Arthur Charles Ducat, Sr. (February 24, 1830 – January 29, 1896) was an officer in the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

. After the Civil War, Ducat was an insurance industry executive and fire prevention specialist.

Biography

Ducat was an immigrant from

County Dublin "Action to match our speech" , image_map = Island_of_Ireland_location_map_Dublin.svg , map_alt = map showing County Dublin as a small area of darker green on the east coast within the lighter green background of ...

, Ireland, where he was born in Kingstown on February 24, 1830. He moved to Illinois in 1851 where he was a civil engineer and an insurance agent. Ducat began his war service on May 2, 1861, as 2nd lieutenant of the 12th Illinois Infantry Regiment. He became 1st lieutenant on May 11, 1861, captain on August 1, 1861, major on September 24, 1861, and lieutenant colonel on April 1, 1862. He was wounded at the Battle of Fort Donelson in February 1862. After his service with 12th Illinois Infantry ended on October 30, 1862, Ducat served as the

Inspector General An inspector general is an investigative official in a civil or military organization. The plural of the term is "inspectors general". Australia The Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security (Australia) (IGIS) is an independent statutory off ...

of two major Federal armies in the Western Theater of the American Civil War, mainly in the Army of the Cumberland. He was discharged on February 19, 1864.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. 216 Grave of Arthur Charles Ducat (1830–1896) at Rosehill Cemetery, Chicago

On February 21, 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: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

Andrew Johnson Andrew Johnson (December 29, 1808July 31, 1875) was the 17th president of the United States, serving from 1865 to 1869. He assumed the presidency as he was vice president at the time of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Johnson was a Dem ...

nominated Ducat for appointment to the

brevet Brevet may refer to: Military * Brevet (military), higher rank that rewards merit or gallantry, but without higher pay * Brevet d'état-major, a military distinction in France and Belgium awarded to officers passing military staff college * Aircre ...

grade of

brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

of volunteers to rank from March 13, 1865, and the

U.S. Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

confirmed the appointment on April 10, 1866.Eicher, 2001, p. 744 Following the war, he was a leading executive in the insurance industry in

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

and a world-renowned specialist and author in fire prevention and protection who wrote one of the standard reference works on the topic: ''The Practice of Fire Underwriting.'' In 1873 Ducat wrote the military code upon for the

Illinois National Guard The Illinois National Guard comprises both Army National Guard and Air National Guard components of Illinois. As of 2013, the Illinois National Guard has approximately 13,200 members. The National Guard is the only United States military force emp ...

and became its commander with the grade of

major general Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

. Ducat died January 29, 1896, at Downers Grove, Illinois, and was buried in Rosehill Cemetery, Chicago, Illinois.

Notes

References

* Eicher, John H., and

, ''Civil War High Commands''. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2001. .

External links

*
Arlington National Cemetery webpage for Ducat

Picture History
Union Army colonels People of Illinois in the American Civil War American businesspeople in insurance People from Chicago Irish emigrants to the United States (before 1923) Burials at Rosehill Cemetery Businesspeople in insurance American militia generals 1830 births 1896 deaths 19th-century American businesspeople {{US-army-bio-stub

Biography

See also

Notes

References

External links