowledge relating to the history of ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:La Grange, Oscar 1837 births 1915 deaths People from Oswego County, New York People of Wisconsin in the American Civil War Union army colonels American abolitionists Ripon College (Wisconsin) alumni University of Wisconsin–Madison alumni Deaths from pneumonia in New York City People from Ripon, Wisconsin American Civil War prisoners of war held by the Confederate States of America