Richard Napoleon Batchelder (July 27, 1832 – January 4, 1901) was a

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...

Officer An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French ''oficier'' "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French ''officier''), from Medieval Latin ''officiarius'' "an officer," ...

and the 18th Quartermaster General of the United States Army.

Brigadier General Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed t ...

Batchelder was awarded the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor ...

in 1891.

Early life

Richard N. Batchelder was born to Nathan and Peace Batchelder on July 27, 1832, in

Laconia, New Hampshire Laconia is a city in Belknap County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 16,871 at the 2020 census, up from 15,951 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Belknap County. Laconia, situated between Lake Winnipesaukee and Lake ...

. His father was a state representative, and his mother was the daughter of a prominent pastor. Richard attended the county school system of

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of City of Salford, Salford to ...

. During early adulthood he endeavored in many ventures, one of which was business.

Military career

At the start of the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by state ...

he quit private enterprise and enlisted in the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union of the collective states. It proved essential to th ...

in May 1861."Brigadier General Richard N. Batchelder – Quartermaster General 1890–1896." Army Quartermaster Foundation, Inc. 19 Nov 2000. Web. 18 Feb 2011.
/ref> Upon joining the Army, he was commissioned as 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 ...

, and took duty as regimental quartermaster for the 1st New Hampshire Volunteer Infantry. He was promoted to the rank of

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

in August 1861, and became a Divisional Quartermaster in March 1862. He eventually promoted to lieutenant colonel and chief quartermaster of II Corps in January 1863. During one of his missions in October 1863, the corps' supply units were bombarded by the enemy, and because of his leadership, his unit was able to successfully accomplish the mission without any loss of supplies. This feat would later earn him the

, and he was promoted to

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military 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 colonel was typically in charge ...

with the title of Chief Quartermaster of the

Army of the Potomac The Army of the Potomac was the principal 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 surrender of the Confede ...

the next year. Batchelder was mustered out of the volunteer service on June 8, 1865, and was transferred to the Regular Army, reverting to the rank of captain.Eicher, 2001, p. 740. 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: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese f ...

Andrew Johnson Andrew Johnson (December 29, 1808July 31, 1875) was the 17th president of the United States, serving from 1865 to 1869. He assumed the presidency as he was vice president at the time of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Johnson was a D ...

nominated Batchelder for appointment to the rank of

brevet Brevet may refer to: Military * Brevet (military), higher rank that rewards merit or gallantry, but without higher pay * Brevet d'état-major, a military distinction in France and Belgium awarded to officers passing military staff college * Aircre ...

brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed t ...

of Volunteers, to rank from March 13, 1865, and the U.S. Senate confirmed the appointment on March 12, 1866. On February 23, 1869, President Andrew Johnson nominated Batchelder for appointment to the grade of brevet brigadier general, U.S. Army (

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 standi ...

), to rank from April 9, 1865, and the U.S. Senate confirmed the appointment on March 3, 1869. USA - Quartermaster Corps Branch Insignia

After the Civil War, Batchelder then served at various commands across the country under the quartermaster branch for 25 years before he was promoted to

on June 26, 1890. With this promotion he was appointed as the 18th

Quartermaster General of the United States Army The Quartermaster General of the United States Army is a general officer who is responsible for the Quartermaster Corps, the Quartermaster branch of the U.S. Army. The Quartermaster General does not command Quartermaster units, but is primarily ...

. As Quartermaster General of the Army he was also in charge of the creation of the emblem used to identify the Quartermaster Corps. He retired from the Army on July 27, 1896. General Batchelder 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 patriotic order, organized April 15, 1865, by three veteran officers of the Army. The original membership was composed of members ...

, the

Sons of the Revolution Sons of the Revolution is a hereditary society which was founded in 1876 and educates the public about the American Revolution. The General Society Sons of the Revolution headquarters is a Pennsylvania non-profit corporation located at Willia ...

and the

Society of Colonial Wars The Society of Colonial Wars is a hereditary 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 counsel, assisted in the establishment, defense ...

Medal of Honor Citation

Rank and Organization: Lieutenant Colonel and Chief Quartermaster, 2d Corps.
Place and Date: Between Catlett and Fairfax Stations, Va., 13–15 October 1863.
Entered Service At: Manchester, N.H.
Born: 27 July 1832, Meredith, N.H.
Date of Issue: 20 May 1895. "The

President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal gove ...

in the name of The

Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...

takes pleasure in presenting the MEDAL OF HONOR to LIEUTENANT COLONEL & CHIEF QUARTERMASTER RICHARD NAPOLEON BATCHELDER UNITED STATES ARMY For service as set forth in the following CITATION: Being ordered to move his trains by a continuous day-and-night march, and without the usual military escort, armed his teamsters and personally commanded them, successfully fighting against heavy odds and bringing his trains through without the loss of a wagon."Richard Batchelder, Medal of Honor." Home Of Heroes Home Page. accessed 18 Feb 2011

Dates of Rank

Later life

Richard N. Batchelder retired from the U.S. Army on July 27, 1896.Eicher, 2001, p. 121. He died in Washington D.C. on January 4, 1901, and was buried at

Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is one of two national cemeteries run by the United States Army. Nearly 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington, Virginia. There are about 30 funerals conducted on weekdays and 7 held on Sa ...

, in

Arlington, Virginia Arlington County is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The county is situated in Northern Virginia on the southwestern bank of the Potomac River directly across from the District of Columbia, of which it was once a part. The county i ...

Notes

References

"Brigadier General Richard N. Batchelder – Quartermaster General 1890–1896." Army Quartermaster Foundation, Inc. 19 Nov. 2000. Web. 18 Feb. 2011.
* Eicher, John H., and David J. Eicher, ''Civil War High Commands.'' Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2001. .
Colonel Richard N. Batchelder (Civil War) "Medal of Honor Winners." Army Quartermaster Foundation, Inc. Web. 14 Feb. 2011.

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Batchelder, Richard Napoleon 1832 births 1901 deaths United States Army Medal of Honor recipients Burials at Arlington National Cemetery People of New Hampshire in the American Civil War Quartermasters General of the United States Army Union Army officers United States Army generals American Civil War recipients of the Medal of Honor