Samuel Beatty (December 16, 1820 – May 26, 1885) was an American soldier, sheriff, and farmer from

Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...

. He was a brigadier 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 ...

. In 1866, he was awarded the brevet grade of major general of volunteers.

Early life and career

Beatty was born in

Mifflin County, Pennsylvania Mifflin County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 46,143. Its county seat is Lewistown. The county was created on September 19, 1789, from parts of Cumberland County and Northumberland ...

in 1820 but was raised on a farm in

Stark County, Ohio Stark County is a county located in the northeastern part of U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 374,853. Its county seat is Canton. The county was created in 1808 and organized the next year. It is named for John S ...

. Beatty was appointed First Lieutenant in Company K, 3rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry on 25 June 1846 at Cincinnati, Ohio, for service during the

Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War (Spanish language, Spanish: ''guerra de Estados Unidos-México, guerra mexicano-estadounidense''), also known in the United States as the Mexican War, and in Mexico as the United States intervention in Mexico, ...

. The regiment was commanded by Colonel Samuel R. Curtis and spent several months guarding the Mexican border near Matamoras. The 3rd Ohio was attached to Zachary Taylor's division in the Army of the Rio Grande commanded by

General Winfield Scott Winfield Scott (June 13, 1786May 29, 1866) was an American military commander and political candidate. He served as Commanding General of the United States Army from 1841 to 1861, and was a veteran of the War of 1812, American Indian Wars, Mexica ...

. The 3rd Ohio took part in mopping up operations around

Monterrey Monterrey (, , abbreviated as MtY) is the capital and largest city of the northeastern Mexican state of Nuevo León. It is the ninth-largest city and the second largest metropolitan area, after Greater Mexico City. Located at the foothills of th ...

and protecting supply convoys from Mexican irregulars. The 3rd Ohio was relieved from duty on 18 May 1847 and mustered out of service at New Orleans, Louisiana from 18-24 June 1847. Beatty returned to his family farm in Jackson Township, Stark County, Ohio, after discharge. He was elected Sheriff of Stark County in 1857 and won reelection in 1859.

Civil War service

When the Civil War erupted, Samuel Beatty helped form a volunteer unit that mustered in as Company A of the 19th Ohio Infantry—the "Canton Light Guards." Beatty was elected as the

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, military service, service, or administrative corps, specialisation. In Middle Ages, Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of l ...

's first

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 ...

on 29 May 1861 After initial organization and training at the local fairgrounds, the regiment was transported to

Camp Chase Camp Chase was a military staging and training camp established in Columbus, Ohio, in May 1861 after the start of the American Civil War. It also included a large Union-operated prison camp for Confederate prisoners during the American Civil Wa ...

Columbus, Ohio Columbus (, ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities in Ohio, most populous city of the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 United States census, 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the List of United States ...

, for additional drilling. Beatty led the 19th Ohio in a series of battles in

western Virginia Western Virginia is a geographic region in Virginia comprising the Shenandoah Valley and Southwest Virginia. Generally, areas in Virginia located west of, or (in many cases) within, the piedmont region are considered part of western Virginia. T ...

, including the

Battle of Rich Mountain The Battle of Rich Mountain took place on July 11, 1861, in Randolph County, Virginia (now West Virginia) as part of the Operations in Western Virginia Campaign during the American Civil War. Background Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan assumed c ...

- where his good conduct was cited in General William Rosecrans' official report. The 19th Ohio was originally mustered for only ninety days so returned to Ohio to muster out in August 1861. Beatty and the 19th Ohio (3 years) organized in September 1861 and was attached to the 11th Brigade,

Army of the Ohio The Army of the Ohio was the name of two Union Army, Union armies in the American Civil War. The first army became the Army of the Cumberland and the second army was created in 1863. History 1st Army of the Ohio General Orders No. 97 appointed ...

in December 1861. Beatty commanded a brigade in the Army of the Ohio during the

Battle of Shiloh The Battle of Shiloh, also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing, was a major battle in the American Civil War fought on April 6–7, 1862. The fighting took place in southwestern Tennessee, which was part of the war's Western Theater of the ...

in April 1862, and the subsequent

Corinth Corinth ( ; , ) is a municipality in Corinthia in Greece. The successor to the ancient Corinth, ancient city of Corinth, it is a former municipality in Corinthia, Peloponnese (region), Peloponnese, which is located in south-central Greece. Sin ...

campaign and

Battle of Perryville The Battle of Perryville, also known as the Battle of Chaplin Hills, was fought on October 8, 1862, in the Chaplin Hills west of Perryville, Kentucky, as the culmination of the Confederate Heartland Offensive (Kentucky Campaign) during the Ame ...

Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...

in September 1862. His service was recognized by a promotion to brigadier general of volunteers on 29 November 1862. At the

Battle of Stones River The Battle of Stones River, also known as the Second Battle of Murfreesboro, was fought from December 31, 1862, to January 2, 1863, in Middle Tennessee, as the culmination of the Stones River Campaign in the Western Theater of the American Ci ...

