Theophilus Francis Rodenbough (November 5, 1838 – December 19, 1912) was born in

Easton, Pennsylvania Easton is a city in and the county seat of Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States. The city's population was 28,127 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Easton is located at the confluence of the Lehigh River and the Delawa ...

and was a Union Army officer 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 ...

. He received America's highest military decoration the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, military decoration and is awarded to recognize American United States Army, soldiers, United States Navy, sailors, Un ...

for his actions at the

Battle of Trevilian Station The Battle of Trevilian Station (also called Trevilians) was fought on June 11–12, 1864, in Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's Overland Campaign against Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. Union cavalry under Maj ...

. After his retirement from the U.S. Army in 1870, he wrote several books about military history.

Biography

On March 27, 1861, shortly before the outbreak of the

, Rodenbough was appointed a second lieutenant in the

2nd U.S. Dragoons The 2nd Cavalry Regiment, also known as the Second Dragoons, is an active Stryker infantry and cavalry regiment of the United States Army. The Second Cavalry Regiment is a unit of the United States Army Europe and Africa, with its garrison at ...

.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. . pp. 458-459 He was promoted to 1st lieutenant on May 14, 1861. On August 3, 1861, Rodenbough was transferred to the 2d U.S. Cavalry Regiment as the 2nd US Dragoons were renamed the 2nd US Cavalry. He was promoted to captain, U.S. Army, July 17, 1862. Rodenbough was captured at the

Battle of Second 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 ...

on August 31, 1862, and exchanged on September 20, 1862. He served in the campaigns of the

Army of the Potomac The Army of the Potomac was the primary field army of the 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 Battle of ...

, and as a

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 ...

captain commanded the 2nd U.S. Cavalry during the Gettysburg Campaign.

Gettysburg Campaign

A monument dedicated to the regulars of the United States Army who fought at Gettysburg includes Rodenbough. The Gettysburg Campaign was a series of engagements before and after the

Battle of Gettysburg The Battle of Gettysburg () was a three-day battle in the American Civil War, which was fought between the Union and Confederate armies between July 1 and July 3, 1863, in and around Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle, won by the Union, ...

. To better understand Rodenbough's role within the military organization, the following brief is provided. For more details, see Gettysburg Union order of battle. * The Army of the Potomac was initially under Major General

Joseph Hooker Joseph Hooker (November 13, 1814 – October 31, 1879) was an American Civil War general for the Union, chiefly remembered for his decisive defeat by Confederate General Robert E. Lee at the Battle of Chancellorsville in 1863. Hooker had serv ...

then under Major General

George G. Meade George Gordon Meade (December 31, 1815 – November 6, 1872) was an American military officer who served in the United States Army and the Union army as Major General in command of the Army of the Potomac during the American Civil War from 1 ...

on June 28, 1863. * The Cavalry Corps was commanded by Major General

Alfred Pleasonton Alfred Pleasonton (June 7, 1824 – February 17, 1897) was a United States Army officer and major general of volunteers in the Union cavalry during the American Civil War. He commanded the Cavalry Corps of the Army of the Potomac during the ...

, with divisions commanded by Brigadier Generals

John Buford John Buford Jr. (March 4, 1826 – December 16, 1863) was a United States Army cavalry officer. He fought for the Union Army, Union during the American Civil War, rising to the rank of brigadier general. Buford is best known for his actions in th ...

David McM. Gregg David McMurtrie Gregg (April 10, 1833 – August 7, 1916) was an American farmer, diplomat, and a Union cavalry general in the American Civil War. Early life and career Gregg was born in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania. He was the first cousin of fu ...

, and H. Judson Kilpatrick.

Medal of Honor

Rodenbough received the Medal of Honor for his efforts in the June 11, 1864

, Virginia, where he was wounded. Rodebough lost his right arm in the

Battle of Opequon The Third Battle of Winchester, also known as the Battle of Opequon or Battle of Opequon Creek, was an American Civil War battle fought near Winchester, Virginia, on September 19, 1864. Union Army Major General Philip Sheridan defeated Confede ...

, or Third Battle of Winchester, Virginia, on September 19, 1864. He briefly served as colonel of the 18th Pennsylvania Volunteer Cavalry Regiment between April 29, 1865, and October 31, 1865.

Post Civil War

Rodenbough was mustered out of the volunteer force on October 31, 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 Rodenbough for appointment to the brevet grade of brigadier general of volunteers, to rank from March 13, 1865, and the U.S. Senate confirmed the appointment on March 12, 1866. On July 28, 1866, Rodenbough was promoted to major, USA, and assigned to the 42nd U.S. Infantry Regiment. On July 18, 1868, President Johnson nominated Rodenbough for appointment to the brevet grade of 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 ...

), to rank from March 13, 1865, and the U.S. Senate confirmed the appointment on July 18, 1868. Rodenbough was unassigned after March 15, 1869.

Retirement

Rodenbough retired in 1870 as a

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 ...

. Afterwards, he was occupied as an author and as an employee of the Soldiers' Home in

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

, and in

New York State New York, also called New York State, is a state in the northeastern United States. Bordered by New England to the east, Canada to the north, and Pennsylvania and New Jersey to the south, its territory extends into both the Atlantic Ocean and ...

. He was a companion of the New York Commandery 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 ...

. He was the author of: *''From Everglade to Cañon with the Second Dragoons'' (1875) *''Afghanistan and the Anglo-Russian Dispute'' (1885) *''Uncle Sam's Medal of Honor'' (1886) *''Sabre and Bayonet'' (1897) Together with William L. Haskin he was the editor of ''The Army of the United States'' (1896) On April 23, 1904, Rodenbough was appointed brigadier general, USA, on the retired list. Theophilus Francis Rodenbough is interred at Easton Cemetery in Easton, Northampton County, Pennsylvania. He died in December 1912 at age 74

Medal of Honor citation

Rank and Organization: :Captain, 2d U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: At Trevlhan Station, Va., June 11, 1864. Entered service at: Pennsylvania. Born: November 5, 1838, Easton, Pa. Date of issue: September 21, 1893. Citation: :Handled the regiment with great skill and valor, was severely wounded.

Notes

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Rodenbough, Theophilus Francis 1838 births 1912 deaths American amputees American Civil War recipients of the Medal of Honor American military writers People of Pennsylvania in the American Civil War Union army colonels United States Army Medal of Honor recipients United States Army generals Writers from Easton, Pennsylvania