Thomas Algeo Rowley (October 5, 1808 – May 14, 1892) was a Union Army general 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 ...

. Following charges about the conduct of his officers at Gettysburg, Rowley was tried by a

court martial A court-martial (plural ''courts-martial'' or ''courts martial'', as "martial" is a postpositive adjective) is a military court or a trial conducted in such a court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of members of the mili ...

that was later declared biased, and he was reinstated.

Early life

Rowley was born in

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

. He served as a

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

of volunteers in 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, ...

, mustered in on October 8, 1847, and mustered out on July 18, 1848. Otherwise, he worked as a cabinetmaker.

Civil War service

Rowley served as

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 ...

of the 13th Pennsylvania Infantry from April 25, 1861, to August 6 of the same year. He then became colonel of the 102nd Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry Regiment. He was wounded at the

Battle of Seven Pines The Battle of Seven Pines, also known as the Battle of Fair Oaks or Fair Oaks Station, took place on May 31 and June 1, 1862, in Henrico County, Virginia as part of the Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War. The Union's Army of the Po ...

, while leading his regiment in 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 ...

. He (briefly) led a brigade in VI Corps at the

Battle of Fredericksburg The Battle of Fredericksburg was fought December 11–15, 1862, in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia, in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. The combat between the Union Army, Union Army of the Potomac commanded by Major general ( ...

. Promoted to the rank of brigadier general to rank from November 29, 1862, Rowley next commanded a brigade of I Corps at the

Battle of Chancellorsville The Battle of Chancellorsville, April 30 – May 6, 1863, was a major battle of the American Civil War (1861–1865), and the principal engagement of the Chancellorsville campaign. Confederate General Robert E. Lee's risky decision to divide h ...

. He was acting commander of 3rd Division, I Corps at the beginning of 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, ...

, while Maj. Gen. Abner Doubleday was acting corps commander. ( Chapman Biddle led Rowley's brigade.) On July 1, 1863, the brigade suffered heavy casualties confronting Confederates from Maj. Gen. Harry Heth's division. He was thrown from his horse during the retreat when it stopped short at the creek. Sick with infection from

boil A boil, also called a furuncle, is a deep folliculitis, which is an infection of the hair follicle. It is most commonly caused by infection by the bacterium ''Staphylococcus aureus'', resulting in a painful swollen area on the skin caused by ...

s the size of hens eggs on his inner thighs, he was feverish, and temperamental. Following a confrontation between Rowley and Brig. Gen. Lysander Cutler over the conduct of some of the 7th Wisconsin officers, Cutler filed charges of drunkenness in April 1864. Given less than 24 hours to prepare a defense for trial, Rowley was convicted by a

that author John F. Krumwiede states was, "lacking impartiality and marching to its own drum". Although reinstated by order of Secretary of War

Edwin M. Stanton Edwin McMasters Stanton (December 19, 1814December 24, 1869) was an American lawyer and politician who served as U.S. secretary of war under the Lincoln Administration during most of the American Civil War. Stanton's management helped organize ...

and President

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, his assassination in 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War ...

, Rowley was assigned only a district command in western Pennsylvania, due to the ongoing feud between the army commander General George G. Meade and the now corps commander General Gouverneur K. Warren. Blocked by the actions of General

Darius N. Couch Darius Nash Couch (July 23, 1822 – February 12, 1897) was an American soldier, businessman, and naturalist. He served as a career United States Army, U.S. Army officer during the Mexican–American War, the Second Seminole War, and as a general ...

in the attempt to stop the 1864 invasion of Pennsylvania by Confederate General Jubal Early, he resigned his commission on December 29, 1864.

Postbellum career

Rowley later served as a U.S. marshal and practiced law. He died in Pittsburgh and is buried there in Allegheny Cemetery.Eicher, p. 463.

Notes

References

* Eicher, John H., and David J. Eicher. ''Civil War High Commands''. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2001. . * Krumwiede, John F. ''Disgrace at Gettysburg: The Arrest and Court-martial of Brigadier General Thomas A. Rowley, USA''. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co., 2006. .

External links