, Beatty commanded a brigade in Brig. Gen. Horatio Van Cleve's division of Maj. Gen. Thomas L. Crittenden's left wing. Van Cleave was wounded during fighting on the first day, so Beatty commanded the division during the remainder of the battle. During the pivotal fighting late on 2 January 1863, Beatty rallied his division after they were driven back by an attack by the division commanded by John C. Breckinridge. Beatty's division ultimately defeated Breckenridge along with the massed fires of Federal artillery gathered by Crittenden's artillery chief, Captain John Mendenhall. Beatty resumed command of his old brigade which was redesignated 1st Brigade of Van Cleve's 3rd Division, Major General Thomas Crittenden's XXI Army Corps,

Army of the Cumberland The Army of the Cumberland was one of the principal Union armies in the Western Theater during the American Civil War. It was originally known as the Army of the Ohio. History The origin of the Army of the Cumberland dates back to the creatio ...

, commanded by Major General George H. Thomas. Beatty led his brigade through the middle Tennessee campaign that ended with 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 September 1863. Beatty's brigade fought well during the first and second day until it was caught up in the collapse of the Union line. Beatty afterwards received the commendation of XXI Corps commander Thomas L. Crittenden, who wrote, "With pride I mention the name of Brig. Gen. Samuel Beatty for his conduct on this occasion." Beatty's brigade was reorganized as 3rd Brigade, Third Division, under Brigadier General Thomas J. Wood, IV Corps ( Major General Gordon Granger), Army of the Cumberland. Beatty's brigade participated in the preliminary battle for Orchard Knob on 23 November 1863, and the pivotal

Battle of Missionary Ridge The Battle of Missionary Ridge, also known as the Battle of Chattanooga, was fought on November 25, 1863, as part of the Chattanooga campaign of the American Civil War. Following the Union Army, Union victory in the Battle of Lookout Mountain on ...

on 25 November 1863. After preliminary attacks by General

William T. Sherman William is a masculine given name of Germanic origin. It became popular in England after the Norman conquest in 1066,All Things William"Meaning & Origin of the Name"/ref> and remained so throughout the Middle Ages and into the modern era. It is ...

at Tunnel Hill failed, General

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 ...

ordered the Army of the Cumberland to advance on the base of Missionary Ridge. Instead, the junior officers of the Army of the Cumberland, confused by conflicting orders, continued their advance up Missionary Ridge. The men of Wood's division and Beatty's brigade were among the first Federal soldiers to gain the crest of Missionary Ridge, and played a major role in routing the Confederate

Army of Tennessee The Army of Tennessee was a Field army, field army of the Confederate States Army in the Western theater of the American Civil War, Western Theater of the American Civil War. Named for the Confederate States of America, Confederate state of Tenn ...

from their positions. Beatty afterwards claimed to have captured eight pieces of artillery with limbers and caisson, 200 small arms, 176 prisoners and the commander and colors of the 42nd Alabama. Beatty continued on to command the 3rd Brigade, Third Division (Wood),

IV Corps 4 Corps, 4th Corps, Fourth Corps, or IV Corps may refer to: France * 4th Army Corps (France) * IV Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars * IV Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperi ...

,commanded by Major General Oliver Otis Howard, of the Army of the Cumberland, during the Atlanta Campaign of 1864. General Beatty continued on in brigade command during the Franklin–Nashville campaign of September-December 1864. Beatty was elevated to command Wood's division, IV Corps, Army of the Cumberland prior to the

Battle of Nashville The Battle of Nashville was a two-day battle in the Franklin-Nashville Campaign that represented the end of large-scale fighting west of the coastal states in the American Civil War. It was fought at Nashville, Tennessee, on December 15–16, 18 ...

. Beatty's division took part in the diversionary attack on Peach Orchard Hill, setting the stage for the decisive attack on Shy's Hill that crushed the left flank of the Army of Tennessee. By nomination of President

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 ...

on January 13, 1866 and confirmation by the U.S. Senate on March 12, 1866, he was retroactively awarded the brevet grade of major general of volunteers, to rank from March 13, 1865, for his leadership of the Third Division, IV Corps, Army of the Cumberland during the Nashville campaign. This brevet promotion made him the highest ranking Union Army officer from Stark County. Beatty was mustered out of the volunteer service on January 15, 1866.

Postbellum career

After the war, Beatty returned to Stark County and farmed in Jackson Township. He died at home on 26 May 1885 and was buried in the City Cemetery in

Massillon, Ohio Massillon is a city in western Stark County, Ohio, United States, along the Tuscarawas River. The population was 32,146 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Massillon is a principal city of the Canton–Massillon metropolitan area, whic ...

. Original farmhouse located at 8903 Beatty ST NW MASSILLON, OH 44646. Later deconstructed and put into storage.

Notes

References

* Eicher, John H., and

David J. Eicher David John Eicher (born August 7, 1961) is an American editor, writer, and popularizer of astronomy and space. He has been editor-in-chief of ''Astronomy'' magazine since 2002. He is author, coauthor, or editor of 23 books on science and American ...

, ''Civil War High Commands''. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2001. . * Reid, Whitelaw, ''Ohio in the War: Her Statesmen, Her Generals, and Soldiers''. Volume 2. Cincinnati: Moore, Wilstach, & Baldwin, 1868. * U.S. War Department, ''The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies'', 70 volumes in 4 series. Washington, D.C.: United States Government Printing Office, 1880–1901. *

External links