Silas Casey (July 12, 1807 – January 22, 1882) was a career

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 ...

officer who rose to the rank of major general 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 ...

(1861-1865).

Early life and military career

Casey was born in East Greenwich, Rhode Island. He graduated from the

United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), commonly known as West Point, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York that educates cadets for service as Officer_(armed_forces)#United_States, comm ...

in 1826 (39th out of 41). He fought in the Second Seminole War under William J. Worth from 1837 to 1842. 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, ...

he fought at the Battle of Contreras and

Battle of Churubusco The Battle of Churubusco took place on August 20, 1847, while Santa Anna's army was in retreat from the Battle of Contreras or Battle of Padierna during the Mexican–American War. It was the battle where the San Patricio Battalion, made u ...

, and was appointed brevet

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 ...

on August 20, 1847, for gallant conduct. He then fought in the Battle of Molino del Rey and was severely wounded during the

Battle of Chapultepec The Battle of Chapultepec took place between U.S. troops and Mexican forces holding the strategically located Chapultepec Castle on the outskirts of Mexico City on the 13th of September, 1847 during the Mexican–American War. The castle was buil ...

on September 13, 1847. After the Mexican-American War, he performed frontier duties and escorted topographical parties, including a trip to California around

Cape Horn Cape Horn (, ) is the southernmost headland of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago of southern Chile, and is located on the small Hornos Island. Although not the most southerly point of South America (which is Águila Islet), Cape Horn marks the nor ...

in 1849. He commanded at Camp Picket during the Pig War on San Juan Island from August 10 to October 18, 1859.

Civil War

Casey was a Lieutenant Colonel of the 9th U.S. Infantry Regiment at the beginning of the war. He was going to be promoted to Colonel of the 4th U.S. Infantry Regiment on October 9 of 1861, however before the promotion could occur Casey was promoted to brigadier general of volunteers on August 31, 1861, shortly after arriving on the East Coast. Casey eventually became a division commander in the IV Corps under Brig. Gen Erasmus Keyes. During the Battle of Seven Pines, Casey's division was attacked by D.H. Hill's Confederates and driven from the field in panic. Gen.

George McClellan George Brinton McClellan (December 3, 1826 – October 29, 1885) was an American military officer and politician who served as the 24th governor of New Jersey and as Commanding General of the United States Army from November 1861 to March 186 ...

blamed them for the disaster, in spite of the fact that it was the smallest, least experienced, and least well-equipped division in the army and clearly should not have been placed in such a vulnerable location as the Seven Pines crossroads. Casey was removed from division command and replaced by Brig. Gen John J. Peck. For the remainder of the Peninsula Campaign, Casey and his former division were relegated to a post around army headquarters at Harrison's Landing and kept away from the front lines. After the Seven Days battles, when McClellan conducted a review of the army, the soldiers in Casey's division turned their backs and refused to cheer him. He was promoted to Major General on May 31 of 1862. He wrote the three-volume ''System of Infantry Tactics'', including ''Infantry Tactics'' volumes I and II, published by the army on August 11, 1862, and ''Infantry Tactics for Colored Troops'', published on March 9, 1863. The manuals were used by both sides during the Civil War. In December 1862 he was appointed to the board that ultimately convicted Maj. Gen. Fitz John Porter of disobedience and cowardice for his actions 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 ...

. At the end of the war, Casey received a brevet (honorary promotion) to the rank of major general dated March 15, 1865. He was mustered out of volunteer service and reverted to his regular army rank of colonel on August 24, 1865.

Postbellum activities and death

Casey retired from the army on July 8, 1868, at the age of 61, having served over 40 years on active duty. In 1870, he became a hereditary member of the Massachusetts

Society of the Cincinnati The Society of the Cincinnati is a lineage society, fraternal, hereditary society founded in 1783 to commemorate the American Revolutionary War that saw the creation of the United States. Membership is largely restricted to descendants of milita ...

in succession to his uncle Dr. Lincoln Goodale, who was the son of Brevet Major Nathan Goodale. General Casey was also 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 ...

as were all three of his sons. In 1880 Casey became a veteran member of the

Aztec Club of 1847 The Aztec Club of 1847 is a military society founded in 1847 by United States Army officers of the Mexican–American War. It is a male-only hereditary organization with membership of those who can trace a direct ancestral connection "based on ma ...

—a military society originally composed of officers who had served in the occupation of Mexico City and later extended its membership to all United States officers who had served during the Mexican War and their descendants.Constitution of the Aztec Club of 1847 and List of Members. 1909. pg. 34. Casey died of a digestive system ailment in

Brooklyn, New York 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 ...

, on January 22, 1882, and is buried at Casey Farm in Saunderstown, Rhode Island.

Family

Casey's sons included Silas Casey III, who served as

rear admiral Rear admiral is a flag officer rank used by English-speaking navies. In most European navies, the equivalent rank is called counter admiral. Rear admiral is usually immediately senior to commodore and immediately below vice admiral. It is ...

of the Pacific Squadron, 1901–1903; Brigadier General Thomas Lincoln Casey (who oversaw the completion of the

Washington Monument The Washington Monument is an obelisk on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., built to commemorate George Washington, a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father of the United States, victorious commander-in-chief of the Continen ...

and served as Chief of Engineers in the US Army) and Lieutenant Edward Wanton Casey, an Army officer of Cheyenne Scouts/Troop L/8th Cavalry Regiment USA who was killed in action with the

Sioux The Sioux or Oceti Sakowin ( ; Dakota/ Lakota: ) are groups of Native American tribes and First Nations people from the Great Plains of North America. The Sioux have two major linguistic divisions: the Dakota and Lakota peoples (translati ...

January 7, 1891.

Notes

References

* Eicher, John H., and David J. Eicher. ''Civil War High Commands''. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2001. . Attribution *

External links

*
Casey's Infantry Tactics (Google E-book)Infantry Tactics VOL I 1862
{{DEFAULTSORT:Casey, Silas 1807 births 1882 deaths American military personnel of the Mexican–American War Members of the Aztec Club of 1847 United States Military Academy alumni Union army generals People of Rhode Island in the American Civil War People from North Kingstown, Rhode Island People from East Greenwich, Rhode Island