Ulysses Doubleday (August 31, 1824 – February 11, 1893) was a Union Army

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 ...

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 nominated and confirmed for appointment to the grade of brevet brigadier general of volunteers, to rank from March 13, 1865.

Early life

Ulysses Doubleday was born in Auburn, New York, on August 31, 1824.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. . p. 213. He was described as having 'blue eyes, brown hair, and a fair complexion'. He was the younger brother of Union Army Major General

Abner Doubleday Abner Doubleday (June 26, 1819 – January 26, 1893) was a career United States Army officer and Union major general in the American Civil War. He fired the first shot in defense of Fort Sumter, the opening battle of the war, and had a ...

, and the son of

congressman A member of congress (MOC), also known as a congressman or congresswoman, is a person who has been appointed or elected and inducted into an official body called a congress, typically to represent a particular constituency in a legislature. The t ...

and

War of 1812 The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...

veteran Ulysses F. Doubleday and Hester Donnelly. Before the Civil War, he was a banker and broker.

Civil War

On January 23, 1862, Ulysses Doubleday was appointed a

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 ...

and commander of the 4th New York Heavy Artillery. He became an aide-de-camp for his brother in August 1862. He was discharged on March 7, 1863. He returned to service as lieutenant colonel of the

3rd United States Colored Infantry Regiment The 3rd United States Colored Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The regiment was composed of African American enlisted men commanded by white officers and was authorized by the ...

, October 2, 1863. He was appointed to the command of the Artillery Brigade in the District of Florida,

Department of the South The Department of the South was a military department of the United States Army that existed in several iterations in the 19th century during and after the American Civil War. 1862–65 After the first 11 months of the American Civil War, startin ...

, in April 1864. He resigned October 5, 1864 and was appointed colonel of the 45th United States Colored Infantry Regiment, October 8, 1864. He immediately took command of the Second Brigade, Third Division, X Corps (Union Army),

Army of the James The Army of the James was a Union Army that was composed of units from the Department of Virginia and North Carolina and served along the James River during the final operations of the American Civil War in Virginia. History The Union Department ...

and served in that office until December 3, 1864 except for October 29–November 6. On December 3, 1864, Doubleday took command of Second Brigade, Second Division, XXV Corps (Union Army), Army of the James until May 18, 1865. Doubleday's brigade was one of two brigades of United States Colored Troops that actively participated in surrounding Confederate forces at Appomattox Court House and was instrumental in the Union victory. Doubleday's brigade was attached to the First Division, 24th Corps between April 7 and April 9, 1865 and was present for the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia. He relocated with his brigade to the

Department of Texas The Department of Texas was a military department of the United States Army that existed from 1850 to 1861, and again from 1865 to 1866, from 1870 to 1913 and during the First World War. It was subordinate to the Military Division of the Missouri ...

from June 13, 1865 until some date in July 1865.Eicher, 2001, p. 214. He was discharged from the volunteers on September 12, 1865.

Post-War

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 Doubleday for appointment to the grade of brevet brigadier general of volunteers, to rank from March 13, 1865, and the

United States Senate The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...

confirmed the appointment on March 12, 1866.Eicher, 2001, p. 744. After the war he was a member of the

New York Stock Exchange The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE, nicknamed "The Big Board") is an American stock exchange in the Financial District, Manhattan, Financial District of Lower Manhattan in New York City. It is the List of stock exchanges, largest stock excha ...

, the

Union League The Union Leagues were quasi-secretive men's clubs established separately, starting in 1862, and continuing throughout the Civil War (1861–1865). The oldest Union League of America council member, an organization originally called "The Leagu ...

, and the Saint Nicholas Society of New York. He later retired to a large farm in

Asheville, North Carolina Asheville ( ) is a city in Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States. Located at the confluence of the French Broad River, French Broad and Swannanoa River, Swannanoa rivers, it is the county seat of Buncombe County. It is the most populou ...

. Ulysses Doubleday died in

Tryon, North Carolina Tryon is a town in Polk County, on the southwestern border of North Carolina, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 1,562. Located in the escarpment of the Blue Ridge Mountains, today the area is affluent and a center ...

on February 11, 1893. He was interred at

Woodlawn Cemetery (Bronx, New York) Woodlawn Cemetery is one of the largest cemeteries in New York City and a designated National Historic Landmark. Located south of Woodlawn Heights, Bronx, New York City, it has the character of a rural cemetery. Woodlawn Cemetery opened durin ...

Notes

References

* Eicher, John H., and

. ''Civil War High Commands''. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2001. . *Smith Bartlett, Joan. ''Abner Doubleday: His Life and Times.'' Xlibris Corporation LLC.

External links