Augustus Wade Dwight (February 22, 1827 – March 26, 1865) was a lawyer who became an officer in 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 ...

. He served in 21 battles and was wounded three times, the last wound being fatal.

Life

Augustus Wade Dwight was born February 22, 1827, in

Halifax, Vermont Halifax is a town in Windham County, Vermont, in the United States. As of the 2020 census, the town population was 771. History Halifax was the second town chartered, west of the Connecticut River on May 11, 1750 by New Hampshire Governor Benni ...

, the oldest of nine children. His father was physician Morris Dwight of the

New England Dwight family The Dwight family of New England had many members who were military leaders, educators, jurists, authors, businessmen and clergy. Around 1634, John Dwight came with his wife Hannah, daughter Hannah, and sons Timothy (1629–1718) and John (d. 163 ...

, born October 1, 1796, and mother was Minerva Bryant, born February 18, 1800. In 1829 the family moved to

Cummington, Massachusetts Cummington is a town in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 829 at the 2020 census, down from 872 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. History Cummingto ...

, as the father practiced medicine, and in 1839 to

Poughkeepsie, New York Poughkeepsie ( ), officially the City of Poughkeepsie, separate from the Town of Poughkeepsie around it) is a city in the U.S. state of New York. It is the county seat of Dutchess County, with a 2020 census population of 31,577. Poughkeepsi ...

, where his father tried to raise

mulberry ''Morus'', a genus of flowering plants in the family Moraceae, consists of diverse species of deciduous trees commonly known as mulberries, growing wild and under cultivation in many temperate world regions. Generally, the genus has 64 identif ...

trees. In 1840 they moved to

LaFayette, New York LaFayette is a town in Onondaga County, New York, United States. Its population was 4,952 at the 2010 census. The town is named after the Marquis de Lafayette, a national hero of both France and the United States. LaFayette is in the southern part ...

. Dwight enrolled in

Yale College Yale College is the undergraduate college of Yale University. Founded in 1701, it is the original school of the university. Although other Yale schools were founded as early as 1810, all of Yale was officially known as Yale College until 1887, ...

in September 1851; his distant cousin

Theodore Dwight Woolsey Theodore Dwight Woolsey (31 October 1801 – 1 July 1889) was an American academic, author and President of Yale College from 1846 through 1871. Biography Theodore Dwight Woolsey was born 31 October 1801 in New York City. His mother was Elizabe ...

was president of Yale at the time. However, he dropped out in February 1852 when he could not afford it. Instead he went to

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

to join the

California Gold Rush The California Gold Rush (1848–1855) was a gold rush that began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The news of gold brought approximately 300,000 people to California fro ...

. He studied law for a while in California. Somehow he ended up on a ship to the

Hawaiian Islands The Hawaiian Islands ( haw, Nā Mokupuni o Hawai‘i) are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, and numerous smaller islets in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kur ...

, and from there to

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

. Returning to the US, he had circumnavigated the earth. He studied for the bar and was admitted to practice in

Onondaga County, New York Onondaga County ( ) is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 476,516. The county seat is Syracuse. Onondaga County is the core of the Syracuse, NY MSA. History The name ''Onondaga'' derives fro ...

, in 1859.

American Civil War

A year into the

, additional troops were being raised in Onondaga County. Dwight volunteered for 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 ...

for what he thought would be a three-year enlistment. He was commissioned as Captain of Company E of the

122nd New York Volunteer Infantry The 122nd New York Infantry Regiment known as the "Onondagas", was an infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War. History A year into the American Civil War, additional troops were being raised in Onondaga County, New ...

Regiment on July 8, 1862. By August 28, 1862, was promoted to

lieutenant colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...

under Colonel

Silas Titus Silas Titus (May 30, 1811 – October 4, 1899) was a military officer who fought in the American Civil War in the Union Army. He was active in the organization of the city of Syracuse, New York, and served as an alderman for two years and as a ...

, and was sent immediately into combat action as part of the

Army of the Potomac The Army of the Potomac was the principal 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 surrender of the Confedera ...

. In its first engagement, the

Battle of Antietam The Battle of Antietam (), or Battle of Sharpsburg particularly in the Southern United States, was a battle of the American Civil War fought on September 17, 1862, between Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia and Union G ...

, they were kept in reserve and there were no losses. After a few other skirmishes, they saw heavy fighting at the

Battle of Gettysburg The Battle of Gettysburg () was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, by Union and Confederate forces during the American Civil War. In the battle, Union Major General George Meade's Army of the Po ...

in July 1863. Sickness also took its toll on the regiment. Several times Col. Titus was ill and Dwight had led the troops. Other times, both officers were unable to lead and command passed to Captain Horace Hall Wapole (later promoted to lead the regiment). Titus was also called away to serve as Provost Marshal. Dwight would often send reports back to the Syracuse Journal newspaper, and wrote letters notifying relatives of men who were killed in action. On September 19, 1864, at 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 Confederate ...

, he received his first wound, a severe

contusion A bruise, also known as a contusion, is a type of hematoma of tissue, the most common cause being capillaries damaged by trauma, causing localized bleeding that extravasates into the surrounding interstitial tissues. Most bruises occur close ...

of his right thigh, but was able to continue in his post. On October 19, 1864, he was more severely wounded at

Battle of Cedar Creek The Battle of Cedar Creek, or Battle of Belle Grove, was fought on October 19, 1864, during the American Civil War. The fighting took place in the Shenandoah Valley of Northern Virginia, near Cedar Creek, Middletown, and the Valley Pike. Du ...

when a ball shattered his right wrist. He was given a medical discharge and sent home to recover with an effectively useless right arm. Dwight left home again on January 30, 1865, to rejoin his regiment which was at the

Siege of Petersburg The Richmond–Petersburg campaign was a series of battles around Petersburg, Virginia, fought from June 9, 1864, to March 25, 1865, during the American Civil War. Although it is more popularly known as the Siege of Petersburg, it was not a cla ...

. He officially replaced Titus to command the regiment as acting colonel on February 28, 1865, under Colonel Thomas W. Hyde who was in turn acting as brigade commander. On the early morning of March 25, 1865, Confederate forces launched the daring surprise attack on Fort Stedman near Petersburg. After initially capturing the Union fort, the attack stalled and the fort was retaken. In response, later that day Dwight's regiment was ordered to take some of the weakened trenches on the Confederate's right side. During the operation, he was hit it the head by artillery fire and was instantly killed. His commission as full colonel was not finalized before his death. He was buried in Oakwood Cemetery in

Syracuse, New York Syracuse ( ) is a City (New York), city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, Onondaga County, New York, United States. It is the fifth-most populous city in the state of New York following New York City, Buffalo, New York, Buffa ...

. At the dedication of a monument for the regiment in 1888 at the

Gettysburg Battlefield The Gettysburg Battlefield is the area of the July 1–3, 1863, military engagements of the Battle of Gettysburg within and around the borough of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Locations of military engagements extend from the site of the first shot ...

, speeches mentioned Dwight as the one "to whom the efficiency of the regiment was so largely due."

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Dwight, Augustus Wade 1827 births 1865 deaths People from Halifax, Vermont New York (state) lawyers Union Army officers People of New York (state) in the American Civil War Yale College alumni Union military personnel killed in the American Civil War Burials at Oakwood Cemetery (Syracuse, New York) 19th-century American lawyers